Jesus’ mission wasn’t to teach us how to carry out the instructions of the Temple, which were already well-established and understood by the Jewish people. Rather, part of his purpose was to guide us in applying these teachings to our everyday lives and our work for the Kingdom. An excellent example of that concept is the 25th positive commandment of Scripture as enumerated by Maimonides.
P25 – To prepare the candles of the Sanctuary, as Exodus 27:21 states: “Aaron and his sons shall prepare it.”[1]
Yeshua has many famous teachings, making it challenging to identify just one as his most renowned. However, one teaching that stands out is when he encouraged his followers to let their light shine before others, as recounted in the Sermon on the Mount. This teaching, found in Matthew 5:16, encourages us to live our lives in a way that reflects God’s love and goodness, inspiring others to give glory to our Father in heaven.
“Matthew 5:16 (ESV)
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
When Yeshua commanded his followers to let their light shine before others, he was issuing an imperative to tend to the light within us so that it shines brightly in the world. This light is made up of our good works, and it is through them that we can inspire others to give glory to God. Yeshua emphasized the importance of continually tending to this light, knowing that it can easily be dimmed or snuffed out. He then went on to explain that his mission was to fill up the teachings of God, urging his disciples to strive to live by the fullness of the Father’s heart rather than relaxing their efforts or settling for less.
Jesus used the rest of His sermon to instruct His student to show them how to prepare themselves in order to shine brightly before men. He didn’t set the bar low either. He set it above the most holy and righteous people on the planet. He restrained us from even thinking He relaxed the law of His Father, and insisted that our actions exceed the standards of even the righteous.
Matthew 5:18 (TLV)
Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass.
Matthew 5:20 (TLV)
For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and Torah scholars, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven!
In Judaism, when an observant Jew says ‘I’ve done a good work,’ they are testifying that they have purposely carried out one of God’s commandments, as outlined in the 613 mitzvot. When Jesus spoke of ‘your good works,’ he would have been referring to actions that fell within the guidelines of God’s Torah. Understanding what constitutes ‘good’ within the framework of the commandments is an important part of our spiritual education. Our good works are not simply actions that we manifest ourselves; they are actions that align with God’s will as defined by the 5 books of Moses. As we strive to follow God’s commandments, we grow in our understanding of what it means to live a righteous and holy life.
When discussing the commandment to light the candles, the Sefer HaChinukh draws on the cultural idea of ‘I’ve done a mitzva!’ to remind us that our souls are refined by our good deeds.
And the whole matter of its aggrandizement is in order that fear and humility enter a man’s heart when he sees it. And we have already said (Sefer HaMitzvot 16) that the soul is refined by good action.[2]
Yeshua often spoke of the idea of light and works in various ways, linking them together as a way to understand the spiritual state of one’s soul. In his Sermon on the Mount, he warned that the light in us may not always be the light of Heaven, but could instead be the light of darkness. In Matthew 6:23, he states that if our eye is bad, our body will be full of darkness. Luke echoes a similar teaching in Luke 11:35, urging us to watch out that the light in us is not darkness. Paul also emphasizes the importance of separating ourselves from darkness in 2 Corinthians 6:14, stating that there can be no partnership between righteousness and lawlessness, or between light and darkness. The lamp of God is the instruction of His Word, as seen in Psalm 119:105 where David proclaims that God’s word is a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. Yeshua made it clear that our works are the light, and it is up to us to ensure that our light shines brightly for Him, rather than for darkness. Your works matter.
When Yeshua commanded us to let our lights shine, He wasn’t introducing a new idea, but rather leveraging a deep understanding of His people and perpetuating it to His students. The Torah teaches us that our actions carry consequences on the spiritual plane of existence and stokes the light within us – good or bad. Yeshua emphasized that our light shines through our work and that we are the candles of God, and we are called on to let His light shine through us for the world to see.
As the Torah says “the candle of G-d is the soul of man.” Therefore, he commanded Aaron to kindle the lights of the menorah, thus protecting the Jewish souls all night to remain holy.[3]
Shining the light of our Master is crucial to discipleship. If we fail to let our light shine, we cannot truly claim to be disciples of Christ.
Revelation 2:5 (ESV)
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.