Day 15 (Friday, March 22, 2019)
Read
John 8:12
12 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.”
Reflect
Urban dwellers don’t think too much about light and darkness these days: we can have light 24/7. But it’s different in the country away from the city lights on a dark night. Darkness is blindness. When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world…” he was still in the temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. Another feature of that festival was the lighting of four huge elevated bowls filled with oil. The light they gave was spectacular, symbolizing the day of God’s Messiah.
Once again Jesus’ words “I am…” were a claim to be one with God who had revealed his name to Moses as “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14). As the light of the
Light is a metaphor for truth and morality. Jesus later tells us that he is committed to truth and is himself the truth (John 14:6). He also calls on his followers to live in the light of his truth – we can’t have true relationships unless they are framed in truth. Because we live in an age of relativism and tolerance we easily lose the impact of his imagery. We don’t readily comprehend the moral darkness of life around us, let alone in our own lives. Jesus’ words here prompt us to repent of the darkness in our lives – our failure to love God and to love one another as he has loved us.
Prayer
Lord, we pray, absolve your people from their
Daily Reading Plan
Read John 8:1-30
