Read first passage
With these words as a very rich background, we turn now to John 8:12, which will be the text for my message this morning.
Ever since Ed and I returned to the lower 48 from our ministry in Alaska just about a dozen years ago, I have been hungry for light. Now, most of you know that I’m not a beach bum. I don’t like to spend hours baking in the sun, but I crave light. At this time of year, when the sun begins to migrate south and the days shorten, I grieve a little bit, and long for the time when the pendulum will swing back to the longer days.
There are many wonderful things that light does for us (can you think of some?).
*Vision
*Security
*the colors of the rainbow
*Positive mood
*Solar heat
*Laser surgery
Light does many wonderful things for us, but it is more than just a helpful tool. Light is essential for life. Without it we would die. This becomes patently clear in the process that plants go through called photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, plants take the energy from light and make it into chemical energy. Then they use this chemical energy to convert carbon dioxide, water and minerals into organic compounds. During the process, oxygen is released into the atmosphere. Without photosynthesis, the earth would stop producing food, and we would run out of oxygen. This life-giving process is going on all around us, but it’s something most of us don’t give a whole lot of thought to. So, before you go and eat your dinner tonight, go out and hug a tree, give a tomato plant a pat on the leaf, and say thank you to the sun.
And then, think about this: I am the light of the world, said Jesus. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Jesus is talking about the photosynthesis of the soul. Just as a conversion takes place when plants absorb sunlight and turn it into food; we also experience a conversion when the light of Christ shines on us. The energy of Christ’s light transforms our inner being so that we are nourished and made whole. It sounds almost trite to say that Jesus will meet all our needs, and perhaps sounds too good to be true. But this is precisely what he is saying. He is the light of the world, and light is the source of everything else.
I am the light of the world, Jesus said. The one who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
The one who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
Photosynthesis of the soul happens as we follow Jesus. So many times, Christianity is thought of as a set of beliefs or philosophies or doctrines. But being a Christian is not about believing the right doctrines. It’s about following Jesus.
Are you a follower of Jesus? Let’s think for a few moments about what it means to follow. The word follow can be used in several different ways, and they all are helpful in understanding what it means follow Jesus. It’s used, for instance, to describe following in step behind someone—like "follow the leader," but in real life. To follow Jesus is to walk in step behind him and to go where he takes us, whether that means a journey of the heart and soul, or whether it means a journey that takes us to a distant land. A related idea has to do with service. We are servants; Jesus is the master. His followers are at his beck and call, so to speak. This is precisely the opposite of how many people think about religion. They think that God is at our beck and call, to solve the things we think need solving, and to make the world right according to our definition of justice. But we are the followers; Jesus is the leader.
The word follow is also used in connection with asking for expert advice. If someone is in doubt about something and goes to a wise counselor or an expert in the field, then it makes sense that this person will also follow the expert’s advice. When Ed and I spend time fishing at the river, we often go up to the fly shop and ask what’s working. Often there is a guide there, advising some clients as to what flies are hot and what methods of fishing are effective. Everybody in the store buys those flies. Jesus is the expert at living life. We need to follow his advice.
Following is very closely related to understanding. Do you follow me? Which is to say, Do you get it? Yes, I follow you. But then again, sometimes we don’t follow.
One evening Johnny sat down at the kitchen table doing his homework while his mother watched TV. Upon hearing the evening news, his mother let out a shriek. "Johnny! Johnny! China has just launched a nuclear missile toward the United States." Johnny looked up from his book with a confused expression on his face. "Do you understand what this means?" his mother cried. All excited, Johnny quickly replied, "No school tomorrow!" (story file, 15.12.3)
Ask any child what Christmas means—what answer are you most likely to get? (It means we get presents).
If we follow Christ, it means we have grasped at least the basic essence of who he is and what he has said.
Following Christ is a very active process, then, isn’t it? This is not couch potato Christian faith. It’s get up and get going faith. If we want the light of life to photosynthesize our souls, then we’ve got to follow Jesus. Because that’s where the light is.
There was a young woman who was driving in a snowstorm and got lost. She suddenly remembered something that her dad had once said to her: "If you ever get stuck in a snow storm, wait for a snow plow and follow it." So that’s what she did. Pretty soon a snow plow came by and she followed it. In fact she followed it for about forty-five minutes. Finally the driver of the plow got out and asked her what she was doing. So, she explained what her dad had said to her. The driver nodded and said, "Well, I’m done with Wal-Mart, so now you can follow me over to K-Mart." (story file, 15.9.2)
Following a snowplow sounded like a good idea, but it turned out to be a waste of time. In our life as Christians there are many philosophies and ideas and programs and ministries that may sound wonderful, but they will lead us on a rabbit trail. We need to use all our faculties—our mind, our heart, our soul—to discern that it is Jesus that we are following, and not just some lamebrained scheme.
In our skit, it seemed ludicrous when the person who lost an earring in the dark, was searching for it in the light. But I want to turn the idea around just a little. In our life we lose many things in the darkness. There are many things we regret. We will not find wholeness and peace by going back into the darkness to get back what we’ve lost. We will find it by following Jesus, because that’s where the light is. And the light will give us everything we need.
Do you want to have your deepest needs met? Do you want to experience that photosynthesis of the soul that will nourish you and set your gifts loose on the world? Then answer these two questions:
As we sing our concluding song for today, think about this little story:
A little girl was in Sunday school class, and her teacher asked her if
she knew what a "saint" was. The little girl thought for a while, and then
she thought about the beautiful stained glass windows in the sanctuary,
that were pictures of many of the people in the Bible. And then she answered
her teacher that yes, she did know what a saint was. She said, "A saint
is someone that the light shines through."