John 8:12-20
Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” The Pharisees replied, “You are making false claims about yourself!” Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. You judge me with all your human limitations, but I am not judging anyone. And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone–I have with me the Father who sent me. Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.” “Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, then you would know my Father, too.” Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.
Associate Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Concord
When our neighbor built an addition to his house, after working 13 hours he became disoriented in the dark and fell 4 stories to the ground. The EMTs couldn’t help him until my husband attached a trouble light to a 150-foot extension cord and illuminated the yard. For our friend that literally became the light of life.
Experience tells me we constantly need light for our lives as we struggle with the questions of existence. What is life all about? How can I live wisely, safely, productively, joyfully? What is really true? How can I change and grow?
Jesus answers all our questions about life and gives us the foundation for faith, saying, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will have the light of life.” Jesus is the ultimate source of truth, wisdom, guidance, safety, meaning and joy. Today many human voices and teachers vie for our belief and allegiance. When we meet life’s questions, do we turn to Jesus first and in faith, or do we make his voice just one among many?
Like the Pharisees, the advocates of worldly truth evaluate Jesus only by human standards. To experience the life-giving light that Jesus promises and to help others do the same, we need to seek Jesus himself, not theories and arguments about him. Jesus isn’t just another person with an opinion. Jesus is God with us! He will show himself to us when we seek him for who he truly is. Then we will have his light to share.
Jesus, help me turn to you for the light of life, and help me share what I find with others.
Dialog discuss: So, for the past few weeks, I’ve been feeling kind of…pointless. I don’t know what my calling is. My friend, who is three years younger than me has found hers. And my other friend, who is four years older than me, has found hers. So either I’m very late, or very desperate, according to these age ranges. And as happy as I am for them, I cannot help but wonder: do I WANT to find my calling? Is that why I cannot seem to find it, because I know that it’ll bring a change into my life? Recently, I’ve felt kind of guilty, because I’ve never felt a huge calling to go overseas and help the poor, feed the hungry, or adopt a child. Duran Lisbeny, English major University of Central Florida.