Road Trippin With Rachael

I think we can all look at the world and say that there is evil. Crime runs rampant; countries are at war for petty reasons, people are discriminated against because of the color of their skin or for where their ancestors come from; and murder is justified by inconvenience.

But in our dark, dark world there is still this inextinguishable light shining through the darkness. No matter how dark or sinful the world is, God is gracious. He doesn’t take away the free will that he gave to humans – we get to choose evil -but he has not allowed it to get as bad as it could be. He still shows us mercy by not allowing our sin to reach it’s full potential. This is a sobering thought considering some of atrocities that humanity has committed.

As we look into John 8, we see that Jesus shares about how he is the light that shines in the darkness – pointing out the sins and evil that think they can hide. Not only that, but he also points out that we all are responsible for the choices that we make, and our relationships are ours, and are not based on who are parents are.

Jesus Christ – the Light in a Dark World

Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.’  John 8:12 (CSB)

Light has a way of pushing back the darkness. It simply cannot exist in the presence of light. And as the light source tosses brightness into all the corners exposing what is lying in the dark, the unknown and hidden becomes known and seen.

I often thing of the children’s song “This Little Light of Mine” when I think of Jesus being the light of the world. I think of gentle candlelight. In reality, it was probably more like Exodus 13: 22 – “The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.” (CSB) Absolutely nothing was hidden. Which then makes me really think about what it means to have Jesus be the light of the world. He isn’t some sweet and gentle light – although he can be; he is in fact the same God who lead the people out of Egypt, going before them as a pillar of fire, and lighting up the sky so that they could travel. The light chases away all shadows; there is no where to hide.

That is exactly what it means for the Christian. We aren’t the pillars of fire, but we have that pillar inside us as the Holy Spirit. Our light isn’t going to be that all consuming fire, but it should shine a light on sin, specifically our own sins, and it should challenge those who are around us, because they are being exposed to the light. Self-contemplation is healthy, and we need to be able to take hard looks at our lives and see what God has done, and see what we are looking through. For me, I know that I can get caught up in the negative and everything that is going wrong. It has been an effort to become more of what I describe as a realist – the cup is half full, but that doesn’t mean it is full of something we want. Being pessimistic can pull everyone down, but trying to find the good, can keep people from sinking. As I have grown in my faith, and I have a lot of growing still to do, I’ve learned that the more time you spend with God, the more that light is going to shine into crevasses of your heart and mind you would rather leave untouched. But we are called to strive to be like Christ, and that means letting God light up those areas we want to keep hidden.

Questions

• What sins have you overcome?
• What are you working through?
• What are the things God is showing you as you are engaging with him?

Sons and Daughters of Abraham

Once of the things I think the Church (particularly the western church and the American church) is this idea that faith innately generational. Yes, parents that are faithful Christians are more likely to produce children that are faithful Christians. The influence of parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents on successive generations has a profound impact on the foundations that are built in each nuclear family. But that influence is not what makes the individual into a Christian. It means that is the foundation, teachings, and environment the child has been raised in.

This isn’t only a problem of the American church – it was also a problem in the Judaism of Jesus’ time. The people believed that because they were the children of Abraham that they were automatically faithful. Because they had a sacrificial system and Torah, they believed they were righteous. They did not regard themselves to be slaves to sin (which is a problem in and of itself if you read through chapter 8 – the comment that they have never been slaves: yes they were.)

The fact of the matter is we are all slaves to sin. Each person is born sinful, because we live in a fallen world. We will never need to be taught to do something that is wrong. We will know how to do it without any guidance. But individual faith in Christ sets us free from sin. We no longer are bound by the laws of sin and death (Romans 8), but have been raised to a new life in Christ.

Jesus as Messiah

He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him. Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. – Isaiah 53:2-10

Final Thoughts

As I look back at John 8, I’m challenged to think about the sin that is in my own life. Am I allowing God to do the work that is necessary to make me more like him? How have I seen God work in my life in shining light on my sins? Then there is my faith to consider. Although I know that I am a Christian, I am reminded that my faith is mine. It isn’t something that was inherited through parents or because of who my family is. It is mine, and I live out my faith in community with other believers.