In his light, we see light. We’ve been hearing that in church of late. And in our Gospel reading, Jesus asks the rhetorical question: Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed? The obvious answer is No. But on closer reflection, is that not what we tend to do oftentimes? We the baptized need to let our little lights shine. But we don’t, am I right? So, how can we step up to the plate and do His bidding?
A Lamp to My Feet is Your Word
The answer is provided by the questioner. Jesus is the substantial Word of the Father. He is the Teacher par excellence. But unlike regular teachers, Jesus can operate on our minds, souls, and wills. Since Jesus teaches us divine truths, we need our faculties to be enlightened by the light of faith. But we need to allow these truths to percolate deep into our fabric, we need to plumb its depths and allow them to work their magic from the inside out. To the extent that we permit this, we will be well on our way. We have it so easy, the word of God is within easy reach. Our ancestors didn’t have it this easy. We have no excuses.
The Promise
The incredible fact is that God actually chooses us as His own. Israel is His chosen people; Zion is His desired resting place. We are the tabernacles of God; we are His chosen resting place. Pause to let this sink in. Isn’t this too incredible a nugget to wrap our brains around? But note the caveat. God said to King David, “if your sons keep my covenants and the decrees which I shall teach them,” etc. And the great king Solomon was the first to fall. And for us too, fragile creatures that we are, it can be a bridge too far. For, both holiness and evil are there for the taking in equal measure. And if we maliciously choose to give in to our evil inclinations, then essentially, we’re crowding out the great God Almighty from our hearts. So, we need to be constantly searching our hearts, purging them of every taint and striving to make them worthy tabernacles for God.
Measure for Measure
Jesus warns us that the measure with which we measure will be meted out to us. This sounds a lot like forgiving others or being unforgiven ourselves. With original sin crouching at our door, we need to constantly try to overcome our evil tendencies, inclinations, and habits. We must strive mightily for constant self-denial and live according to Our Father’s hopes and dreams for our lives. For this, we need to constantly re-light our lamps from the Light of the World who waits patiently and longingly for us to draw near so that in turn, we can enlighten the hearts and minds of a world desperately in need of His Light.
In his address at the World Youth Day at Toronto, the great Pope John Paul II said:
Dear young people, let yourselves be taken over by the light of Christ, and spread that light wherever you are.
May this be our urgent mission.
