【双语灵修】世界之光LIGHT OF THE WORLD
约翰福音 1:1-9
太初有道，道与神同在，道就是神。 这道太初与神同在。 万物是藉着他造的；凡被造的，没有一样不是藉着他造的。 生命在他里头，这生命就是人的光。 光照在黑暗里，黑暗却不接受光。 有一个人，是从神那里差来的，名叫约翰。 这人来，为要作见证，就是为光作见证，叫众人因他可以信。 他不是那光，乃是要为光作见证。 那光是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人。
10月2日
世界之光
“耶稣又对众人说：‘我是世界的光。跟从我的，就不在黑暗里走，必要得着生命的光。’” - 约翰福音 8:12
我曾经随旅行团进入新墨西哥州的一个深邃洞穴，导游把所有的灯都关了。那种黑暗让人动弹不得，我立刻感到脆弱无助。
洞穴里的黑暗是一回事，生活中的黑暗则更可怕。我们可能被往昔的阴影笼罩：虐待、恶毒的话、被抛弃。因罪和过犯而产生的深重愧疚，可能会让我们陷入怀疑、失望和漫长的焦虑之夜。
黑暗是真实的—而且令人恐惧。但黑暗至少有一点：它赢不了。如果我们走进一个深洞，关掉灯，那里会漆黑到伸手不见五指。但如果我们划一根火柴或打开一盏灯，所有的黑暗—哪怕有足球场那么大—也无法胜过那一点光。“光照在黑暗里，黑暗却不接受光”（《约翰福音》1:5）。
耶稣称自己是“世界的光”。在十字架的死中，祂为我们担当了黑暗，坠入了罪疚、被弃、虐待以及罪恶所能带来的最深的深渊。祂为我们承担了罪的痛苦和代价，使我们不必再承受这些。而藉着祂的复活，我们领受了以赛亚所预言的：“在黑暗中行走的百姓看见了大光；住在死荫之地的人有光照耀他们”（《以赛亚书》9:2）。
为何还要留在黑暗中？光就在这里。让我们今天就行在耶稣的光中！
祷告
主啊，感谢你作我们的光。唯有你能胜过这世界和我们生命中的黑暗。耶稣，求你发光照耀！阿们。
John 1:1-9
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” —John 8:12
With a tour group I went into a deep cave in New Mexico, and our guide turned off all the lights. The darkness was paralyzing; I immediately felt vulnerable.
Darkness in a cave is one thing. Darkness in life is worse. We may face shadows of a dark past: abuse, ugly words, abandonment. A deep cavern of guilt from our sins and mistakes may fill us with doubt, disappointment, and long nights of anxiety.
Darkness is real—and scary. But there’s at least one thing darkness is not. It is not a winner. If we go into a deep cave and turn off the lights, it will be so dark that you can’t see your hand in front of your face. But if we strike a match or switch on a light, all that darkness— football fields of it!—cannot overpower that one light. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Jesus calls himself “the light of the world.” In his death on the cross, he took on darkness and descended into caverns of guilt, forsakenness, abuse, and the worst that sin could offer— for us. He took on sin’s pain and its cost for us so that we won’t have to. And with his rising, we receive what Isaiah foretold: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).
Why stay in the dark? The light is here. Let’s walk in him today!
Lord, thank you for being our light. Only you can overpower the darkness in this world and in our lives. Shine, Jesus, shine! Amen.
Isaiah 9:2-7; John 16:33