Walk In Light

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night to adjust the temperature, use the bathroom, or get a drink of water? Without even turning on the lights, you made your way to your destination in the dark thanks to your familiarity with your home. However, more than once while navigating through the darkness, you’ve tripped and fallen over something left in your path. Whether it was a pair of sneakers or a moved box, you ended up stumbling over an obstacle you couldn't see.

This situation resembles how we handle challenges in our surroundings. Many hazards can easily trip us up if we're not careful, especially when we live in the darkness of this world. After declaring Himself as the Light of the world, Jesus emphasized this perilous reality while speaking to the religious leaders and those uncertain about their commitment to following Him.

John 8:13-18 says, “So the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.’ 14 ‘Even if I testify about myself,’ Jesus replied, ‘my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. 15 You judge by human standards. I judge no one. 16 And if I do judge, my judgment is true, because it is not I alone who judges, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 Even in your law, it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am the one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.’ ”

In essence, Jesus is saying, you don't know I am the light because you're not walking in the light. John also gave the contrast between walking in the light or darkness in these verses:

First John 1:5-10, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. 6 If we say, we have fellowship with him, and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. 7 If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say, we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

Learning from the poor example of the Pharisees, let us strive to walk in the light so that we can understand the Father'swill. When we walk in the light, truth is revealed, falsehoods are exposed, and fellowship with God is made possible.