The Light of the World

 

John 8: 12-30

I Am the Light of the World

¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ¹³ So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” ¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. ¹⁶ Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. ¹⁷ In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. ¹⁸ I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” ¹⁹ They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” ²⁰ These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

In this world so full of darkness, despite the lengthening of these springtime days we need the Light of Christ to offset the blackness of bombed cities, dead corpses, decaying moral values, nearly empty churches, and a growing number of young people who know not Jesus. The gospel passages of these days before the Triduum are preparing us for the even more brutal passages of the Passion which we will hear next week.These were certainly dark days for Jesus yet he tells us he is the Light of the World. We not only find comfort in his Light, but we also share in the commission to be light for others ourselves. Our listening ears, our words of encouragement, our hidden acts of kindness, these all bring Light into the darkness.  May we make it a point to let our light shine into a world wrapped in darkness.

Bro. Rene