Jesus – The Light!

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Eph 6:10-20; Lk 13:31-35

Today, India celebrates Diwali, the Festival of Lights.

The festival commemorates the victory of the good over the evil. 

Though the festival is celebrated by Hindus, Christians cannot alienate themselves from what the festival profoundly upholds. 

For Christians, Jesus, the Light of the World, provides a reason to celebrate the festival. 

The symbolism of light fills the pages of the Bible, starting from ‘Let there be light’ (Gen 1:4) to Jesus’ statement, ‘I am the light of the world’ (Jn 8:12). 

Hence, for Christians, celebrating the festival of lights has its meaning and purpose. 

When we focus on Jesus as the Light of the World, we cannot overlook a few important insights. 

1.Jesus the Light Exposed Falsehood: The real purpose of Jesus’ prophetic mission was to bring out the falsehood of the religious leaders of his time. When religion was used as a tool of oppression, Jesus preached a religion whose central concern was the God of love and God of salvation. Though Jesus’ mission led him to the cross, he never compromised with it. 

2. Jesus the Light Highlighted the Truth: By denouncing the abuse of religion at the hands of religious leaders, Jesus showed what real religion looks like in his proclamation and mission. The compassionate and loving God that Jesus demonstrated in his words and deeds drew multitudes toward him. Thus, Jesus did not only dispel darkness but also highlighted the Truth of God through the religion he preached.

3. Jesus the Light Enlightens Our Way: Jesus claimed, ‘I am the light of the world’ (Jn 8:12). But that is not all. He tells his followers that ‘You are the light of the world’ (Mt 5:14). Besides, the invitation is to behave like a city on a hill so that it will never remain hidden from anyone. If we follow Jesus the Light, then we have the mandate to be the light that Jesus expects us to become. If we do not ‘let our light shine before people’ (Mt 5:14), it is a disservice to our discipleship. 

Let us pray that we who walk in the light of Jesus have the responsibility to bring others to the Light. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar