Behold! I Stand at the Door and Knock
by Stuart Malkin 28 June 2021
John 8:12-16 - Jesus the Light of the World.
Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. “I am the Light of the world,” he said. .”Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.” The Pharisees said to him. “Now you are testifying on your own behalf, what you say proves nothing.” “No,” Jesus answered,”even though I do testify on my behalf, what I say is true, because I know I know where I came from and where I am going. You do not know where I came from or where I am going. You make judgements in a purely human way; I pass judgement on know one. But if I were to do so my judgement would be true, because I am not alone in this, the Father who sent me is with me.
Light of the World by Holman Hunt
From the age of eight until I met Ann and left to come to Newmount (some 39 years now) my spiritual home was Hill St Baptist Church in Swadlincote, South Derbyshire. I tell you this because every time one entered it there was this magnificent stained glass window depicting the Light of the World.
What a challenge!
Revelation 3:19-22 - Message to Laodicea
Be earnest then, and turn from your sins. Listen! I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come I and eat with them, and they will eat with me. To those who win the victory I will give the right to sit beside me on my throne, just as I have been victorious and now sit by my Father on His throne. If you have ears, then, listen to what the spirit says to the churches!
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“Who follows me” said Jesus. He made it clear that He was the Light of the world and in doing so highlighted how dark the world was but his Father God hadn’t given up on his creation. For many this is a difficult concept to accept. Jesus is a man of the past and also a man of the future. Jesus says I know where I have come from and also where I am going. Which of his listeners could say that, none, that is were there was a battle ground.
If we look at Holman Hunt’s picture there is a symbol of light that takes up not just a part of the picture but the whole. We read in Revelation right from the beginning “Turn from your sins” and it is this we need the Light to help us with.
We saw for a while something of a change in man’s focus as the pandemic progressed, a caring, loving society emerging like a butterfly out of cocoon, Was this Light?
However, it didn’t last long as we have been horrified by what happened when a man died at the knee of a policeman. People protested around the world that “Black lives matter” but in some cases have been suppressed in their protestation. Certain heads of governments question the existence of virus and as a consequence more people than necessary die. The list of darkness goes on. It was once said,
“Light can devour the darkness but darkness cannot consume the light”
We may be confused by what is happening at the moment however if we remember what is said at the beginning of the Revelation reading and “Turn from our sins” there is a hope for love and truth to be stronger than evil in this world.
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Prayer
The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all now and for ever more.
Amen