Turn On The Light

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 for the second Scrutiny, 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.

By saying he was the light of the world, Jesus made 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 a dwelling place of God and the Word of God. To the Jews, fire and light indicated the holy and awesome presence of God. No wonder those Pharisees were incensed with him.

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 like it would be with an ordinary fire. The fiery light 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 throughout the Exodus was a pillar of fire that led the Israelites through the wilderness. By day, it was a pillar of cloud (another sign 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 Israelites stayed where they were and when the cloud and fire moved on, the people moved on. So, the light not only assured them of God’s presence and blessing, it also guided them safely through the wilderness. 

As well as associating light with the presence, leadership and living word of God, the Jews also connected light with the coming of the promised Messiah. They were taught that the name of the Messiah would be “Light”. When Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World”, he was proclaiming that he was the Messiah. There would be 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 now know that Jesus didn’t come to save them from the bondage of Roman domination; he came to save us all from the bondage of brokenness. 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 in your life right now? Is his light a constant reality for you?

Jesus healed the blind man and this was wonderful for the man. He was given the ability to see as every other sighted person could see – by the natural light of the world. He was probably floating on air with his sudden ability. There were so many possibilities and adventures awaiting 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 find that even though he could see, people could still irritate him and give him grief.  Life would still carry a lot of wounds and challenges. They would be different challenges from when he was blind but challenges none-the-less.

The blind man was gifted with natural sight 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 profess 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 acts that are very necessary to “keeping the flame alive in your heart” as we are exhorted in the rite of baptism.  “I believe in you, Lord. You are my Light and I worship you,” are words your heart needs to speak often. Don’t wait for Mass to say these words. Don’t just allow rote prayers to say them for you. Pray them when you wake up, pray them in the car, say them as you go about your daily work or recreation and pray them before you go to sleep.

As you pray them, take a few seconds to decide what those words actually mean at that moment. Do they mean you are dependent on him to reveal his presence to you in your life? Do they mean that you acknowledge that your perceptions and expectations may be faulty and you need his light to open you up to his own depth of sight? Do they mean you want to walk with him as closely as you possibly can because he is the light and without him, you are in the dark? How willing are you to allow his incisive light to penetrate your whole life, moment by moment?  

Jesus came, for you, to be the second Adam, the second Moses, the New Covenant, your Way Out, the determined and stubborn Gardener of your fruitfulness, your Ocean of Living Water, your Temple of God’s holy presence and the illuminating Light in your heart.

This is a God worthy of worship!

"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.