Let Jesus Shine In Us

“𝑾𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔.” (𝒗.12)

𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐋 𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐃𝐚𝐧 𝟏𝟑:𝟏-𝟔𝟐

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟐𝟑:𝟏-𝟔 “𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐧𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥; 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐧 𝟖:𝟏𝟐-𝟐𝟎

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑾𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔.” (𝒗.12)

When Jesus spoke claiming to be the Light of the World the Pharisees were quick to challenge him (v.12) because to them he was already claiming not only to be the Messiah but he was claiming something that the Jews associate only to God.

Understandably so because the Jews have always associated light with God: “The Lord is m light” (Psa 27:1), “The Lord will be your everlasting light” (Isa 60:19), “By his light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3), “When I sit in darkness the Lord will be a light to me” (Mic 7:8).

What Jesus said next is what I believe to be as important as recognizing him as the light because it doesn’t only mean taking a leap of faith from the dark-caressed world that we are in into the light of our salvation, but it means a whole lot more. When Jesus said that anyone who follows him “will never walk in darkness” he was giving the Pharisees and the Jews who were listening to him and he is telling us now that it is only in him that we can find the light to help find our way.

In fact, Jesus does not only provide us the light, but he actually accompanies us in our journey since we are bound to stumble and fall into sin and we grope to keep our balance when we walk alone as many of the problems that we face in life are beyond our human capacity to solve. Many times we take the wrong turn and persist on the wrong way because we cannot see our spiritual road map.

There is no doubt that some of us will succeed through our own efforts but only those who will put his complete trust and confidence in Jesus is assured of finishing the race and reaching his goal.

However, to follow him means that by the Grace of God we have finally found our home because to follow Jesus Christ is more than just tagging along. To follow him means a life lived in complete subservience to the Will of God. It means placing ourselves – body, soul and spirit – in the palm of His hand.

Conversely, there are three things that we must bear in mind with regards to the light who is Christ and we in becoming the light that others may see.

1. The light can also represent our relationship with Jesus Christ and again this simply means that for anyone who has made a commitment to follow him must also become a light (Mt 5:15-16). And it begins with the fact that by following him, we have him as the light and if we live for Christ we certainly will glow like a light drawing others to the source of light.

2) The light may represent the effect of our life on others. Translated into our present reality, it would be pointless if we will not let others see the light that is in us. This means that we cannot hide the light (Mk 4:21) because if we are to look at ourselves as a lamp then we have to let our lives shine and be useful. As Christian disciples who have made a decision to follow Christ, our lives must become the means through which other people can find God and how to live for him. We must refrain from dwelling in complacency, stubbornness of heart and disobedience because these negative tendencies will keep God’s light from shining through us.

3) The light also represent the level in the growth of our knowledge of God. As the light of the truth of Jesus is revealed to us, we are obliged to put into practice the teachings of Christ as we are able to understand and grasp its meaning and significance as we see it. While the truth of Christ is clear and unchangeable, our human capacity to understand is imperfect and it is only by having an obedient heart that we will see with a clearer vision and understanding (Jam 1:22-25).

The crux of this Gospel passage can be seen when Jesus said: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (v. 12) And many of us will ask what the relationship between light and life is. Jesus himself provides us the answer in Jn 1:4 when he said: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

In the course of this life that God has so generously allowed us to live, we must not forget that this light that illumines our lives has Jesus as the source from whom comes the light. This is what happens to those who have strayed away from the light and have remained blind to the light but whom God found and drawn to receive their second baptism for it is only when the Spirit of God is imparted to us that we regain our sight and our ability to see the light.

In my past life I thought that I was good enough and that whatever success I had was on account of my own ability and though I know that there is a God little did I know that I do not have the power to keep the light that I thought I had from remaining lit. I went about my life my own way and the only connection I had with God was during Sunday Mass.

But success acquired outside of the sphere of God’s influence brings with it manifold problems and this was precisely what happened as the ivory tower that I built started crumbling down to the ground. And God who is gracious and kind picked me up from the abyss I was in and brought me back to his light and I saw myself as I am – a sinner who was in need of a Savior.

When we follow Jesus who is the true light, we can avoid walking in darkness and falling into sin. In Jesus our paths are lighted so we can see the abundance of life that he promised us. In becoming a reflection of the light of Jesus we must not forget that we are not the source of light but merely a reflection of the light of Christ.

This Lenten Season is an opportune time for us to ask ourselves if we are ready to become a reflection of Christ’s light. If we do, what are the things that we are prepared to give up so that the light of Christ can shine through us. (Ed Malay – April 7, 2025)