Written by Lily Shadle
If you look to the gospel of John you will see that “light” and “walking in the light” is a common theme, which is rooted in the Old Testament, “Oh house of Jacob let us walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5). Later in Isaiah 9, there is a promise of light in the form of a savior who would be born to Earth “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (v2). That promise is fulfilled in John 8:12 when Jesus declares “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Leading up to Thursday Jesus tells his disciples “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light…While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light” (John 12:35-36). Here Jesus is reminding us of another promise (spoiler alert), that He/the light will not always physically be there, but in leaving we are invited to be a part of his light, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Now that the stage is set, it is Thursday evening and Jesus shows us how we can be like Him and shine His light, by serving those around Him, even when He knows what is about to happen to Him. Sometimes we are tempted to not let the light shine, because it is uncomfortable, or it gets in the way of our plans. Even Jesus on this late Thursday night went to the garden in Gethsemane and pleaded with the Father to not be the light, to do anything else. He did this not once but three times. However, each time His prayer always ended with “not my will but yours” reflecting the light of the Father despite His imminent suffering, which He will do completely alone.
At some point in your life you will face your Gethsemane. It may seem like you are completely alone. The people you trusted have failed you. It may seem like God is telling you “No” or like He is not answering at all. You may think that your suffering is so horrid that no one could possibly know what it is like… but Jesus knows and He took that suffering upon Himself so that we would never be alone. In trusting in Him he does not promise to necessarily take that suffering away but to walk with us through it. He gives us the knowledge and the comfort that His light is brighter than any darkness.
So whether you are running on the mountain top or crawling through valleys choose to keep moving, keep seeking the light. Remember Sunday is coming.
