Gospel Acclamation: “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Excerpts from the Gospel, John 9: 1-41
Verse 5: As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’
Verses 35 – 38: Jesus said (to the man healed of blindness), ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him.
Just to put these two excerpts in context for you: This is the gospel account of Jesus healing a blind man by making mud out of dirt and saliva, spreading it on the man’s eyes and then telling him to wash at the pool of Siloam. When the man did this his sight was restored. The Pharisees then interrogate the man and his parents to discover if he was actually blind in the first place and then who it was who dared to heal him on the Sabbath.
By saying he was the light of the world, Jesus was making an enormous claim. He was not just claiming to be one who was an extraordinarily good person or a sensitive prophet; he was establishing himself as the dwelling place of God and the Word of God. No wonder those Pharisees were incensed with him. To the Jews, fire and light indicated the holy and awesome presence of God.
We have been looking at Jesus as the second Moses so let’s look at a few places where fire and light were significant signs of God’s presence in Moses’ life. Last week, one of the first readings was about Moses and the burning bush. The fact that the bush was burning was not significant because dry bushes often spontaneously ignite in the heat of the desert. What caught Moses’ eye was that it was not being consumed. The fire, indeed, was the living presence of God and Moses was instructed to take off his sandals for he was standing on holy ground.
Another light filled indication of God’s presence in Exodus was a pillar of fire that led the Israelites through the wilderness. By day, it was a pillar of cloud (another indication of God’s presence) and at night a pillar of fire. God directed Moses and the people to build a Tent of Meeting or a tabernacle for his presence and when the pillar of cloud and fire rested on it, the people stayed where they were and when the cloud and fire moved on, the people moved on. So, the light not only signified God’s presence and blessing; it guided the people safely through the wilderness.
Not only did the Jews associate light with the presence, leadership and living word of God but also with the coming of the promised Messiah. The Jews were taught that the name of the Messiah would be “Light”. When Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World”, he was saying, “I am the Messiah.” There was no ambiguity in the Pharisees’ minds that that was his claim.
The coming of the Messiah, the Light, had enormous implications for the Jews. To them it meant they were to be saved from political bondage and be raised up as a free and victorious nation. We know now that Jesus didn’t come to save us from the bondage of Roman domination; he came to save us from the bondage of brokenness and sin. These are all familiar concepts and they roll off the tongue almost glibly. What you need to determine is what does Jesus being the Light of the world mean for you personally, today, in the midst of your family concerns, challenging relationships, deep inner wounds, the anger you carry, frail physical health, career struggles, loneliness and way too many demands on your time and on your emotions? Where is the Light right now? Is his light a constant reality in your life? Do you believe in the Light?
One of the common hazards in the spiritual life is the slow shifting of heart knowledge into head knowledge. It happens so subtly that we’re not always aware that it is happening. Some of you may have had one or more deep encounters with Jesus sometime in your life, perhaps at a Cursillo, a Renewal weekend, a guided retreat or maybe at a mission in your parish. You may have had a small epiphany while listening to a homily or while reading a spiritual book. For a while, God or Jesus seemed close and very real and you felt his love and felt there were changes in yourself. But then other desires, struggles and difficulties arose in your life and that reality of God started to fade a little. Many of you may not be able to actually pinpoint any particular time when you’ve had an identifiable encounter with Jesus. You were taught about Jesus, God and your Catholic faith and you believe it and try to live as good Catholics. Every time any of you go to Mass and recite the Creed, you definitely mean it but perhaps your heart isn’t really moved one way or another and there are probably lots of times when you recite it and can’t even remember doing so because your mind was elsewhere.
This is natural and not a bad thing. God’s people are often called to walk without being spiritually stimulated or excited: ...for we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
But it is also true that it’s easy to forget that your heart needs the light of Christ and the living Word of God in order to see and grow. What you know intellectually, while helpful, doesn’t always shine brightly enough to illuminate, guide and feed your heart and spirit.
This is the reason I pulled out the second excerpt above. Jesus healed the blind man and this was wonderful for the man. He was probably floating on air with his sudden ability to see – so many possibilities and adventures in having sight awaited him. Eventually, though, sight would become less extraordinary to him. He would get used to living in the blessings of all that light and become less and less excited by it. He would know that he had been the recipient of a miracle and he would know that he had encountered a very special person in Jesus but he needed more. Jesus found him again and completed the healing. He asked the man, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” It was necessary for the man to say directly to Jesus, “Lord, I believe.” And then worship Jesus face to face.
Saying “I believe in you, Jesus” and then worshipping him is often an act of the will and an act of sheer faith but are very necessary to “keeping the flame alive in your heart” as we are exhorted in the rite of baptism. “I believe in you, Jesus. You are my Light.” are words your heart needs to speak and to hear – often. Don’t wait for Mass to say these words. Say them when you wake up, say them in the car, say them as you go about your daily work, say them before you go to sleep. Sometimes, as you say them, take a few seconds to decide what those words actually mean for you. Do they mean you are dependent on him to deal with every situation you face in a day and every person you encounter? Do they mean you want to follow him as closely as you possibly can because he is the loving light and without him, you are in the dark? What does it mean to you to be in the dark? How long have you been struggling in the dark without him? How close are you willing to stay to him? How often, outside of Mass, do you read and ponder on scripture so that your heart can exposed to the light of his Word? How much do you believe that he wants to be your light – your only light?
Jesus came then, to be the second Adam, the second Moses, the New Covenant, your Way Out, the determined and stubborn Gardener of your growth and fruitfulness, your Ocean of pure, clean and enlivening Living Water, the illuminating Light in your heart and the Presence of God. In you and for you.
" But to you who give worship to my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; (Malachi 4:2)
Worship him now. Don’t ever stop.
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