Releasing The Light

This morning I felt led to read again from John 9.  I felt like I should spend some meditating on Jesus' statements at the beginning of the chapter.  Here are the verses - John 9:3-5 NIV:

[3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

I love Jesus' response to the question about the cause of the man's blindness. His blindness although it had lasted his lifetime, was not a curse brought on by sinfulness, but was rather present as an opportunity for the Father's glory to be revealed.  Jesus has such a different perspective, that of the Father, and we would be well served to pursue the same.

In our world, and especially this present age, wee call such things as blindness and other afflictions unfair, or sad, and that is a wholly human response.  We imagine ourselves with such an affliction and are overwhelmed by the loss of health, capabilities, etc.  Our thoughts are on ourselves and take such afflictions and their diagnosis as sentence of fear, sorrow and suffering.  Jesus on the other hand, sees in this man's affliction the opportunity for the Father to be glorified.   He represented the Kingdom of God, constantly proclaiming it and demonstrating it.  In the Kingdom of God, blindness does not exist, and so Jesus demonstrated this reality by healing him.

Jesus said this was one of the works He had been assigned to do by the Father.  I believe it is both a personal assignment (this particular blind man) and an overriding work assignment (heal blindness when You confront it).  He only had so much time on earth in His physical form, and during that time He had been given specific things to demonstrate and do, and this was one such task.  In the same way, we are entrusted with opportunities to extend God's Kingdom and bring Glory to Him.  Our invitation is to be open and obedient and act in faith when opportunities are presented.  The Lord wants us to both understand the reality of His Kingdom, and our identity as sons and daughters of His in that Kingdom.  He also wants us to understand that He sees thing completely differently than we do.  We tend to look at things from our limited human perspective, He looks at the same situation and sees the opportunity for His Glory to be revealed.

It is in the revelation of His Glory that His light is shined to this world that is dark.  I love the following verses from Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV:

[1] “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
[2] See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
[3] Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

We are called to shine His light to those around us, to reveal His Glory.  People will be drawn to the Light of Christ as He shines out of us.  When we start to demonstrate His Kingdom reality to our world, they will being to see God's touch in their lives.  Christ is still in the world, through His Spirit alive in us.  It is time for us to release this light into the darkness around us.

So let us be encouraged to let His light shine, for He is the light of the world.  Let us be encouraged to release His light within and through our lives. Let us arise and shine.