Tuesday, February 27
Jesus IS the Light of the World
Narrative Lectionary Daily Devotions written by Daniel D. Maurer from Clergy Stuff.
The enlightenment was a period in human history that "was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century; it was known as"The Century of Philosophy."
What the term seems to define is that humanity would no longer be in darkness—or the Dark Ages, as you have it. People saw reason and scientific discovery as an harbinger of light for people.
When you apply the same reasoning (!) to Jesus, it makes sense as well. Before Jesus, people saw God as "other." No longer. Now, they would know God as "friend" for Jesus himself calls his followers friends. (John 15:15)
It seems strange that Jesus said it so plainly. He flat out denies that the people around him know anything about God the Father. I think this is because "his time had not yet come." You see, to know God fully is to know God's own self-giving or emptying nature. "His time had not yet come" will be the revelation who God truly is . . . a self-giving, dying and rising God for us always. This is the true light of the world and it's ours, always.
Narrative Lectionary Text: John 8:12-20
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 judgement 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.