My wife and I lived for a couple of years in California’s San Joaquin Valley. And between November and March each year, that region experiences a weather condition known as tule fog. It can last for weeks at a time and is so thick it can block out most of the sun’s light.
I had an extremely hard time coping with it. And sometimes, when I just couldn’t take it anymore, I’d get in my car and drive up into the foothills of the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains to a small town called Three Rivers located at an elevation above the fog just so I could see and feel the sun again. I can still recall the joy of bursting through into the light. It was amazing!
And that brings me to John 8:12 where the same kind of dramatic breakthrough awaits. John’s gospel contains seven I am statements Jesus made. And we encounter the second of these here at the conclusion of the incident regarding the adulterous woman when he said, “I am the light of the world.”
This self-description is not offered randomly in isolation. It’s anchored to the context. Jesus meant for us to consider its implications in the flow of what was happening at the time. After wading through a passage where the dark ugliness of this sin-corrupted world was on full display, the powerful light of our savior shines forth in stark contrast. And that’s the point he was making.
I no longer live in the San Joaquin, but you and I both live in a world that can seem very dark, clouded by selfishness, hatred, bigotry, perversion, arrogance, and suffering of every sort. And when the fog of despair starts to roll in, the Lord wants us to be assured that his light overcomes. It attracts, it warms, it comforts, it guides, it exposes, it cleanses, it nourishes, and it empowers.
Our world needs to experience more of the light of Christ. Don’t you agree?
If you do, then we need to consider something else Jesus said. Matthew 5:14 captures him telling a crowd of followers, “You are the light of the world.” He was clarifying that he intends his to be a reflected light, illuminating the darkness through his people. And that’s kind of a heart-stopping, jaw-dropping realization. Jesus wants to use the reflective surface of our lives as his means for brightening this needy planet.
And if that’s going to happen, it means we need to allow the Holy Spirit to polish us up. My life’s got a lot of smudges that need his attention if the mirror of my soul is going to be of much use.
Maybe that’s true for you too. If so, let’s partner in prayer together today inviting the Lord to do whatever he needs to make us shine brighter for him.
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