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I Am the Light of the World
1 Samuel 16:1-13; Eph 5:8-14; John 9: 1-12, 35-41
March 6, 2005 (Fourth Sunday of Lent)
The Rev. Kong Namkung

Mrs. X was stark-naked and just about to step into the shower when the doorbell rang.  She hollered, “Who is it?”   He shouted back, “It’s the blind man.”   She figured it was safe, so opened the door.  He looked at her in shock and asked, “Where do you want me to hang these blinds, lady?” 

There are two kinds of blind men.  One is physical blind and the other is the one, who hangs blinds on windows.

In today’s gospel lesson Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”  I think there are two lights in our lives.  One is physical and spiritual light. Physical light comes from nature such as the Sun, the moon, and the stars.   In Genesis 1:3 God created light.  God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.   Another form of physical light is artificial light from past times to today such as the lamps, candles, electricity, X-rays, and lazars.  This artificial light is mentioned in the Bible. Jeremiah 25:10, “I will take away your joy, your gladness, and your wedding feasts; your businesses shall fail, and all your homes shall lie in silent darkness.”   In order to see one object there should be two elements- one is eyes to see and the other is light.  Without light there is no way one can see any objects. 

The man, who was born in blindness, could not see any thing.  He never saw the beauty of nature, the sun rising and the sun- set.  The colors of a butterfly, the big smile on a new -born baby, and pastor Kong’s Chinese eyes.  There was no light in his eyes and in his light.  He was in darkness physically.  Light could not penetrate into his eyes.

Light is uncontainable and uncontrollable, but it is useful and precious.  Eccles. 2:13, “ I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.”  Light is very powerful.  You cannot see taste, or smell, or hold light.  But you know it is here and it is very powerful.  It travels 7and one half of the earth for a second.  

There was a blind dedicated Christian couple, who was married for a long period of time.  They had a request before God to open their eyes.  One day God decided to open their eyes while they were talking to each other.  Guess what their first words were.  The wife said to her husband, “Long time no see.”  And the husband said, “I have heard about you many times.”   

In the Bible, light represents what is good, pure, true, holy, and reliable. Darkness represents what is sinful and evil. The statement “God is light” means that God is perfectly holy and true and that God alone can guide us out of the darkness of sin. Light is also related to truth in that light exposes whatever exists, whether it is good or bad.

In the dark, good and evil look alike.  I want to ask all men, have you noticed that your wife or girlfriend looks prettier in the darkness than in the light?  When you are dating and you want to have a romantic moment, my beloved, sisters, ask the other party to dim the light or go to a little dark place.  Do not take him to a bright place, he will see all your dots, wrinkles,  and spots in your face.  In little dark place, man cannot see you clearly. 

In the light, they can be clearly distinguished. Just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of light, sin cannot exist in the presence of a holy God. If we want to have a relationship with God, we must put aside our sinful ways of living. To claim that we belong to God, but then to go out and live for ourselves is hypocrisy. Christ will expose and judge such deceit.

Light, on the other hand, cuts through this darkness to unveil the right and the true. And Jesus is the Cornerstone of the kingdom of light; we begin to “see” when we acknowledge Him as the eternal Son of God. But “light” also has a moral dimension. And it is this moral dimension that Jesus affirmed as He not only presented Himself to Israel as God, but also claimed the right to establish a grace morality which is far higher than the legalistic morality of the Jews, for it alone truly reflects the morality of God.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”  The gospel of John contrasts between light and darkness throughout the gospel.   John 1:4-5, “I am the light of the world.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”  The darkness has not understood it” means the darkness of evil never has and never will overcome or extinguish God’s light. Jesus Christ is the Creator of life, and his life brings light to mankind.

The blind man was blind physically and spiritually before he met Jesus Christ.  As Jesus opened his eyes, the blind man began to see the beauty of the world and his Savior.  Jesus was unlicensed, un-credential, and uncertified for Pharisees and scribes.  But Jesus himself is the light that opened his eyes to see the light of the world. 

Matthew 17:2, “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”  In his light, we see ourselves as we really are (sinners in need of a Savior). When we follow Jesus, the true Light, we can avoid walking blindly and falling into sin. He lights the path ahead of us so we can see how to live. He removes the darkness of sin from our lives. Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light.”

A magnifying glass focuses on light and burns paper.  Lazar can cut a piece of metal into two pieces.  What if we accept the light of the world, Jesus into our life?  When his light comes into our heart, the way that we think is changed, the way we speak is changed, and the way that we act is changed.  When we are touched by his light, every good and perfect gift is shown in our lives.  James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

His light lights our heart and all of our body dwell in the light. The old testament lesson 1 Samuel 16:1- 13, talk about Samuel, who was the prophet, and who was in grief over King Saul.  Saul did not follow the will of God that caused Samuel to be in grief.  His soul was in darkness.  When he was in darkness, God came to him to anoint David as the king of Israel.   By listening to the voice of God, anointing David,  Samuel was not in grief any longer.  He was in the light of God. 

With his light, we see the purpose of our life, we understand the true meaning of discipleship, we desire to live in his eternity.  Have you allowed the light of Christ to shine into your life? If not, today is the day of salvation.  I want to invite you to come into the light.  You might be in darkness, or you may have some dark part in your life.  I want to come you to front right now and I will pray for you. Then, let Christ guide your life, and you’ll never need to stumble in darkness. 

After we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we hear what Jesus said to us in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”  Can you hide a city that is sitting on top of a hill? Its light at night can be seen for miles.

When I was in the high school, I was given a key for the school library and was responsible for the library, but I could not stay in the library after 9:00 PM.  After two of my friends and I talked to each other, we decided to study in the library after 9:00 pm.  We blocked all doors and windows so that there was no light inside of the library.  We lit a candlelight so that we might stay in the library.   About 10:00- 10:30 PM we heard someone knocking on the door of the library.  A teacher saw the little light that came out of the little gap of the door and he knew someone was inside of the library.  We could not open the door. The next day I was in a big trouble because of the little light.   

If we live for Christ, we will glow like lights, showing others what Christ is like. Then, we hide our light by (1) being quiet when we should speak (2) going along with the crowd, (3) denying the light, (4) letting sin dim our light, (5) not explaining our light to others, or (6) ignoring the needs of others. Be a beacon of truth—don’t shut your light off from the rest of the world.

The moon provides light for the earth just as the sun does. Yet, the actual source of light for both the sun and the moon is the sun. The moon only reflects the light of the sun. By the same token, Jesus, the God-man, is the source of all light. His disciples become reflectors in a darkened world, transmitting through their lives the true light of the eternal Son of God.

The story of the blind man in our gospel lesson is not only his own, but also ours.  Because Jesus touched our heart with His light, then he opened our eyes to see the works of God in our lives. 

Our epistle’s lesson, Ephesians 5:8-14, talks about the life style of God’s people, “live as children of light- for the fruit of the light is found in all that is god and right and true.  Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.”  As we live day by day as the children of light, we live in the kingdom of God on earth, Rev. 21:23-25, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. [24] The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. [25] On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.”  One of my favorite song is “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.  Don’t let satan blow it out I’m gonna let it shine, don’t let satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine. Don’t let satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!  Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer: God, who brought light from darkness, help us to see and have your light so well that it not only illuminates our path, but reflects off us to illuminates others.  We pray this prayer in the name of the One who was called the Light of the world. Amen.

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1 Samuel 16:1-13

16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."
2 But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me."
The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate."
4 Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?"
5 Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD."
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." 11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?"
"There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep."
Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."
12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one."
13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.
NIV

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Ephesians 5:8-14

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
NIV

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John 9:1-12

9:1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7 "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, "No, he only looks like him."

But he himself insisted, "I am the man."

10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.

11 He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."

12 "Where is this man?" they asked him.

"I don't know," he said.
NIV

John 9:35-41

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

36 "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."

37 Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."

38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"

41 Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
NIV

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