The Light Which Softens Us

بِاسْمِ الآبِ وَالاِبْنِ وَالرُّوحِ القُدُسِ، إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ، آمِين.

اليَوم بِالإِنجِيل، يَسُوع يِتعَرَّض لِاستِجوَاب شَدِيد. وَبِالرَّغِم مِن هَذَا الضَّغط، يِعلِن حَقِيقَة عَن نَفسُه صَعبَة عَلَى النَّاس يِتقَبَّلُونهَا. يِگُول: "أَنَا نُورُ العَالَم، مَن يِتبَعنِي لَا يِمشِي بِالظُّلمَة، بَل يِكُون لَه نُورُ الحَيَاة!"

مِن أَكثَر أَقوَال يَسُوع إِثَارَة لِلجَدَل هِيَّ لَمَّن يَاخُذ شِي اليَهُود يِؤمِنُون بِيه وِيگُول إِنَّه هُوَّ تَحقِيقُه. قَبل هَذَا القَول، گَال إِنَّه خُبزُ الحَيَاة — يَعنِي أَعظَم مِن المَنّ اللِّي أَكَلُوه بَنِي إِسرَائِيل بِالبَرِّيَّة. وِگَال إِنَّه أَعظَم مِن الهَيكَل، مَكَان حُضُورِ الله عَلَى الأَرض.

وَاليَوم بِالإِنجِيل يِگُول قَول ثَانِي مِن هَالنَّوع. اليَهُود چَانُوا يِحتِفلُون بِعِيد كَبِير يِشعِلُون بِيه شُمُوع تِنَوِّر كُل القُدس وَالمَنَاطِق اللِّي حَوَالِيهَا. فَتَصَوَّرُوا — بِهَذَا اليَوم بِالذَّات — يَسُوع يِگُول إِنَّه هُوَّ نُورُ العَالَم! هَذَا القَول يَا إِهَانَة، يَا حَقِيقَة خَلَاص.

بَس إِذَا يَسُوع گَال هَالشِي بِذَاكَ الوَقت، شلَون يِنطَبِق عَلَينَا اليَوم؟ يِگُولهَا لِأَنَّه يَعرِف إِنَّه كثِير مِنَّا عَايشِين بِالظُّلمَة.

أَوَّلاً: كثِير مِنَّا عَايشِين بِالظُّلمَة لِأَنَّنَا صِرنَا عَبِيد لِلخَطِيَّة. بِنَفس الإِصحَاح، يَسُوع يِگُول إِنَّ اللِّي يِمَارِس الخَطِيَّة هُوَّ عَبد إِلهَا. كَم مَرَّة عِدنَا تَصَرُّفَات مُتكَرِّرَة مَا نَعرِف شلَون نِتحَرَّر مِنهَا؟ نِفقِد السَّيطَرَة عَلَى غَضَبنَا وِنجرَح اللِّي حَوَالِينَا. أَو نِخَلِّي شَهَوَاتنَا تَاخُذنَا لِقرَارَات وِدرُوب بَعدِين نِحِس بِالخَجَل مِنهَا.

ثَانِيًا: كثِير مِنَّا عَايشِين بِالظُّلمَة لِأَنَّنَا مَاشِيِين وِيَّا الله بِدَرب مَا نَعرِف مُستَقبَلُه، وَهَذَا المَجهُول يِخَوِّفنَا. إِبرَاهِيم وَسَارَة اللِّي سمَعنَا عَنهُم اليَوم اِنطَلَقُوا بِدَرب ثِقَة بِالله إِنَّه يِبَارِكهُم بِوَلَد. هَذَا الإِيمَان خَلَّاهُم يِسأَلُون أَسئِلَة كثِيرَة: مَتَى يِصِير؟ هَل رَح يِوفِي بِوَعدُه؟ هَل فِعلاً كُلشِي رَح يِكُون بِخَير؟ المَسِيح اللِّي يِگُول إِنَّه النُّور، أَحيَانًا يِقُودنَا لِظُلمَة المَجهُول.

ثَالِثًا: كثِير مِنَّا عَايشِين بِالظُّلمَة بِسَبَب أَلَم المَاضِي. نِحِس مَا نِگدَر نِشُوف النُّور بِآخِر النَّفَق، أَو إِنَّ جِرَاح المَاضِي سَرَقَت مِنَّا النُّور اللِّي چَان عِدنَا. التَّفكِير المُستَمِر بِالمَاضِي وَبِاللِّي جَرَحنَا يِوَدِّينَا لِدَرب مُظلِم يِغَيِّر نَظرَتنَا لِلعَالَم. مَا نِعِيش الرَّجَاء. الفَرَح يِصِير بَعِيد وَقصِير. جِرَاح المَاضِي تِسرِق نُور حَاضِرنَا.

القِدِّيس بُولُس بِالرِّسَالَة اليَوم يِدعُونَا نِتغَلَّب عَلَى هَذَا الشَّر — مَا نِغَذِّيه، بَل نِخَلِّي المَسِيح يِكُون نُور حَيَاتنَا.

هُنَاك قَول جَمِيل: "كُن لَيِّن. لَا تِخَلِّي الدُّنيَا تِقَسِّيك. لَا تِخَلِّي الأَلَم يِخَلِّيك تِكرَه. لَا تِخَلِّي المَرَارَة تِسرِق حَلَاوتَك."

فَخَلُّونَا نِرفَع قلُوبنَا بِالتَّسبِيح لِلإِلَه اللِّي نُورُه أَسطَع مِن أَيّ نَار نِگدَر نِشعِلهَا بِإِيدِينَا — الإِلَه اللِّي نَطَق النُّور بِظُلمَتنَا وَمَا يِترُك أَبَدًا عَمَل إِيدَيه.

لِيَسكُن نُورُ المَسِيح فِينَا بِغِنَى، يِهدِي خُطُوَاتنَا هَذَا اليَوم وَكُل يَوم، وِنصِير نَحنَا حَامِلِين هَذَا النُّور لِعَالَم لَا يِزَال تَايِه بِالظُّلمَة. آمِين.

Jesus today in the Gospel is under serious interrogation. As if it wasn’t any worse, Jesus proclaims a truth about himself that is hard for the people in the time to accept. He says, “I am the light of the world, he who follows me, will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life!”

Some of the most controversial sayings of Jesus are where he takes something the Jews already believe and says he’s the fulfillment of them.

Before this statement, Jesus said he was the bread of life. Saying he was bigger and more important than the Manna the Israelites had in the wilderness.

Jesus said, yes I know the the Temple is the presence of God for you and one of the holiest places on earth. He then says, I’m greater than this temple.

Today, in the Gospel Jesus says another one of those statements. The Jews celebrated this big feast where they would light candles and lamps that would light up Jerusalem and all the surrounding neighborhoods. This was a big deal for them and for Jesus to say on this specific day, that is the light of the world? That’s either insulting or it’s the saving truth.he

If Jesus made that claim in that time, how does it apply to us today in our daily lives. Well, he says this because he knows many of us live in darkness.

Many of us live in darkness because we become slaves to sin.

In the same chapter Jesus says he’s the light, he says those who practice sin, are slaves to it.

So many times we have repetitive behaviors we don’t know how to break free from. We can lose control of our anger and rage and hurt those around us.

We can lose control and let our passions take us to decisions and paths we later feel ashamed of.

Many of us live in darkness because we are following God on a path we’re unsure of the future. That darkness to us is haunting.

Abraham and Sarai we heard today were called to a path of trust that God would bless them with a child. That faith in God led them with SO many questions. When will it happen? Is he gonna come through on his promise? Are things actually going to be okay?

Christ who says he’s the light sometimes leads us into the dark of the unknown.

Many of us live in darkness because of the pain of the past. We feel like we can’t see the light out of the tunnel. Or the past hurts have robbed us of the light we’ve once had.

Finally, ruminating on the past and how we’ve been hurt can lead us to a dark path. This path which changes the way we see the world.

We no longer experience hope. Joy seems distant and short lived.

Our past hurts lead us to a darkness that robs us of our present light.

Saint Paul in the Epistle reading today calls us to overcome this evil. To not feed the evil. But to let Christ be the light of our lives.

There’s a beautiful quote:

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let bitterness steal your sweetness. - Kurt Vonnegut

Let us lift our hearts in praise to the God who is far brighter than any fire we can kindle with our own hands, the God who spoke light into our darkness and never abandons the work of His hands.

May the light of Christ dwell in us richly, guiding our steps this day and always, and may we become bearers of that light to a world still wandering in darkness.