I Am The Light Of The World, July 20, 2014

I am the Light of the World

Exodus 3:1-6, John 8:12-20

July 20, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

 

Power Outages  Over the years, all of us have gone through power outages. When it happened, candles, flash lights and kerosene lamps were the order of the day. Such times can be very inconvenient, especially in the winter if you need electricity for heating and cooking. And, if you’re like me, you walk around in the dark automatically reaching out to flip the light switches.

Let There be Light   As we know, God encountered only one power outage and that was at the beginning of creation. We read about it in Genesis, “Darkness was over the surface of the deep.” [1:2] God took care of that by saying, “Let there be light, and there was light.” Thus light was the very first thing that God created. God didn’t have to call AmerenUE and wait for the repairs to be made. God simply said, “Let there be light.” God’s spoken Word went forth and light appeared. That’s a pretty handy ability to have, don’t you think?

Jesus the Light of the World  Now the Word that God spoke that brought light into being at creation is the same Word that became flesh in Jesus. We read about it in John 1. “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.  And the word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth.”

And so this is why Jesus, the Word that brought light to creation now could say, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” [John 8:12]

 

Festival of Tabernacles  Jesus made this startling statement while in the temple treasury during The Festival of Tabernacles, a great religious feast celebrating the end of the harvest season. Bushels of grain, olives and grapes were brought into the Temple for dedication. The first evening of the Festival included the illumination of the Temple. In the center of the Courtyard, four great candelabra were lit. It is said that they were so bright that every courtyard in Jerusalem was lit up by their light.

Barclay says that Jesus was saying, “You have seen the blaze of the Temple Illuminations piercing the darkness of the night. I am the Light of the World, and for [those] who follow me there will be light, not only for one exciting night, but for all the pathways of [their lives]. The light in the temple is a brilliant light, but in the end it flickers and dies. I am the Light which lasts forever.” [William Barclay, “The Gospel of John, Volume 2, p. 11]

Christ is the Light of Salvation for us  When we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, his light began to shine on us. Thus, when we sin, Christ offers us the light of forgiveness. When we are weak, he offers us the light of strength. When we are confused, he offers us the light of guidance. When we are anxious, he offers us the light of peace. And when we die, he offers us the light of the resurrection. Yes, the star that guides us safely through the uncertain darkness of tomorrow will be the great Morning Star - the Star of Bethlehem. 

If we turn away from the light, we go through the years confused and bewildered, trying to find our way, but constantly getting lost. But if we turn toward the light of Christ, and follow him each day, we walk through life with sure and certain steps.

Children of Light  Not only does the light of Christ shine on us, he has commissioned us to be his lights in the world around us. He put it this way. “You are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

Paul elaborated on this by saying, “Once you were in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light..” [Ephesians 5:8]

So Christ has called us to be the light of the world by walking as children of light. What does it mean for us to walk as children of light? It means that we become the visible presence of Christ to people around us. We are to be the light of Christ to our spouses, our parents, our children, our co-workers, our classmates, to each other, and even for strangers. It means that we are to act, speak and live as men and women, youth and children, who belong to Christ, the light of the world. It means that we allow the light of Christ to shine through us to others. Elizabeth Kubler Ross said,  “People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.”  (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, psychiatrist and author, 1926 - 2004)

My Mother is the Light of the World  The story is told of a little boy who forgot his lines in a Sunday school presentation. His mother was in the front row to prompt him. She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it didn’t help. Her son’s memory was blank. Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, “I am the light of the world.” Her son beamed and with great feeling and a loud clear voice said, “My mother is the light of the world.” For whom are you a light of encouragement? For whom are you a light of safety and security? For whom are you a light that points to the light of Christ?

Run a Race with a Torch  In ancient Greece, men would run races with a flaming torch in their hand. The winner was not the man who crossed the line in the shortest time, but the man who crossed it in the least time with his torch still burning. Sometimes we become so busy with life’s activities that we are in danger of allowing the torch of our spiritual life to become extinguished. But should it ever happen, all we need do is stop for a moment, turn to Christ, the light of the world, hold out our heart and we will once again walk as Children of Light.

 

1. As Christ’s lights in the world, it is our duty to make the love of God in Christ perfectly visible to all who live in darkness. Jesus did not say “You are the light of the Church.”  Instead he said, “You are the light of the world.” Our light must shine at home, at school, at work, and at play all to glorify God and never ourselves.

2. Not only is our light to glorify God, our light is also a guide to help others come to Christ. We must be an example of the life in Christ. We must influence others for good. 

1. Finally, a light often can be a warning light.

Lights can be Deceiving  The story is told of a battleship that was on maneuvers in heavy weather off the California coast. As night fell, the fog rolled in and the Captain decided to remain on the bridge. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, “Light. Bearing on the starboard bow.” “Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain asked. The lookout replied, “Steady, captain,” which meant the battleship was on a collision course with the other ship. The captain called to the radioman, “Tell that ship “You are on a collision course. Advise you alter course twenty degrees.” Back came the answering signal, “Advisable that you change course twenty degrees.” The captain said, “Send another message. I am a senior captain. Change your course twenty degrees.” “I am a seaman second class,” came the reply. “Change your course at once.” By now the captain was furious. He radioed back, “I am a battleship! Change your course twenty degrees!” The reply came back, “I am a lighthouse.” The battleship changed course.

Yes, light houses send out a light to warn ships of reefs and shoals. When driving a car, traffic lights tell us when to stop and go. Flashing lights keep us from driving into areas of construction. There will be times when we must, in love, warn others of paths they are taking with their lives.

Thus, the lights we are called to be are lights which glorify God, lights which guide others on the right paths, and lights which warn of peril.

This Little Light of Mine  Remember the song, “This Little Light of Mine?” [Harry Dixon Loes (1895-1965) in about 1920].

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.

Oh, this little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, Hallelujah

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

We may say to ourselves “This little light of mine isn’t all that bright or important.”, but remember, to the world you may be one little light, but to one person, you may be a beacon of hope and salvation.

Congregational Lights  Of course, when all of us combine our lights as a congregation, it can illuminate the entire county. And each of our lights is important. Centuries ago in England, when members walked into the sanctuary for an evening worship service, they would light a candle and place it in a crevice of the sanctuary wall.  As the sanctuary filled up, more and more candles were lit and it got brighter and brighter. But if persons didn’t come that evening, there would be an empty crevice where their candles would have been.

Light of Loved Ones who have Died  Finally, It has been said that “There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living.” -Hannah Senesh, poet, playwright, and paratrooper (1921-1944) In the same way, the light and love your loved ones gave continue to shine in our hearts after they’re gone. Paul said to Timothy, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in our grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.” [2 Timothy 1:5]

After we’re gone from this earth, what light will we leave behind? Will the light of our faith continue to shine, not only through our children and grandchildren, but to all those who knew us? Will the light of our Christian morality and ethics enrich our descendants? The answer to such questions is simple. The light of our faith, morality and ethics will indeed shine long after we’re gone if we accept Christ as the light of our world and live faithfully as children of light.

Amen.

Exodus 3:1-6 NRSV

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

 

JOHN 8:12-20 NRSV 

Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Festival of the Booths. While there, he went to the Temple and taught the people about the Law of Moses and the coming of the Holy Spirit. He said to the people, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.” We pick up the events at this point.

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.’ Then the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgement is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.’ Then they said to him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’ He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.