Shining THE LIGHT – Greg Albrecht

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Shining THE LIGHT – Reflecting and Refracting Him –

I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in darkness. – John 8:12, The Message

Immediately following the beatitudes that serve as the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus says that we, his followers, are lights that shine in our world. He is the uppercase Light of the world, but he shines and lives the Light of his glory in us, we become his lowercase lights.

…You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in this world… – Matthew 5:14, The Message

How are we his lights in this world? We are here to be light… to bring out the God-colors. How can be we be light? Consider three ways to be light, in order from un-Christlike empty routines and lifeless religion to glorious, Christ-centered union and faith:

3) By What We Do and What We Don’t Do

Some propose, and teach, that we can be lights in this world by imitating Jesus Christ in all of our physical behaviors and actions. But when all is said and done, if THE LIGHT of Jesus Christ does not dwell within us, we are incapable of imitating Jesus. We can, of course, through our own efforts, be a sort of light, but any light we generate and display will not be THE LIGHT of Jesus. At best, any light we produce that might be remotely defined as virtuous and “good” is but a candle in the wind – but not a light of THE LIGHT.

Our lives can only be like that of Jesus once we become new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through a spiritual new birth, a miracle of God’s grace, we are given the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). We, by God’s grace, may be united in Christ and in union with him, he in us and we in him, and thus we may be lights of THE LIGHT.

Attempting to be lights in this world by virtue of our performance and obedience is meaningless because no human can have the mind, heart and attitude of Jesus unless he, as our risen Lord, lives HIS LIGHT within us. Without Jesus we are an arid desert, an un-watered garden, withering plants, broken branches and trees without fruit.

I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. – John 15:5

2) By Reflecting THE LIGHT of Jesus

Though it is not an entirely accurate comparison, we might imagine we reflect THE LIGHT of Jesus something like the moon reflects the light of the sun (Son). Moonlight is beautiful, illuminating darkness but the moon does not produce or generate light. The moon is just a basically inert, dead hunk of dust, but the moon beautifully reflects the light of the sun. We humans are also hunks of dust, but created in God’s image, formed and shaped by him, made, by the Master Potter, into jars of clay, by his grace,

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. – 2 Corinthians 4:6-7

1) By Refracting THE LIGHT of Jesus

When light is reflected, often from an external source, it shines back that light, often to a lesser degree of intensity or glory. But when light passes deep inside, into an object, something entirely different happens. Physically, when light passes through an external surface deeper into many facets of a prism, then light is dispersed (refracted), not merely reflected. What is called “white” light is refracted into the colors of the light spectrum – the rainbow if you will.

Refraction is what happens when light arrives in, on and into the many facets of a diamond ring. The light that emanates from the diamond sparkles. When light enters the diamond, it bends and refracts. The more facets or cuts that are part of the individual diamond the more refraction takes place. So spiritual refraction has to do with internalized LIGHT that has transformed one of God’s diamonds (you!), and thus shining the brilliance of God’s love, mercy, grace and forgiveness in, through and out of you. You then, by the grace of God, as his transformed and loved child, shine as a light in our world.

To shine, we must keep in his light [my comment, “remaining” as Jesus said in John 15:4-5], sunning our souls in it… so shall we drink the light like some diamonds, keep it, and shine in the dark. – George MacDonald (1824-1905) “The Hope of the Gospel”

As we approach the annual memorial of the Cross and the Resurrection, may we be reminded that Jesus defeated death on his Cross and then he, THE LIGHT of eternal life, burst out of the decay and stench of the tomb of death in an eternal blaze of glory. Thanks be to God …

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen – Romans 11:36

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