By Rev. Dr Je Cheol Cook, Parish Minister of Scenic Rim Uniting Church.
Our Lord Jesus says in Matthew 5:14, “You are like light for the whole world.”
Light has several meanings. It shines in our world brightly. And it gives us heat and warmth.
I like the sun in winter because it gives light and makes us warm.
Have you ever seen the sun rising? I remember travelling to the Southeastern part of Korea. My wife and I were climbing a mountain. There, we saw the sun rising on the East coast. It was magnificent. It was early morning at the end of November. It was still dark and cold.
After the sun was rising, it enlightened the world. It also made us warm. All of a sudden, the darkness and coldness were gone.
We are like light. As the light shines brightly in our world, so it gives us hope and happiness.
Light comes from the Greek word, φῶς(phōs ). It has the literal meaning, “shines in the darkness and gives us heat and warmth.” But it originally contains the divine meaning. Look at our Lord Jesus. Jesus says, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12, 9:5).
He has come into the world, which was filled with evil, darkness, anger, sadness, stress, and death. But he gave us light. He has changed and has lighted the world (1:4-14).
Before Jesus came into the world, the world was filled with sin, worries, sadness, unhappiness, death, and so on. The world was frozen. It was like winter.
In the book ‘The Chronicles of Narnia,’ we see that children were playing hide and seek. They hid in the wardrobe, which was connected with a strange world. The world was frozen. It was like winter. There was no light. People had no hope and future. Because it was controlled by the white witch.
However, they heard that they could have hope if Aslan had power. They believed he could save them and give them a new life.
Finally, Aslan got the power and many who followed Aslan were given a new life and freedom.
Our world is like the story of Narnia. It was frozen. It was like winter. There was no hope and future. But our Lord decided to save his people from their sins.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world and he gave his one and only Son, whoever believes in him shall not die, but have eternal life.”
That is why our Lord Jesus was sent to this world to save his people and give them a new life. Through Christ, we will not die, but will be given eternal life.
That is why we need Jesus Christ. That is why we must still preach the message of God, so that more people come back to God.
