'He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness to that Light.'
How easy it is to start thinking that we ourselves are the Light, that somehow we too can do good, that we can save people from their earthly and everlasting perdition, that somehow our kindness, our goodness, can help the unfortunate, taking for ourselves the glory that belongs to God.
Moses made the same mistake when he stood by the Jordan, ready to enter the Promised Land. He began to believe that it was he, and not the Lord, that had taken the Israelites thus far.
Our vanity leads us astray. Sure of our goodness, we do harm, all with the best intentions. We pronounce certain political points of view which originate from our own self-interest and prejudice rather than anything in the Gospel.
I am not the Light that shines in the darkness, and neither are you. For all our efforts we can neither help or save anyone. The best we can hope for is to be God's instrument.
Jesus Christ is the Light who shines in the darkness. Like John the Baptist we are to bear witness to the Light, and to never forget, as Moses did, that all the glory is God's.
Sunday, 10 May 2015
Saturday, 9 May 2015
John 1.7
'The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.'
John was sent to bear witness to the Light, not to do good to man. He wasn't some kind of social worker, but had come to bring the people to repentance, to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is the Light that shines in the darkness, and like John, it is our duty and privilege to bear witness to the Light.
Although John brought many to repentance and baptised them his ministry was all about God, not all about people. He was true to God. He did not set up social centres or use psychology to help reconcile reluctant Jews to Roman rule.
Rather selfishly, from our humanist point of view, he took himself off into the wilderness.
There are many ways to serve the Lord and every one is the best.
John was sent to bear witness to the Light, not to do good to man. He wasn't some kind of social worker, but had come to bring the people to repentance, to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is the Light that shines in the darkness, and like John, it is our duty and privilege to bear witness to the Light.
Although John brought many to repentance and baptised them his ministry was all about God, not all about people. He was true to God. He did not set up social centres or use psychology to help reconcile reluctant Jews to Roman rule.
Rather selfishly, from our humanist point of view, he took himself off into the wilderness.
There are many ways to serve the Lord and every one is the best.
Friday, 8 May 2015
John 1.6
'There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.'
John the Baptist was sent from God. He was chosen by God to do great works. He was truly blessed by God, but of course, in his more difficult moments he might have felt not quite so blessed. We do not know.
What we do know is that we are all chosen by God for more humble tasks, and yet, many of us, like Jonah, will try to run away.
We forget that we are not here to please ourselves, or indeed, to please other people. John was not sent by God so that he could work out problems with his troubled childhood or problems with self-esteem. No, John was sent from God to serve God.
So when we are called to work in the vineyard we should remember that God does not exist to serve us and to give us glory, but that we are are God's servants, sent to give God glory.
And if the work seems onerous, perhaps we should remember those left in darkness, and thank the Lord that we have been called to do his work.
John the Baptist was sent from God. He was chosen by God to do great works. He was truly blessed by God, but of course, in his more difficult moments he might have felt not quite so blessed. We do not know.
What we do know is that we are all chosen by God for more humble tasks, and yet, many of us, like Jonah, will try to run away.
We forget that we are not here to please ourselves, or indeed, to please other people. John was not sent by God so that he could work out problems with his troubled childhood or problems with self-esteem. No, John was sent from God to serve God.
So when we are called to work in the vineyard we should remember that God does not exist to serve us and to give us glory, but that we are are God's servants, sent to give God glory.
And if the work seems onerous, perhaps we should remember those left in darkness, and thank the Lord that we have been called to do his work.
Thursday, 7 May 2015
John 1.5
'And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.'
Outside of God is darkness.
We all know atheists and pagans who flounder in the darkness. They worship their careers, their wives, a set of political or religious rules, their 'life', their happiness, or whatever.
Often these dark souls appear to be nice people, and many of their ideals/idols such as Climate Change, Equality, Democracy, Revolution, Jihad, Nationalism, Feminism, may appear quite worthy.
But too often it is a mask that slips away all too easily to reveal their hatred of other people, their hatred of life itself.
Idealists and idolaters often give the appearance of light, like Lucifer, but that is only in the hope of drawing you into their own private pit.
There is only one true God, the Living God, the God who is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
It is the true God, the true Light, towards whom we must focus our thoughts and our prayers. Only the Living God can be the Light that guides our way. An idol will only lead us into darkness.
Follow the light, but do not expect others to walk with you, for 'the darkness comprehended it not.'
Outside of God is darkness.
We all know atheists and pagans who flounder in the darkness. They worship their careers, their wives, a set of political or religious rules, their 'life', their happiness, or whatever.
Often these dark souls appear to be nice people, and many of their ideals/idols such as Climate Change, Equality, Democracy, Revolution, Jihad, Nationalism, Feminism, may appear quite worthy.
But too often it is a mask that slips away all too easily to reveal their hatred of other people, their hatred of life itself.
Idealists and idolaters often give the appearance of light, like Lucifer, but that is only in the hope of drawing you into their own private pit.
There is only one true God, the Living God, the God who is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
It is the true God, the true Light, towards whom we must focus our thoughts and our prayers. Only the Living God can be the Light that guides our way. An idol will only lead us into darkness.
Follow the light, but do not expect others to walk with you, for 'the darkness comprehended it not.'
John 1.4
'In him was life; and the life was the light of men.'
Life itself was in him, our Lord Jesus Christ. Our God is the Living God.
When I read the Bible cover to cover a number of years ago, as I became ever more interested in the Christian faith, the words 'Living God' struck me.
The idols lead to death. Our God leads to life. Indeed, our God is life. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.
He doesn't lead us to life. He is Life.
And we must eat and drink this life.
Through him were all things created, all that is living - the trees, the plants, the animals, ourselves. Into us he breathes life.
Our Lord is the light of men, the light in the sea of darkness that is death.
Death is darkness, nothingness, the antithesis of Life.
Death is the absence of God.
Life itself was in him, our Lord Jesus Christ. Our God is the Living God.
When I read the Bible cover to cover a number of years ago, as I became ever more interested in the Christian faith, the words 'Living God' struck me.
The idols lead to death. Our God leads to life. Indeed, our God is life. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.
He doesn't lead us to life. He is Life.
And we must eat and drink this life.
Through him were all things created, all that is living - the trees, the plants, the animals, ourselves. Into us he breathes life.
Our Lord is the light of men, the light in the sea of darkness that is death.
Death is darkness, nothingness, the antithesis of Life.
Death is the absence of God.
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
John 1.3
'All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.'
Jesus Christ is the Word, not just a man who hung around in Galilee two thousand years ago, but the Word, the creative force of the universe, God Himself, the Son of God.
God is the creator of all. People make idols out of what has been created, and worship wood and stones and water. And in these scientific days we make idols out of the State, 'our Life', Democracy, Equality or other people. We look to them for love and meaning, earthly creations, inventions of the mind of man, idols before which we may submit and which may enslave us.
But the universe and all that is in it was not made by some idol. It was made by God the creator of all, and it is the true Living God that we must worship.
Without the Word, without our Lord Jesus Christ, 'was not any thing made that was made.'
Jesus Christ is the Word, not just a man who hung around in Galilee two thousand years ago, but the Word, the creative force of the universe, God Himself, the Son of God.
God is the creator of all. People make idols out of what has been created, and worship wood and stones and water. And in these scientific days we make idols out of the State, 'our Life', Democracy, Equality or other people. We look to them for love and meaning, earthly creations, inventions of the mind of man, idols before which we may submit and which may enslave us.
But the universe and all that is in it was not made by some idol. It was made by God the creator of all, and it is the true Living God that we must worship.
Without the Word, without our Lord Jesus Christ, 'was not any thing made that was made.'
Monday, 4 May 2015
John 1.2
'The same was in the beginning with God.'
When was the beginning? We do not know. Our minds cannot understand such a thing. But whenever it was Jesus was there. He was with God, before anything was created. He was not created like you and I. Jesus is God. He is the essence of God. What God is, so is he.
Throughout the ages there have been many sects that have claimed that Jesus is a creature like you and I, but the idea is farcical. How can a creature be the perfect Son of God?
We are born in sin - selfish, compromised, mortal.
Jesus's sacrificial love, his perfect suffering, his boundless love was pleasing to God. How can an imperfect creature do something so great that he could pay the rice for the sins of this world, to set us free from the chains of sin and guilt?
Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God.
When was the beginning? We do not know. Our minds cannot understand such a thing. But whenever it was Jesus was there. He was with God, before anything was created. He was not created like you and I. Jesus is God. He is the essence of God. What God is, so is he.
Throughout the ages there have been many sects that have claimed that Jesus is a creature like you and I, but the idea is farcical. How can a creature be the perfect Son of God?
We are born in sin - selfish, compromised, mortal.
Jesus's sacrificial love, his perfect suffering, his boundless love was pleasing to God. How can an imperfect creature do something so great that he could pay the rice for the sins of this world, to set us free from the chains of sin and guilt?
Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God.
John 1.1
'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.'
Jesus Christ, our Lord, is the Word.
The Word gives meaning.
God gave Adam the gift of speech, the ability to make sense out of reality, the power to give names to all the creatures of this earth. The animals cannot speak. Animals can only relate to something from the aspect of their own appetite. An animal might see another animal as something to be eaten, or as something that might eat it. A stone or a fence is simply an obstacle.
But mankind, through the gift of speech can create meaning. And Jesus is the original Word, who was with God, who was God, right at the beginning.
It is Jesus, God Himself, who brings order out of chaos, who brings life and love and meaning to a mass of nothing, whose love redeems us from an eternity of animal egotism.
Jesus Christ, our Lord, is the Word.
The Word gives meaning.
God gave Adam the gift of speech, the ability to make sense out of reality, the power to give names to all the creatures of this earth. The animals cannot speak. Animals can only relate to something from the aspect of their own appetite. An animal might see another animal as something to be eaten, or as something that might eat it. A stone or a fence is simply an obstacle.
But mankind, through the gift of speech can create meaning. And Jesus is the original Word, who was with God, who was God, right at the beginning.
It is Jesus, God Himself, who brings order out of chaos, who brings life and love and meaning to a mass of nothing, whose love redeems us from an eternity of animal egotism.
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