Seeing Isn't Believing

Have you ever wondered why Christians say that they believe in things that they cannot see? We have just finished Christmas and heard much about the Christmas Spirit, whatever that is, and about the birth of the Messiah, the Savior of the World. And yet, no one has ever seen the Christmas Spirit, nor, for that matter, have we seen this Jesus that we are so committed to. We say that Jesus is the Light of the world and he, himself, says that he is the light of the world; but if Jesus is the Light of the world, why is there so much darkness still here?

I suppose anyone can claim to be the light of the world. Anyone can claim to be the Messiah or for that matter, anyone can claim to be God. Hey, there are institutions all over the world full of people who think they are Jesus or Napoleon Bonaparte or somebody they aren't. So why should we believe the words of this teacher from Galilee?

The reason we believe in Jesus is that there were and are proofs to substantiate his claims. In John 9 there is a story of a man born blind.

Why was he born blind? Did he sin? Well, the obvious answer to that is no because he was born that way and had no chance to sin. Well, then, it must have been his parents who sinned – right? But Jesus doesn’t tell us there was any sin involved at all – just a blind man who needed some help. And so he healed him. He brought light into his darkness and then repeats those words, “I am the light of the world.”

Okay, then what the passage means is that Jesus brings sight to the blind. If that is the case, then why are there so many blind people? Why are there so many sick people? If Jesus is the light of the world, then we want to see some results – right? It seems to me that what many people want is to find a formula, not even an easy one, but a formula for making our way through the darkness. The easy answer is to say that Jesus is the light of the world.

I like what Donald Miller says in one of his books, Searching For God knows What: "The Christian faith is not about finding a formula for life. Christianity offers a relational dynamic with God. The essence of Jesus message isn't about a bunch of hoops we must jump through to get saved nor was it a series of ideas we had to agree with. Rather, it is an invitation to know God."

When we say we believe in something we cannot see, it is because we believe in a person whose life has changed our lives. We believe in Jesus because those who follow him are people who have also been helped to find their way out of darkness.

As Phyllis Wolk said, "The outer darkness of our world can be so heavy, so oppressive. But sometimes all it takes to lift that darkness is an invitation.

In the 1994 movie, The Santa Claus, Scott Calvin finds himself suddenly at the North Pole. His comment to Judy the Elf, is "I see it but I don't believe it." To which Judy replies, "Santa, seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing."

I know you can't see Jesus, but you can see those who know him and perhaps through believing, you can come to see also. Are you in darkness? The light is here, waiting for you.

If you would like to talk about your relationship or lack thereof, with God, then come on by on Sunday. I would love to get to know you and talk about it. You won't find any easy formulas for finding light, but I hope you will get to know some folks who have light enough to share. Peace, Allen