Wingham United Church

February 8, 2026

Letting our Light Shine

Isaiah 58:1-11

Matthew 5:13-20

          We’ve been talking for the last two weeks about the foolishness of “human wisdom” compared to following God’s will. We can come to church, study the Bible, read books, listen to biblical scholars, which are all good things – things I encourage every person of faith to do. These all help shape our knowledge and understanding of God, and there is nothing in this life more important than that.

          If we do these things from a worldly perspective, however, they can become misleading, and sometimes confusing. Real understanding only comes through the Spirit, not human intellect. For example, in today’s gospel reading from the fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus says, “let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” That seems fairly straightforward and I think most of us could understand the wisdom in that directive. At the beginning of the very next chapter, however, still part of the Sermon on the Mount, he tells us, “Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” Talk about a mixed message.

          So, which is right? Should I let my light shine, or should I do my good deeds secretly? The answer, of course, is found in our motivation. If my actions help bring others closer to God, then I should let people see what I do. If, on the other hand, revealing my good deeds is meant only to bolster my own image, I should keep things under wraps. As Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, there is a time and place for everything, and as Jesus stated in our gospel reading today, everything written in scripture, even the smallest detail, has a purpose. So how can I know what I should do?

          The message from the Hebrew scriptures this week is from Isaiah, who was a contemporary of Micah from whom we heard last week. Both were trying to steer Israel and Judah back onto the right path at around the same time. Micah is perhaps best known for the closing verse from last week’s reading, which stated “what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

          Isaiah’s message this week is pretty much the same. Where Micah pointed out that God was not impressed with Israel’s atonement sacrifices, Isaiah homes in on their practice of fasting. Fasting is supposed to be a way to draw closer to God. Going without food for a day is a way of setting aside our worldly impulses to focus our attention on our relationship with God, and, perhaps, better hear what God is telling us we should do. By placing God ahead of our stomachs, we demonstrate humility and devotion. But Isaiah also points out the hypocrisy of those who make a big deal of going without food for a day while, at the same time, doing nothing to help the poor who have no choice in the matter and often go without food for days on end.

          God is not impressed with these self-righteous individuals who put on a big show of humbling themselves for the specific purpose of trying to impress people with their humility. In other words, they are very proud of how humble they appear to be, and Isaiah points out the irony in that. So, just as Micah told them what sort of sacrifices would really please God, Isaiah explains the type of fast that would have real traction in the kingdom of heaven, even if they are not so impressive to people of earth: loose the bonds of injustice, remove the yoke of oppression, share your food with the hungry, and house the homeless. If they are naked, clothe them and do not turn away from any chance to help another, for we are all brothers and sisters.

          If we do this, our “light will break forth like the dawn.” Notice the similarity between Isaiah’s analogy and the words of Christ, who tells us to let our light shine. We are to be the light of the world, illuminating the injustices and evil of the world, and doing all we can to set things back on their intended path. We are not, however, to do this to impress people with our own righteousness or apparent faithfulness. We do it to demonstrate the love and compassion of Christ.

          Empty ritual and putting on airs don’t feed hungry children. Coming to church for worship does not, on its own, give shelter to the homeless. The word worship literally means “the work of the people,” and while society has come to accept that as what we do in church on Sunday morning, the truth is that it also includes what we do throughout the week.

          Just as sacrifice and fasting were important aspects of a life of faith for the Jews, our attendance on Sunday is important, but unless it is matched with outreach and mission Monday through Saturday, we are guilty of the same hypocrisy as the scribes and Pharisees who publicly fasted and prayed but ignored the needs of the widows and orphans. And while we are most grateful for your contributions on the offering plate, if all we do with that money is simply keep the doors of the church open for an hour a week, we are doing no better than those offering rams and olive oil to whom Micah was pointing his accusing finger last week.

          When Jesus states that he has come not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it, he is saying that he has come to show us the real law, not the ritual requirements upon which the scribes and Pharisees place such importance. The real law is the one expressed in the Great Commandment. That is why I say it so often. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength and you shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

          The scribes and Pharisees loved Torah, with all of its rules and regulations. Wash your hands. Don’t eat pork. Wear tassels on your clothing to remind you to pray. These are all things they could easily do without any great sacrifice. They were also things people could see them do. At one point, Jesus accuses these people of wearing extra large tassels so they could be sure others would notice.

But scripture is not a buffet table where you can choose the parts you like and ignore the parts you don’t. Every command of God has a purpose, even if “human wisdom” cannot see what that purpose is. We are called, as the faithful have always been called, to fulfill our purpose as children of God, to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.”

Or, as Isaiah defines it:

“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.

    Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!

Feed the hungry,

    and help those in trouble.

Then your light will shine out from the darkness,

    and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.”

Isaiah goes on to tell us that those who truly obey God’s commands will be blessed. When they pray, God will answer. They will be like an ever-flowing spring or a well-watered garden.

People often ask me what churches that are thriving do differently, and I think this is the answer. They aren’t just full of people on Sunday morning. They are active all week long, reaching out, helping others, gathering for prayer or bible study, demonstrating what it really means to be the Body of Christ. They let their light shine, and God blesses them so that they can do even more.

To let our light shine so that others may see and give glory to our God in heaven, our churches must do more than just stay open. They must reach out and make a difference in the world outside their own walls, not to impress other people or achieve our own goals, but to show them the love and compassion of Christ.

Rev. Colin Snyder, MDiv