THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS VI

LESSON: JOHN 12:35,36

The life was the light of men. John 1:4

The thinking of human philosophy draws us away from Christ into ourselves. The evangelist wants to draw us away from ourselves to Christ. He refuses to deal with the divine, almighty, eternal Word of God and to speak about Him, except in the flesh and blood in which He walked here on earth.

He does not want to disperse us among the creatures created by Him, so that we should follow after Him, search for Him, and speculate about Him, as the Platonist do; he wants to gather us from the same wide-ranging and fleeting thoughts to Christ.

It is as though he said: Why do you step forth and search so widely? In Christ, the man, there is everything. He has accomplished all. In Him is life. He is the Word through which all things were made. Remain in Him and you will find everything. He is life and the light of all men. Anyone who tells you to look elsewhere for Him is misleading you. For He has given Himself to us in this flesh and blood, and He wants us to search for Him and find Him in this flesh and blood. Follow the witness of John the Baptist who points you to no other life or light than this man who is God Himself.

This light must, therefore, be understood as being the true light of grace – Christ – and not the natural light which sinners, Jews, heathen, and the worst enemies of light, also have.

SL.XI.171,44
AE 75,290

PRAYER: Thou only art true life;
To know Thee is to live
The more abundant life
That earth can never give.
O risen Lord, we live in Thee
And Thou in us eternally. Amen.