Christ's Light In The Jail At Philippi

Jesus wants all believers to be light*:
To live so the lost see Jesus in them;
As did Paul and Silas in jail that night;
Praying; teaching gospel; and singing hymns!
Brutally scourged; ankles held in stocks;
Midnight; their wounds undressed; yet praisung God;
Light to those who, like them, were behind locks,
Wond’ring what could cause them to act so odd!
The jailer washed their stripes, so well impressed,,
And asked them, How could he become as blessed?
Believe in Jesus Christ, and be baptized,
They said, happy, his whole family oblige!
When we live as Jesus taught, we are light
To a world lost within blackness of night!

*” ‘You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.’” (Matthew 5:14-16)

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul declared, ‘Don’t harm yourself. We are all here. The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ “ (Acts 16:25-30)

This experience reveals what Jesus meant in His Sermon on the Mount when He told us, “You are the light of the world”. It is how we live that is our best witness to lost people. If our lives are governed by our desire to live as He taught, we will be noticed for the difference in them and the lives of worldly people. If we put God first in everything; love others 100% of the time; show no anger; turn the other cheek; and so on, we will be noticed by those who do not live in that way. When we are noticed, it will open an opportunity for us to tell them about Jesus and how they can be saved.

Paul and Silas were missionaries in Philippi, Macedonia (Europe). They were arrested, whipped severely and put in jail for the night, facing new and unknown problems in the morning. Did they whimper about their mistreatment, curse and rail at the jailer, and beg God to save them from more harm? No, they sang hymns, prayed, and talked to the other prisoners about their blessings since becoming believers in Jesus Christ. When God sent the earthquake to open the prison doors, they did not run for freedom. The jailer noticed their behavior, and it must have been so odd, yet so admirable to him, that he and his family were all saved. That is Jesus’ plan for spreading His gospel to the world; it depends on us to be light in the way we live. If we live just like non-Christians, people won’t see anything in our lives that draws them to Jesus.