<p>5:16&nbsp;<em>Likewise, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven</em>- These are those &quot;in the house[hold]&quot; (:15), &quot;those who enter&quot; (Lk. 8:16; 11:33). The general public does not seem to glorify God because of good works. 2 Cor. 9:2 seems to understand the verse as meaning that we give light and opportunity for praise to other believers. Paul writes of how the generous commitments of the Corinthian ecclesias had &ldquo;inspired very many&rdquo; to generosity (2 Cor. 9:2). And we too, in our abundant responses to God&rsquo;s super-abundant grace, will inspire each other likewise. I don&rsquo;t mean, of course, in the proud manner of many charity donors, trying to outshine each other before the publics&rsquo; gaze by their &lsquo;generosity&rsquo;. I mean that in the graces of forgiveness, kindness in a myriad modest ways, that we see performed by others, we will find&nbsp;<em>our</em>&nbsp;motivation to do likewise. For rightly-performed good works are a light to the world; perhaps it is their very modesty which makes them &ldquo;<em>shine</em>&nbsp;before men&rdquo;. So in this sense we will perceive others&rsquo; acts of grace and be inspired by them, no matter how discreetly and modestly done they are. For they inevitably shine in a way that gives light to all who are in the (ecclesial) house, so that they too glorify the Father (Mt. 5:16).</p>
<p>It could be that the &quot;men&quot; who glorify God in Heaven are the Angels- the same &quot;men&quot; who lit our candle in the first place (:15). &quot;Men&quot; in the parables who do the 'gathering' of our fruits (Jn. 15:6; Mt. 7:16) represent Angels, who are the ones who will actually do the gathering at the last day (Mt. 13:41; 24:31). This seems to make most sense, and avoids the idea of our doing good works specifically in order to impress men. And men do not glorify God just because they see our good works. But Angels, who lit our candle in the first place, notice how our light is shining out to others &quot;in the house&quot;, and glorify God in Heaven [&quot;<em>is</em>&nbsp;in Heaven&quot; is unjustified- the idea is that they glorify the Father, in Heaven]. In this interpretation, the &quot;men&quot; are different to those who are &quot;in the house&quot;.</p>