Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 29: Light Mirror

Photo Credit: Brennon Garner

Key Verse

“Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16 WEB

Lesson

Note: This lesson is best done where the moon can be seen well. Alt: Use a flashlight and mirror to demonstrate how the sun (flashlight) reflects off the moon (mirror).

In Genesis chapter one we learn that God created the moon to give light at night. The moon is a very interesting celestial body. It has attracted man’s wonder for hundreds and thousands of years. Besides the sun it has been the primary means of keeping time for almost every group of people on earth. The ancient Aztec’s of Central America had a 13-day week likely based on the moon cycle.₁ The average lunar month is actually about 27 days, not 30, so two 13-day weeks would be closer to one month.₂

God did not make the moon a source of light. Instead the moon reflects the light of the sun. Much like a mirror does not produce its own light, but reflects light such as that from a flashlight. If the moon was a ball of fire like the sun it would surely consume us! Also, the moon would be to bright. Since it reflects sunlight it is just bright enough most nights to allow us to see outside but still get good sleep. The brightness of the moon still changes drastically throughout the moon cycle. An interesting fact is that only two days before a full moon, the moon is only half the brightness of a full moon.₂ You might think the moon gets brighter and brighter until it is full, but that is not the case. God likes to surprise us in creation.

The moon provides a beautiful object lesson. According to Genesis one the primary reason for the moon to exist is to give the darkness light. But it cannot do this on its own. Alone, the moon is nothing; it cannot fulfill its purpose. The sun, on the other hand, can provide light during the day. Everyone around the Earth cannot see it all the time. So the moon is completely dependent on the sun for its light. And the sun needs the moon so it can provide light during the nighttime.

In a similar way we are like the moon. Alone, without Jesus, we are nothing; we cannon fulfill our purpose. Our purpose is to shine God’s light, his love, to the world just as it says in Matthew 5:15-16. Jesus is in heaven and everyone cannot see him. So he wants us to be his lights here on earth. He chose us to reflect his character like a mirror, just as the moon does for the sun. Some people think it is hard to be a Christian. But Jesus made it quite simple. He left us an example of exactly what he wants us to do. All we need to do is follow his example and we will reflect his love to the world.

Questions

Have you ever seen the moon look remarkable or uncommon? Describe it.

What exactly is Matthew 5:15-16 referring to when it says “let your light so shine before men”?

In what ways can we reflect the light of Jesus to others?

Sources

1 http://www.ancient.eu/Aztec_Civilization/

2 http://www.space.com/11162-10-surprising-moon-facts-full-moons.html

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 11: Shine Your Flashlight

Key Verse

"Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house." Matthew 5:15 (WEB)

Lesson

We don’t use candles much anymore today. When traveling outdoors they are not very useful. Instead, we use battery-powered lights such as flashlights and headlamps. Headlamps are very useful tools. They leave the hands free to complete tasks while still providing light exactly where it is needed.

In Matthew 5 we find the familiar Beatitudes Jesus preached during the Sermon on the Mount. In verse 15 Jesus is discussing the Light of the World. Jesus says that we are the light of the world in the previous verse. In His sermon, he makes a very valid point, when you turn a light on, you don’t cover it up. The same would go for a headlamp. You don’t turn it on and then stuff it back in your backpack; that would not do you any good. You could have left it at home and saved weight.

In this example the physical light represents the spiritual light of truth we as Christians have. The spiritual light is exactly what Jesus mentions earlier in this chapter in the Beatitudes—humility, kindness, mercy, peace making. What is funny, is that often, as Christians, we keep the light to ourselves. We read our bibles and go to church, but we keep what we learn to ourselves. We don’t display the light of truth at school or work through our actions. Sometimes our desire to fit in overcomes our desire to share the light we have received.

Its like we have a really nice, expensive headlamp, but instead of bringing it out at night to use around camp, we take it out under cover of our sleeping bags and just stare into it. That’s pretty stupid! We need to use our light and share the light with others.

Of course it is easy to know when you are using your headlamp, you can see the light. But sometimes it is hard to know if we are using our spiritual light. I mean we know when we are living a “good” life because we are not doing anything wrong. But how can we tell if we are sharing our light with other people? How do you know when you have been using your headlamp or flashlight? Of course, the battery starts to run low. You know you have been using it a lot when its time to recharge or change the batteries.

It is the same in our spiritual life. We can know if we have really been sharing our spiritual light when we feel the need to be close to God, to recharge. Jesus spent a lot of time alone in prayer to his Heavenly Father. Why was this? Because he spent a lot of time sharing light through his actions. When we openly practice humility, show kindness to the person others make fun of, have mercy on those who hurt us, and make peace with others, it will cause us to desire more time with God and in his Word.

Questions

What are some other ways to share the spiritual light we have?

Is it wrong to keep the light of truth we have to ourselves?

What are good ways to recharge our spiritual batteries?

Written by David F. Garner
Photo credit: David F. Garner