While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5
I live in New Brunswick and have noticed that many of its highways are very dark at night. It can be a bit unnerving driving along a tree-lined stretch of the road, wondering if a moose or deer will run out in front of you. Most road signs, highway markers and roadside advertisement signs have reflective tape and light up when hit by our headlights. But these reflectors do nothing without a light source in the dark. They can’t produce the light need to be seen. Despite the dangers of barrelling along at 100 km in the dark, we seem content to let our car headlights guide us among the different reflectors scattered along our roads.
Jesus told people that He was the light the world needed to protect it from the darkness. In John 9:5, he shared that He would be the source of light while in the world, showing us the way to the kingdom both on earth and in heaven. We know Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand, so how does His light guide our path? The answer is in His followers.
Jesus told His followers, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, giving everyone in the house light. In the same way, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16.
We are not the source of The Light but are the reflective tape that brings the light, the Good News, into the presence of those lost in the darkness of this world. We shine because Jesus uses us to reflect His love to the world around us. Without the source, we are also dark.
Maybe you love God and seek to honour Him where you can, but things don’t feel right. You serve where you can but still feel empty or unfulfilled. You pray but don’t find answers. You feel guilty because you want to guide others to Christ but struggle with life issues that seem to taint your ability to stay focused on God. Maybe you’re trying to do life alone, apart from The Light. You need to remind yourself that you need The Light and are not the source of the light, but because it dwells in you, you can reflect the light of Jesus.
Jesus told us, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:1-4
We must never forget that we are on God’s mission to bring light into the world; God is not on our mission. We reflect Him, and we must be sure we continually remain connected to Him; otherwise, we are just a useless reflector – useless without a light source.