Jesus says something so revealing and moving in chapter 8 of John’s Gospel: “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’” John 8:12. Now these words were addressed to the same group of scribes and Pharisees Jesus had just shamed into walking away from stoning to death a woman caught in the act of adultery. Matthew shares a mighty and related statement from Jesus in chapter 7 of his Gospel: “3 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not notice the log in your own eye” Matthew 7:3? How you and I look at others in our life, in other words, what provides the light that attracts us, Jesus is saying, often has nothing to do with the true light that allows us to see the truth of our life, and this is, of course, the Light of the world, Jesus Christ Himself. We too easily want to gossip about, criticize, and condemn others for the very things we ourselves have just done in our own life! We “see things” with eyes that are really blind! We “see things” we are interested in. We forget to look in the mirror and see ourselves for who we really are. This is why God has sent prophets into the world, and why Prophets of God are always in our world, in our lives, because Prophets are people God sends to hold up a mirror for us to look into! AND CHANGE!
Essentially these words of Jesus about are simply about Jesus calling us to change, to stop living a life of sin. Jesus says it so simply and clearly: Follow Me! Because Jesus is the Light of the world, because Jesus gives us spectacles to look through and live our lives, we must Follow Christ! To live our lives in the only way God wishes us to live requires one and only one things: Follow Christ!
So join me in prayer today that we will pray for God to take the log out of our eyes so that we can see the one and only Light of the World — Jesus Christ! Pray that we all Follow Christ!
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” 1 Peter 2:21.
“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” Matthew 16:24.
“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” Luke 9:24.
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