5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
Written by Becka Gerhart
Isn’t it interesting how different temperatures of light can affect us, both mentally and physically? Warm-colored light brings comfort, even healing. Sunlight brings warmth and life to the earth. Flashlights bring a sense of adventure. Firelight brings warmth and draws us together to reflect. On the other hand, bright, white light can make us uncomfortable, uneasy, or bored. It can hurt our eyes and even make us angry.
Where there is no light, however, confusion, disorientation, and lies abound. Evil is sewn in darkness. But when light cuts through, regardless of what it looks like, Truth is made evident. I mean this in both the physical and the spiritual sense. Imagine a floor covered in Legos, and your goal is to get across the room barefoot. Without light, you’ll be confused and likely hurt. With light, you can navigate your way through. It’s the same with our spiritual life. If we are trying to discern a decision without the Light, Jesus, we will find ourselves confused and disoriented, often following the wrong leads. But with the Lord, there is peace and comfort.
In reflecting on this Psalm, I was immediately drawn to the subject of “light.” But I want to add to the conversation this “just man” the psalmist speaks of. At first glance, it’s easy to find this psalm comforting. It’s easy to see the just man as a warm light, bringing comfort and healing to those who are searching for the Lord in difficult moments. We can see him as a beam of sunlight, thawing the hearts of those returning to the Lord and bringing life to those sowing the Word. He is a flashlight, leading adventurous missionaries out into the world. He is a fire, bringing warmth and a sense of reflection to those who are leading others closer to Christ. In this context, I am specifically referring to the “just man” as Jesus. Rereading the paragraph above, replace “just man” with Jesus. It’s so easy to see Him as this kind of light to the faithful!
But remember, I mentioned another kind of light. A bright, uncomfortable, uneasy, stark light that can hurt our eyes and make us angry. Thinking about Jesus in this sense is difficult sometimes. But think about His life. During His time, the “upright” were the Pharisees, those Jews who followed the law and never wavered. They saw Jesus, the “just man”, the Light, as a threat to their way of life. In fact, they found Him so threatening that they tried to extinguish the Light. They put Him on a cross and killed Him. We know the story, though, and He came back as a Light brighter than ever.
Have you ever been in a situation where you meet someone who is so obviously striving for holiness that you are actually annoyed by them? Feel threatened by them somehow? I have. Time and time again I compare my heart to how I perceive others, which isn’t fair to me or to them. If they are truly striving for holiness, though, then they must be a light of some kind. Think of the friend that you always go to for an encouraging word, the family member that you can always rely on to pray for you in difficult moments, the coworker that you’d really like to be in a Bible study with just because you think they would have an interesting perspective. These people are lights in your life.
So why are some lights inviting and some annoying? I think it’s the disposition of our hearts. There are times when I sit in prayer and feel like I could be there for hours, sitting with Jesus and letting Him shine light into my heart, showing me the depths and shedding light on the lies I’ve believed for years. There are other times where the time seems to drag and all I feel is afraid that His light is going to turn up something ugly that I need to change - a threat to my life of comfort and sin. This just man always shows the Truth if we let Him be a light to our hearts. It’s our own internal disposition that defines our interpretation of that light.
You’re here, reading this Psalm reflection. You’re likely someone who could be categorized as “upright” like the Psalm says, striving eagerly to be a good and faithful Christian. Jesus is your light. What is His light to you these days? Is he a guide, a healer, a warmth, a life, a comfort, or a nuisance, an annoyance, a boredom that you are struggling to appreciate or might make you angry? How can the disposition of your own heart change the way you experience His light?
Becka Gerhart is a loving wife and mom of (almost) 2. She and her husband Anthony live in College Station, TX, and she works at St. Mary’s Catholic Center as the Assistant Music Director. You can follow Becka on Instagram!
Pray with today’s psalm.