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ESUS cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. (John 12:44-50)
Today’s scripture text is taken from the lectionary for evening prayer. The greatest light to enter our physical world is the light of the sun. Without that light, there would be no energy and no life on earth. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Light of the World to those who seek a permanent citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. He is the Sun of Righteousness who rises with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2) and whose glimmer ascent began as the Morning Star of our night in the world’s wilderness journey that pointed to that coming of our Lord as a babe in a manger at Bethlehem long after those prophecies were uttered by Holy men inspired of God. He brings healing to the gaunt and sallow sinner, and life and energy to all who have eyes to behold that Light. There can exist no promise of eternal life apart from the grace of God and the faith that grace imparts to our hearts.
Some of the many benefits of light is what light reveals. It reveals two ways – the safe way and the way of tragedy. It reveals truth and exposes error. It serves as a guide for our direction to salvation in Christ. Without that Light of the World, we would be as lost in life as the corrupt politician in the cesspool of Washington, DC.
If we would see the sun, we must look up. Likewise, if we would see the Sun of Righteousness, we must focus on the things above – the things of love and righteousness.
A few years ago, I related a story from Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan entitled, The Man with a Muckrake. The point of Bunyan’s parable is how many miss the light simply because their focus is upon the earth that can only create Shadows and darkness instead up at the Light that can give a Holy wisdom and knowledge leading to eternal life.
In following the ways of the world and her Prince of Darkness, our spiritual senses may become dim of hearing and seeing truth. The paltry rags and mudholes of the world for some reason appeal to us more than the celestial stairway leading up to the Gates of Splendor. Our eyes are made blind to beauty, and our ears deaf to truth. Our consciences become seared as with a hot iron so that feeling has waned. Our knowledge dwindles and our wisdom fails of lack thereof.
In Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress you may recall the description of the Man with the Muck Rake, the man who could look no way but downward, with the muck rake in his hand; who was offered a celestial crown for his muck rake, but who would neither look up nor regard the crown he was offered, but continued to rake to himself the filth of the floor”. True knowledge and wisdom cannot abide in a wicked heart. The enemy may be cunning and shrewd, but he lacks true wisdom for he has lost sight of the Eternal Light.
Without him what would be the blessing of sight? So without Jesus we should have no spiritual knowledge, no happy love to God or man, no fruitfulness.
Conclusion - We may gather some thoughts of Jesus from the laws of light, or the modes of its operation. Is the sun an inexhaustible fountain of light? In Jesus there is an infinite fulness of grace. Does the light travel with amazing rapidity? How swiftly do the thoughts of Jesus flow out towards His servants — Before they call I will answer. Does light travel only in straight lines? Jesus is a Holy Savior; His eyes look straight before Him in the prosecution of His Father's purposes. Is the angle of reflection always equal to the angle of incidence? The Christian knows the light he receives from heaven, he will find it his honor and happiness to reflect on earth. Is light a radiant force, and does a small approximation to its center bring
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