Prepare to Listen. Those who do what is true come to the light.
Prayerfully Read John 3:16-21 16‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’ Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect Read these familiar words again as if for the first time and be surprised. Sometimes we’re so sure we know a passage that we no longer see what’s there. For many of us, this is the case with John 3, especially v. 16. We memorized and personalized it—God loves me. So now we skim these verses, or read them only for comfort. But there is a warning we might miss: “this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light.” The judgment isn’t God pouring out all sorts of bad stuff on the world, like a global pandemic, a natural disaster, a serious illness. Judgment is this: Christ came to draw all into the light, a healing relationship with God, but people preferred darkness not light, lies not truth. We see this today, even among church people who prefer the lies and conspiracy theories that abound, who call news they don’t like, “fake news!” They prefer darkness to light. Hiding in darkness is popular because it means we can’t see what is real and what needs to change. We’d rather believe the lies and distortions than admit our sin and repent. But that choice keeps us in darkness, keeps us away from the clarifying light of Jesus. That’s God’s good judgement. Only when we “do what is true” will we come into the light where our deeds will be clearly seen as deeds done in God. Our world today needs people who live this way, choosing truth and walking in the light, standing against the darkness of lies and deceit. In Jesus the light has come. Choose the light. What will it mean for you to choose the light? Prayerfully Respond Lord, keep drawing me to your light and to what is true that my deeds may be clearly seen as deeds done in you, the Truth and Light. Amen. Live obediently. Choose the light of Jesus.
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