Welcome to In This Season! Our series of devotions appears Monday, Wednesday and Thursday of each week.
TODAY: FEBRUARY 8, 2023
Today’s Devotion was Written by Jill Cowan
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 13 Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid, for it is not I alone who judge but I and the Father who sent me. John 8:12-16 (NRSV)
This past week, I’ve been replaying a conversation and correspondence with a friend who comes from a fundamentalist faith tradition. Judgement has been central to the conversation. Who can judge? Who can be judged? What do we do with the separation and hurt that happens when we judge other people? Or when others judge us?
When I discovered that this reading from John was the lectionary Gospel reading for today, it felt like just what I needed to hear. It begins by reminding us once again that Jesus is the light of the world, and following Jesus helps us to realize God’s light and love that have always been there. But then we’re reminded that we’re human, and like the Pharisees so focused on the law, we want to decide what’s good or bad, who’s right or wrong, and worst of all, who’s in and who’s out. Although I try hard not to judge, I’m as guilty of doing it as anyone. And we often do it in the name of Christianity.
But then Jesus’ words in Matthew 22 refocus me –
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:34-40 (NRSV)
Thank God for the ability to confess — we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves — remembering once again that we are all beloved children of God. And although judgement often comes all too easily, we are called to be Christ’s light. Judgement is left to God, not us, not anyone.
Looking for Updates?
We can keep you connected whether it is worship, digital, Mount Calvary news, or really entertaining videos.