Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Light of the World



As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Jesus, in John 9:5


I just saw another of those silly Christian cliches that sounds good, but is just plain wrong. It said, "Jesus is the Light of the world." Is he? Jesus himself said that he was the light of the world only "as long as I am in the world" (Jn. 9:5).


No one can be the light of the world if he is not in the world. If the light of the world is in heaven, the world has no light. It is OUR time to be the light of the world now because we are the ones who are here, and pointing to Jesus, who is no longer here, is, I believe, one way that religious people have found to make themselves look good without being good. If Jesus is the light, we don't have to shine, do we?


For Christians to boldly proclaim to the world that Jesus is the light of the world can make them appear to be devout and wise, but it just is not true - according to the Jesus they are referring to.