26 March 2020
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
In a world darkened by sin, in the midst of a people gone spiritually blind, a man named John appeared. We are told that “A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world,” (John 1:6-9). And in our Gospel today Jesus echoes this, saying to the people that John “…was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.” What is Jesus saying to these blind people?
He is criticizing them for rejoicing in the light of John without seeking the source of the light. Notice Jesus describes John as a “burning and shining lamp”: a lamp produces light by proving fuel for a flame. Without the fuel for the fire, the fire goes out; John was a flaming light, but it was a fire that did not sustain itself. But we read of Jesus that “What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race…” (John 1:3-4), and He says of Himself “I am the light of the world,” (John 8:12). Jesus is not like John; John burns brightly because he is consumed with love for God, but he will not burn forever, as his fire will go out in this world (Matthew 14:10). But Jesus is the Light; His Life is the light of the human race, and He says “…just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself,” (John 5:26). The light of Jesus will shine forever; it cannot be extinguished, as it is pure light, with no need for a source of fuel.
The people rejoiced in John’s light because it was not only easier to look upon but it did not cast, by contrast, such a dark shadow as did the light of Jesus. John was exciting, new, bold; he was fascinating to listen to and to watch; even Herod enjoying hearing him speak (Mark 6:20). But John’s light, his holiness, did not cost a person anything unless they chose to become his disciple. He would preach, and warn about the impending Messiah; many came to be baptized by him, but when Jesus finally did come, how many people flocked to Him, having been keeping a watch for His coming? Few, it would seem.
Yet Jesus is different; even Gentiles encountering Him were not the same afterward. The light of Jesus could pierce even the darkest heart, and shine the light of Truth into the soul; His light was so bright that all who encountered Him could see their own sins, and His words could cut through the firmest pride. It is little wonder that people embraced John and rejected Jesus: John demanded nothing of anyone, but Jesus demands everything. His light is all encompassing: His light is transformative. John’s light only provided illumination, and transformed only himself: he bore a light that was not his own.
Jesus has come to do something different: rather than make us bearers of a light not our own He has come to turn us into light: His light. He says “You are the light of the world… your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father,” (Matthew 14-16). You may think this is strange or impossible, but does not St. John write in his first letter “Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is,” (1 John 3:2). The more our blindness is burned away in the light that is Christ, the more we receive that light and allow it to illuminate our lives, the more we are transformed by it.