Light of Christ.

        In this week’s gospel John 3:14 -21 Jesus  gives us another example of what Christianity is about.  While having a talk with a Pharisee.  He references the past and says “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,”    Jesus used this past reference to  explain what was to come in the future.  When Christ is lifted up on to the cross so much happens.  He gives his life and  makes a place for us in heaven. He makes the ultimate sacrifice. All he asks from us is to believe.  We are called to believe that he has taken all of our sinful behavior and washed it away.  We are called to live a new life. A life with the lord at the center.  Through  his sacrifice we are protected from the evils of the world.  Not that different than what  Moses did for the Israelites.  

     While speaking to this  Pharisee Jesus also made it clear that he did not come here to judge us.  He came to set us free.  I will admit that I have struggled with the idea that Jesus doesn’t condemn  and judge us.  I question how Jesus doesn’t judge us.  Look at the world. Look at how we interact with each other. Look at how we treat each other.  We as people judge each other all day. We pass judgement as if we are in position to do so.  Yet, there is  only one who can judge  and  still, he does not.  Jesus was sent here to free us. He was sent to free us from the “world”. The world I speak of  really is a prison.    A  world that is filled with lies, violence, hatred and negativity is a prison because it stops you from being  free.   You aren’t free if you have hatred in your heart.   You are miserable.   You aren’t free if you pass judgement of your fellow man.  You are  simply trapped in wrong thinking.  If you want true freedom, that can only come from Jesus.   You can’t be given freedom from another man.  They are just as trapped by sin as you are.  Only someone who is free can give us freedom.  The freedom that Jesus gives is true freedom. The freedom to love one another. The freedom that comes when you see the good in others.  The freedom to live a life with faith.  Faith that no matter what is  going on in your life… God is with you. That is freedom.  That’s salvation.  All you need to is to believe. 

      Jesus also spoke and compared the light of  belief and the darkness of unbelief. The light of Christ is a concept that I  toy with from time to time. What does it mean to be in the light versus darkness?  What is the light of Christ?  I think that  your life  feels very different when you have the light of Christ  in you. Not on you but in your heart and soul.  The light of Christ affects who you are.  It changes what you see.  It changes how the world sees you. That is the light of Christ that a  real believer experiences.  When I was growing up my friends  and I called it the “glow”.   When  you and Christ are in sync… you glow.  You light up the world around you from the inside out.  That’s what believing in Christ does. It lights the world.  Everyday  as believers we all have a  choice to make.   Are we going to let the world  dim the light of Christ or are we going to light up  the world up?

    In the end Jesus is the savior the world needed (and still needs). His gift of salvation  cannot be earned through hard work.  We can’t pay for it. We don’t need to even ask for it.  We must simply accept. We are called to accept  eternal life through the belief. We are called to leave the darkness and  embrace the light of  Jesus Christ so that the world can see that he is who he says he is.