an excerpt by Donna Kampen Entz Originally published in Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology 18:2 (Fall 2017) by AMBS I am the light of the world
“I am the light of the world!” Jesus proclaimed (John 8: 12; 9:5).
Light? What did he mean? His hearers would have recognized the
reference to the Prophets’ writings found in their scriptures (our Old
Testament). In the Old Testament, salvation and light mean much the
same thing: the offer of complete well-being, as intended by the Creator.
Light is the antitheses of darkness, disorder, and chaos, and salvation is
the antithesis of oppression, exploitation, and despair.1
God says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my
servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel; I
will give you as a light of the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end
of the earth” (Isa. 49:6, NRSV).  In the New Testament, Simeon
blesses Jesus, the infant messiah, as he
is being presented in the temple. Simeon
prays, “My eyes have seen your
salvation, which you have prepared in
the presence of all peoples, a light for
revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke
2:30–32). This servant/messiah is for the Gentiles and for Israel—for
everybody, including our neighbours of various faiths. So how did Jesus go about being the light in the diverse world of
first-century Palestine? The Gospels tell us that he healed the sick,
whether their ailments were physical or spiritual. Jesus literally brought
people back to life; he raised the dead. He confronted corruption in the
politico-religious establishment and spoke out against religious fanaticism. He called people back to the spirit of their faith. He told parables
using images familiar to common folks, and the heroes of his stories
were often people at the margins. He taught his followers how to live
according to upside-down kingdom values that stretched them to think
and act outside the expectations of the status quo. He engaged seekers
and kept them scrambling to catch what he was saying. He even earned
a reputation as one who partied, who associated with tax collectors,
sinners, publicans, and prostitutes. What is the common thread in the various ways Jesus related to
people? Interestingly, he didn’t tell everyone about the kingdom of God.
Nor did he reveal his identity and purpose to most people. To me, it
seems that the constant in everything Jesus did was that what he offered
was life-giving in some way. As Jesus’s followers, everything we do
should share his life-giving light with others. For the complete article, please see attached file.
1 Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 40–66, Westminster Bible Companion (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 1998). |
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