The Third Mystery of Light is the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
Scripture for meditation: Acts 8:27-31, 35
It happened that an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace (a name meaning queen) of the Ethiopians, had come on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning home. He was sitting in his carriage reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and catch up with that carriage.” Philip ran ahead and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He said to him, “Do you really grasp what you are reading?” “How can I,” the man replied, “unless someone explains it to me?” With that, he invited Philip to get in and sit down beside him. Philip launched out with this Scripture passage as his starting point, telling him the good news of Jesus.
John’s gospel tells us: John 1:35-37
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. As he watched Jesus walk by he said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard what he said, and followed Jesus.
The Summons, by John Bell and Graham Maule:
Will you come and follow me, if I but call your name? Will you go where you don’t know, and never be the same? Will you let my love be shown; will you let my name be known; will you let my life be grown in you, and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind, if I but call your name? Will you care for cruel and kind, and never be the same? Will you risk the hostile stare, should your life attract or scare? Will you let me answer prayer in you, and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see, if I but call your name? Will you set the prisoners free, and never be the same? Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen, and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
Will you love the ‘you’ you hide, if I but call your name? Will you quell the fear inside, and never be the same? Will you use the faith you’ve found, to reshape the world around, through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
Prayer: Lord, your summons echoes true, when you but call my name. Let me turn and follow you, and never be the same. In your company I’ll go, where your love and footsteps show. Thus, I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me. (Copyright 1987, Wild Goose Resource)
My thoughts: The Third Mystery of Light centers on Christ’s proclamation of the Kingdom of God. He didn’t stay on earth, however, to do this forever. He left the job to you and me. Just as Philip responded when the Holy Spirit led him to the eunuch, we must follow the promptings of that same Spirit when given an opportunity to share our faith. We don’t have to preach. We can lend a willing hand, a comforting word, a sweet smile, a listening ear. If called to do so, then we should be willing to speak about the faith that makes our lives so meaningful and blessed. John the Baptist pointed the disciples to Christ. So must we. The Summons asks us if we will let God work in our lives. We should say yes. I marvel that so many people have Tim Tebow (quarterback for the Denver Broncos) so wrong. He doesn’t pray to win football games; he prays to use his God-given talents to the best of his ability to bring people to Christ. Does he meet with hostile stares? Yes. Does his life scare some people? You bet. Does he care? I don’t know. I do know he is an example for all of us to put our fear of mockery and snickering aside and stand up for what we believe to be true: Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). You know this, and I know this. Let us begin today to let God answer other people’s prayers by using us, by quelling the fear inside, and by moving and living in God, and God in us.
Our Prayer to God: Let us pray the Third Mystery of Light today, asking God to use us in any way He sees fit. Spend time rereading The Summons, picturing yourself face-to-face with Christ, as one of His disciples would do, because, you see, you really are one. (To hear the song, “The Summons” go to You Tube and search The Summons by December Snow 1231.)
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