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Luke 11:29-36

‘Light’ Glasses

For the first time in my life I’ve bought transitional lenses. When I’m outside in the sunlight they get darker and when I come inside they get lighter. Sunlight as you know can be harmful to our skin and to our eyes. I love the way my glasses work this out for me automatically. I don’t even notice them changing anymore. It’s like wearing normal glasses and sunglasses as the same time.

Australian culture has loved our sunshine and it has taken hard work and persistence to change our culture to one which is sun smart, to cover up and use sunscreen. We even encourage children to wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from long term damage from sunlight.

Jesus said “take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.” Luke 11:35. Unless someone told me that sunlight is harmful to my eyes and skin I wouldn’t take the necessary precautions. There are a lot of values, traditions, philosophies which I take for granted, like sunlight. Jesus came to warn me that some light is in reality darkness. This means I can be trusting and thinking that something is good or normal when in reality it is bad and harmful.

Christ came to expose the light by which I live as sometimes being darkness. He is the one who can screen my values, beliefs, traditions by which I live and take out what is harmful to me and to others around me. For example we are created to work. But if I work so that I can exchange God for a feeling of success then I need Christ to expose this darkness. I need Christ to help me understand the purpose of work as being an opportunity to glorify God, enjoy God and be a servant to others. I need Christ to be my ‘light’ glasses.  the Rev

Luke 11:29-36 Look into Christ - Christ is the Light

Exercises

• Discuss the dynamics of hiding Christ’s light and the consequence of doing so v33. Discuss in what way you have hidden Christ’s light in your life.

• Explore the influence of culture by looking at examples of culture in history or cultures of different places in the light of v34 and Colossians 2:8-10. Share in what functional way you have been influenced by culture.

• Discuss the significance of Christ’s warning in v35 and how he can help us examine out ‘eye’ whether it is letting in good or bad light. Share in what way you would like Christ to redeem an aspect of your culture (life).