As Advent nears, Christians ask God to ‘…Guide us to they perfect Light’
Scripture reading: John 1:1-9. Text: Jesus had said about himself: “I HAVE COME INTO THE WORLD AS A LIGHT, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46. In the title of this meditation we find the last words of the well-known Christmas hymn “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” We hope and pray that this Advent season will guide us to the “Perfect Light.”
“I HAVE COME INTO THE WORLD AS A LIGHT . . .” See our text.
In Jesus’ time the darkness was formidable and the man-made light was hardly enough to look around in that little room where most of people had lived. Torches, candles and oil lamps were used to scatter darkness. For us, who have electricity, the situation is different; with turning on the switch, we can have sufficient light to do whatever we wish. We can even dim or brighten the light of our chandelier.
If we wish to symbolize our Lord’s original intention, we are better off if we turn to the state of the art diagnostic instruments that make visible what is inside us. Just to mention a few; I am sure you also heard about these:
– CAT scan = Computerized Axial Tomography, more efficient than the X-ray machine.
– MRI = Magnetic Resonance Imaging. It can provide an accurate picture of our organs.
– PET scan = Positron Emission Tomography, one of the newest diagnostic instruments. “PHILIP SAID, ‘LORD, SHOW US THE FATHER AND THAT WILL BE ENOUGH FOR US’ . . . ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER.” John 14:8-9.
To us it means much more than it did to the people in the first century that Jesus had come into this world as a light. I hope you will agree with me if we come to these conclusions:
– JESUS MAKES HIDDEN THINGS VISIBLE in the spiritual world, as his response to Philip reveals: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Through Christ not our external features are made visible, rather, what is inside becomes recognizable: “He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.” John 2:25. Also Matthew 9:1-8, especially verse 4. We can put it in this way, too; in the light of Jesus our thoughts and desires will be exposed, we will become translucent.
– OUR LORD SHARPENS OUR ABILITY TO DISCERN, or using medical terms, he helps us to develop diagnostic abilities. No physician will prescribe medication unless he or she is sure about the illness of the patient. For this, the best example is the story of Nicodemus, how the Master had helped him to perceive the secrets of the kingdom of God, please see John 3:1-15.
– In the light of Christ’s teaching and life, death and resurrection we find RESTORATIVE HELP. In the Bible sin and sickness are closely related, please see John 9:1-5. As the doctors restore our health damaged by illness or injury, likewise the “Great Physician” heals or reconnects our “messed up” relationships. Please read the parable of the prodigal son, how his disconnected relationship with the father was restored, Luke 15:11-32. One of our problems is broken down relationships, that is, lack of love, trust, confidence and faithfulness. Reconciliation is to restore or reconnect the disrupted relationship to that functional state we have enjoyed before.
– The light Christ sheds around us is also PREVENTIVE. Please read the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31. We can avoid condemnation by knowing who is God, “Our Father who art in heaven” Matthew 6:9; what is his nature, “God is love” John 4:16; and what is his purpose? To save the lost one: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” Luke 15:3-7. Please see also Luke 19:10 and John 3:16.
John the Baptist had said this about the arriving Messiah: “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” John 1:9.
The Rev. Alexander Jalso is a retired United Presbyterian minister living in Brownsville.