Read:
John 11:1-16
When Jesus told
His disciples that they were going back to Judea to check on Lazarus, they
quickly reminded Him that people had tried to kill Him the last time they were
there. His response to their warning is
curious, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the
day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if
anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him,"
(John 11:9-10).
So what does
this recurring theme of light and darkness have to do with the disciples’ fear
of returning to Judea? Jesus is reminding them that His followers have nothing
to fear at night because He, the Light of the world, is with them. The people seeking to kill Jesus only had 12
hours in which they could walk by the light of “this world” and not stumble.
They might prevail for a time, but the night would soon overtake them. Jesus is
making an important distinction between “the light of this world,” and the “Light of
the World." At the end of every day, the sun will set, and darkness will
fall as the light of this world
fades. But the darkness cannot overtake the Light of the World. In Him, there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).
"Stick with me," Jesus says, "and you don't have to worry about
the darkness."
Of course, the
disciples would soon witness Jesus' arrest and trial. Both of which took place
at night under cover of darkness. Even His death by execution would be
accompanied by a total eclipse of the sun (Mark 15:33). In a matter of days, it
would appear to the disciples that the Light of the World could, in fact, be overcome by darkness. All of that
would change three days later when the Son rose from the grave, and the
darkness was finally defeated. But that was still in the future. For now, the
disciples faced the very real danger of walking into a hostile situation, and
while they may have sympathy for Lazarus's condition, they were justifiably
concerned about what may happen to them and their leader if they returned to
Judea.
I love Thomas’s
response to Jesus’ plan, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” That is a statement you might expect from a
man who would soon come to be known as “doubting Thomas.” While he had the
faith the follow Jesus into the danger, he lacked the faith the believe that
Jesus could deliver them safely through it. Thomas’s response sounds a lot like
me. I often have the faith to follow Jesus, but I sometimes lack the faith the
trust Him with the outcome. The secret is to stick with the Light of the World, even as He leads you into
the night.
It reminds me
of the child who was terrified of the darkness. Even when she walked with her
father, the fear was overwhelming to the little girl. One night, walking with his
daughter across a dark parking lot, the father realized that his daughter was
calmly walking along side of him, holding his hand, humming her favorite song.
After they were safely in their car driving away, the father said to his
daughter, “Honey, I’m proud of you for being so brave when we walked across
that dark parking lot.” The daughter smiled and said, “Daddy, I learned that as
long as I’m holding your hand, I can close my eyes and the darkness goes away.”
What darkness
is awaiting you, and whose hand are you holding?
Abba,
I am afraid of the darkness that awaits me.
While I may have the faith to follow You, I often lack the faith to believe
that You will see me safely through the trials to come. Please forgive my lack
of faith and give me the faith I lack. Thank You for walking beside me,
lighting my path and holding me close.
Amen
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