Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. Noone comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14.6). Christ’s truth can (and does) set people free, even today. He said: “If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Crucial questions
But what sort of freedom did Christ mean? Jesus expanded what He meant in John 8.34-35. He was speaking about freedom from the bondage of sin and condemnation. And for those of us who are acutely aware of our sins, this means everything. Like King David, our sins are always before us.
What is the truth? Jesus was speaking of truth that leads to salvation: In other words, Jesus is truth. I find it ironic that Pilate posed this very question as he was looking at Truth square in the face.
What is the light? Jesus is the light of the world.
The light came into the world but the world did not comprehend it (See John 1.5) Still, the light of Christ shines despite drastic or dire earthly circumstances. The light and Truth of Christ has both confounded and illuminated the hearts and minds of men and women living from the 1st to the 21st Century. Suffering has the capacity to draw the sufferer closer to Christ as their interior Guide and Master. This beautiful interchange points to the center of mystery of Redemption. Suffering itself is an experience of evil but Jesus made suffering the ultimate good of eternal salvation at the Cross.
To those who unite their suffering with the Redeemer, new horizons of the Kingdom of God are slowly revealed, through their suffering. That Kingdom is built of the redemptive power of divine love.
The light still shines
How can people comprehend the light? I’m not sure human beings are capable of comprehending the light without utterly and completely surrendering themselves to the Light (Jesus Christ). They must submit to the will of God—content to accept whatever that may be.
Now I know that the words “surrender” and “submission” represent particularly repugnant concepts to a vain, spoilt and stiff-necked generation like the ‘boomers (of which I am a part). Submission to anything is unthinkable to most of us. But the option is to stubbornly remain in soul-darkness, stumbling or suffering without meaning. That ends in the greatest human poverty: spiritual despair. I believe that is why depression is so common. In a culture with everything—the highest standard of life, the lowest levels of infant mortality, the greatest comforts and the least wants, why is depression so rampant?
I’m not referring to depression caused by grieving or mourning loss. I’m talking about unfocused depression. Could it be attributable to the level of Christ’s light we shut out or allow to be shut out of our inner selves?
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Light shines brighter the darker it gets.
Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. Noone comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14.6). Christ’s truth can (and does) set people free, even today. He said: “If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Crucial questions
But what sort of freedom did Christ mean? Jesus expanded what He meant in John 8.34-35. He was speaking about freedom from the bondage of sin and condemnation. And for those of us who are acutely aware of our sins, this means everything. Like King David, our sins are always before us.
What is the truth? Jesus was speaking of truth that leads to salvation: In other words, Jesus is truth. I find it ironic that Pilate posed this very question as he was looking at Truth square in the face.
What is the light? Jesus is the light of the world.
The light came into the world but the world did not comprehend it (See John 1.5) Still, the light of Christ shines despite drastic or dire earthly circumstances. The light and Truth of Christ has both confounded and illuminated the hearts and minds of men and women living from the 1st to the 21st Century. Suffering has the capacity to draw the sufferer closer to Christ as their interior Guide and Master. This beautiful interchange points to the center of mystery of Redemption. Suffering itself is an experience of evil but Jesus made suffering the ultimate good of eternal salvation at the Cross.
To those who unite their suffering with the Redeemer, new horizons of the Kingdom of God are slowly revealed, through their suffering. That Kingdom is built of the redemptive power of divine love.
The light still shines
How can people comprehend the light? I’m not sure human beings are capable of comprehending the light without utterly and completely surrendering themselves to the Light (Jesus Christ). They must submit to the will of God—content to accept whatever that may be.
Now I know that the words “surrender” and “submission” represent particularly repugnant concepts to a vain, spoilt and stiff-necked generation like the ‘boomers (of which I am a part). Submission to anything is unthinkable to most of us. But the option is to stubbornly remain in soul-darkness, stumbling or suffering without meaning. That ends in the greatest human poverty: spiritual despair. I believe that is why depression is so common. In a culture with everything—the highest standard of life, the lowest levels of infant mortality, the greatest comforts and the least wants, why is depression so rampant?
I’m not referring to depression caused by grieving or mourning loss. I’m talking about unfocused depression. Could it be attributable to the level of Christ’s light we shut out or allow to be shut out of our inner selves?
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Light shines brighter the darker it gets.
I believe that’s why the light of Christ is so evident in suffering. It is in the ‘dark night of the soul’ that Christ’s light is most evident. Christ acts within suffering by the power his consoling Spirit of truth. That is why sorrow of affliction and the Joy of Christ can exist simultaneously.
Jesus referred to this in his passage about being the vine while we (his followers) are the branches. He said,
“As my Father has loved me, so have I loved you. If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
