The following homily was shared at our Sunday Evening Eucharist Service March 10, 2024.

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. (John 3:14-21)

The last verse of last week’s Gospel reading, John 2:25, says, “He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” I read that portion of scripture every day, and when I began to meditate on this week’s verse I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Jesus knows all about mankind, and yet he was still sent to save us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” There must be a balance in our disposition toward the human condition. We must come to know the wickedness we’re capable of and still believe that Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to be the way to everlasting life for everyone who believes in him. This is no small thing- to grieve the havoc we wreak on the world, and other people, and even ourselves, and still hope that not only will we come to know Jesus, but that he will also bring us from this place of desolation to a place of abundance and contentment. This hope we must maintain is an important aspect of our faith. It is important to understand this radical grace that has been extended to us by way of belief.

One way we can respond to this grace is by stepping into the light. There is a path that has been illuminated for us. Akin spoke about this in his homily “On Being Called by God", saying that frequently all we have is the next important step. And that’s all God’s calling us to do- to take the very next step. If we keep doing that, inevitably, we will be led to the truth. And inevitably, our nature and the nature of our deeds will be revealed.

God honors creation by giving us a way to him. We honor him by choosing to live in his Light- by choosing the Truth of his life, his death, and his resurrection. Do not fear the exposure of your deeds, for he already knows what is in each person.

So may all our works be exposed. May our faith keep us in the light even when we are under scrutiny. We will not perish. Remember your baptism. He was present with us in our death, and we were raised to life in Him and with Him. Brothers and sisters, we will not perish, and he will come to us again.

Amen.

To Live in His Light: Khalilah Kersey

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