Readings: Acts. 12: 24-13:5 ; Ps.67; John 1244-50
Fr.
Emmanuel Emenike Onyia
ARE
YOU IN THE DARKNESS OF SIN? COME TO JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
The
theme of light is a common terminology in the Gospel of John, as the struggle
between the powers of light and darkness is so evident in his Gospel. In most
discourse on the theme of light, Jesus refers to himself as the light of the
world as we have it in our Gospel passage today when he said: “I, the light,
have come into the world so that whoever believes in me need not stay in the
dark any more. For if anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully,
it is not I who shall judge him, since I have come not to judge the world, but
to save the world. He who rejects me and refuses my words has his judge
already: the word itself that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.”
Here
Jesus presents himself as the image of God and the light of the world as he
declares his mission in the world. And his mission is not to judge the world
but to save it. But this may seem contradictory as we know that, the presence
of light brings judgment to darkness and Jesus said, he who rejects me and
refuses my words has his judge already also in John 9:39 he said: “For
judgment, I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and
that those who see may become blind.”
The
fact is that there is no contradiction in these statements, for Jesus had come
from the Father, bearing the light of his love, revealed by his word and deed.
Those who receive him walk in this light. Those who reject him stumble around
in the darkness. However, the primary purpose of his first coming was not to
judge the world but to provide salvation to the world through his passion and
death. But referring to the concept of judgment on the last day, this is
implicit in the second coming of Jesus, because the light of the risen Lord
will divide people into those who come to it and those who hide from it.
Therefore the first coming is not to judge but to save, while the second coming
will be for judgment, for light will surely separate from darkness all that is
not of light.
Dear
friends, every day is an opportunity for us to examine ourselves to know if
there are areas in our lives that remain in the darkness of this corrupt world.
It’s time for us to get rid of them, it’s time to let the light of Christ's
presence illuminate the darkness of sin and shame in our lives. It’s time to
embrace the salvation which Jesus has won for us for tomorrow may be too
late. It’s time to let the light of
Christ in us illuminate the world through our ways of life. Let us like the
disciples in our first reading today, discern carefully through the power of
the Holy Spirit on how best we can spread the Good News of Jesus the light of
the world, who has won salvation for all the people who embrace the light of
his word.
LET US
PRAY: Lord God, as we have come to know Jesus as the true light of the world,
make us instruments of your light in the darkness of our families, societies
and the world at large, so that by our worthy way of life, we may bring others
to the fullness of life in you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Remain safe and blessed.
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