The light in darkness
Day 393, Monday, Sept. 8
John Chapter 1
John makes it clear from the beginning of his gospel that the story of Jesus is not a change from the earlier parts of scripture, but a continuation of it, tying the coming of Jesus to the creation story where everything began.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
He also places Jesus in the historical line of the giving of the law: “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Later, “John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Make straight the way for the Lord.”’”
Jesus may have come to do something new, but even his newness is built on a very old foundation. His message is a continuation of the story of God we read about in the creation story, in the books of the law, and in the prophets.

-Rev. Mark Fleming

Monday meditation

Job 32:1-9
So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.
So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said: “I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know. I thought, ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.’ But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding. It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.

Prayer focus
In a dark world, God, let us see the light and let us be the light.