4th Sunday of Lent – The Light

“And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen and done in God” (John 3:19-21).

In Jesus’ time, light was a valued and scarce resource. Oil for lamps was expensive and carefully rationed. Moving away from the light of a village campfire was risking danger. Traveling in the darkness of night meant exposing oneself to wild animals or criminals.

For Christians around 100 AD, the metaphor of Christ as the light would have particular resonance. They frequently lived in dark times of persecution, and to attest to believing in Jesus was dangerous. They looked forward to a time when their belief in Jesus could be safely expressed in the full light of day.

Today, for those of us fortunate to live in a country where religious freedom is protected, the “darkness” we encounter manifests itself in things like greed, exploitation, violence, racism, and sexism. These aspects of life can cloud our vision and lead us to choose evil over good. Jesus lights the path for us to pierce the darkness and come into the light of goodness, truth, and faith.

Think of a dark time in your life. Who or what did you reach out to?

Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International