Reflections for Lent

John 8:12-20 NRSV

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

The Light of the World

We celebrated our granddaughter’s birthday with an outing at a miniature golf course with friends and family. Our grandson, five years younger, came from out of town and enjoyed watching her with her friends as they played golf and rode in the little boats, splashing each other and having fun. There was one activity, though, that he wanted no part of: the laser tag area. He was afraid of the darkness, and no one could convince him that going into those rooms would be fun. 

Imagine my surprise when, the next afternoon, he got me to walk into our darkened laundry room with him and his mom and closed the door! He had discovered that the characters on his shoes would glow in the dark, and he was excited about their light. The light had illuminated the darkness that would have frightened him. Jesus tells the people that He is “the light of the world” and then says that following Him will give them “the light that leads to life” (John 7:12, New Living Translation). 

As Christ’s followers, we are excited about knowing Him and having His light in us. It enables us to look for ways to show His love so that others may see Christ in us and want to know the source of that light, the Light of the world. 

~Laura Lusk~ 

You have been given the light; go now and be the light.