Moses experienced the presence of the living God. Therein he was transformed. His face shone. He smiled broadly. Light shone round about him. Everyone noticed the difference. There was a radiance about Moses after he had talked with God. In Hebrew this radiance is called she kinah or Divine Presence.

The question raised by our text is the question of radiance. Are we going to let our lights so shine before others that they will be led to faith? The question is not, "How much light do you have?" but "Will we let it shine?" The child's song about light raises the question simply but beautifully:

This little light of mineI'm going to let it shineLet it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine.

Before we look more closely at the implications of letting our lights shine before other people, let us look at Moses' radiance and the radiance of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Moses And Jesus

Why did Moses smile so broadly and shine so brightly? He had been in the presence of God. He had received the ten commandments, a Law by which the people could live. Moses had talked with God. His face was aglow (Exodus 24:3~, LB) because he had been with the God of glory. Moses had experienced the glory of God. Now that glory was a part of him.

The root word for glory can mean either horns or light. Some artists of the middle ages painted Moses with horns on his head. Michelangelo picked up the mistake in his famous statue of Moses. Instead of a halo, Michelangelo gave Moses horns. Light, not horns, emanated from Moses' head.

The angelic glow of Moses' face was so mysterious that Moses had to cover his face as he talked with the people. He had fasted for 40 days and nights while on the mountain with God. Now as he re-entered ordinary life, Moses shone with God's glory. This shining was even more apparent in Jesus' transfiguration as recorded in Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-13 and Luke 9:28-36.

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is well that we are here; and if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear. "And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. - Matthew 17:1-8, RSV

In this story of Jesus' transfiguration we have the key to transformation: "They saw Jesus only." In its original context this phrase meant that Moses (standing for the Law) and Elijah (standing for the prophets) had disappeared. Peter, James and John saw only Jesus. They saw him in all his glory. These three apostles were transformed because all distractions were removed. For us, this focus on Jesus only with no distractions also results in transformation.

We Have This Treasure Of Divine Light

In 2 Corinthians chapters 3 and 4, Paul picks up the theme of the light of Christ shining through common Christians. The Living Bible paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 is enlightening.

Since we know that this new glory will never go away, we can preach with great boldness, and not as Moses did, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not see the glory fade away. Not only Moses' face was veiled, but his people's minds and understanding were veiled and blinded, too... This veil of misunderstanding can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses' writings their hearts are blind and they think that obeying the Ten Commandments is the way to be saved. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord from his sins, then the veil is taken away. The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where he is there is freedom (from trying to be saved by keeping the Laws of God). But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.

We are mirrors. That's it. That's the missing ingredient in most of our churches. That's the missing element in much of our preaching. That's what is missing in many church members' lives. Christ is the light of the world. We are mirrors. All we have to do is focus on Jesus and reflect that light.

What is the purpose of the church? To reflect the glory of Christ, our Lord. Get that purpose clear and things have a way of falling into place. Miss that purpose and many good things may be done, but the radiance will be missing.

Paul develops this focus on Christ to its horizons and also speaks of our human limitations in 2 Corinthians, chapter four:

Even if this gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing (v. 3).

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake (v. 5).

This reflection in a mirror is not perfect as Paul explains in verse 7:

But we have this treasure (of Christ) in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God, and not to us.

In other words, we are not perfect instruments for transmitting divine light to the world. But we don't have to be perfect! We just need to reflect Christ's glory. There is still darkness in those who convey the light of God, but that should not be an inhibiting factor in letting the light of God shine through us. Our lights are little compared to the light of Moses and Jesus, but there is no reason to hide the light under a bushel basket. The container for this treasure of splendor is frail flesh, but that doesn't matter. We don't focus on the pottery holding this treasure, but on the treasure itself. Jesus is that light.

Since Jesus Christ has come and since he is the light which enlightens every man, we can reflect that light like a mirror. That light of Christ lightens the darkness of this world. "In him (Jesus) was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4-5, RSV)."

This light changes everyone it touches. Therefore we are called to reflect this light as God's transformed people. John puts it this way:

The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become the children of God; who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. - John 1:9-12, RSV

Let me put it-another way. We Christians have been given a gift of light to see beyond what we behold. We have glimpses of the kingdom of God. Those glimpses need to be shared!

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, evenas I have been fully understood. - 1 Corinthians 13:12, (RSV)

Let me say it again, this time using Paul's words in Romans 12:2:

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Transformed people - that's what is needed for our day - transformed people who let their lights shine until the second coming of Christ. Radiant smiles and glowing reports of what God has done in Christ and continues to do in the Holy Spirit - that's what transformed Christian people need to share, thus sharing with others the best preview of the coming attraction of God's reign.

Let me say it one last time, this time through two children's stories and a children's song. A little girl who loved her grandmother very much and saw the light of Christ in what her grandmother did and said observed: "Grandma must sleep in heaven with the Lord because she is so happy at breakfast."

Danny, a 12-year-old paper boy in Las Vegas, Nevada, was delivering papers one day when the man at the door said, "I don't want a paper. I don't need a paper. My wife is dying of cancer." The man slammed the door in Danny's face as Danny said, "Would you like my pastor to call?" Danny, a confirmation student, told the pastor about what happened. "There isn't much we can do," the pastor said. "Pastor, would you go see him?" Danny asked directly. The pastor agreed to try. All that week the busy pastor put off making the call, but he knew that he had to face Danny at confirmation class the next week.

Finally, the pastor visited the home. "Your paper boy, Danny, told me that your wife has cancer," the pastor said to the man at the door. "I'm here to offer my help. I'm a Lutheran pastor." The man at the door looked angry. "I don't know what a Lutheran is and I don't know what a pastor is," he said. He started to slam the door. The pastor put his calling card in the man's hand, saying "Call me if you need me."

Some weeks later the phone rang. "We'd like you to come to the home," the man said. "If you are a friend of Danny's, maybe you can help." The woman was dying of cancer. She was hooked up to an oxygen machine. The atmosphere in the house was bleak. "I've never seen the inside of a church," she said, "but I've heard a rumor that you Christians take 'bread and wine and believe that God is present.' I need God's presence. Can you help me?"

Soon thereafter, Danny's pastor baptized the woman and gave her the bread and wine of the presence. The whole room was lit up by the smile on the woman's face. All this happened because of a boy named Danny, and his "little light."

The children's song says it beautifully:

This little light of mineI'm going to let it shine.Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine.

Don't let Satan blow it out.I'm going to let it shine.Don't let Satan blow it out.I'm going to let it shine.Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel? No!I'm going to let it shine.Hide it under a bushel? No!I'm going to let it shine.Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine.

Let it shine till Jesus comes.I'm going to let it shine.Let it shine till Jesus comes.I'm going to let it let it shineLet it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine.

"Let it (your light) shine till Jesus comes" - that's the theme of this chapter. That's the theme of this book. Jesus is coming in what is called "the last days." When he comesevery knee shall bow ... and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11)." In the meantime, the time between the creation and second coming of Christ, we have previews of coming attractions, one of which is that we know enough of Christ and what he does for people that we let "this little light of mine" shine until the end, the great awakening when "... the trumpets will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:52)." We are transformed in order to give previews of the coming attraction called "the great awakening."