Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: John 11 and Psalm 46

In John 11 we witness Jesus’ greatest miracle – the raising of Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb – as well as Jesus’ own profound statement, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.’ (v.25-26). And yet, the part I find myself most strongly drawn towards today is v.8-10.

Jesus’ disciples expressed their reservations about Jesus returning to Judea in response to Mary and Martha’s cry for help. ‘But Rabbi,’ they said, ‘a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?’ (v.8) And to this Jesus replied: ‘Anyone who walks in the day-time will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.’ (v.9-10) And then He went to Bethany in Judea … in line with the Father’s will.

I believe that to “walk in the light,” in Jesus’ metaphor, is to stay in step with the Father’s will. This is never the easiest way to live, but it is spiritually always the best way to live. To go slinking around in the shadows is to live in the grey area of compromise. It is to adapt our behaviour to the expectations or pressures placed on us by others. And while that may seem safer initially, it is ultimately disastrous because it will lead to us “stumbling” around and eventually falling out of the Father’s will and into sin. Jesus refused to slink around in the shadows, and we should, too.

The Expositor’s Greek Commentary says: “As the sun makes all causes of stumbling manifest and saves the walker from them, so the knowledge of God’s will, which is man’s moral light, guides him; and to follow it is his only safety.”

Life application: Be deliberate today about choosing the way of the Lord in every situation, boldly and publicly!