Matthew 5:14-15
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."
Fifteen minutes before the new year began, I heard a devotional message on this verse. A notable opening phrase was "Cities are built on hills for many reasons. Hiding isn't one of them." The rest of the message was on how we should be a light to the world, but that phrase stuck in my mind. Why is a city built on a hill?
Defense. Houses, farms, and towns are built around natural resources, especially water, but cities are a refuge in time of war. As Christians, we are at war. We are not guerrillas; our tactics are do not include stealth. Our weapons are the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (which is Jesus Christ, and the Bible). Our stance is on a hill. Or I should say, on the Rock.
Matthew five says that we are a light. It does not say that we are a city, it merely compares our function of being seen to the inability of a city to be hidden. I admit that declaring that this passage is teaching defense of the faith is a stretch, but I would like you to be both challanged and comforted by our position on Christ the Solid Rock. This year, I find myself challenged to prepare my heart and mind as a well defended stronghold with a foundation on the infallible, conspicuous Rock Who is the Light in me.
