Reformation: Gospel, John 8:31-36                                      

John 8:31-36

Jesus has just expounded the fact that He is the Light of the world. A description given to Torah, to the very teaching of the Word of the LORD. But Jesus had applied the tag to Himself and as so often was the case, when Jesus said His piece, peace left the community. Jesus and His teaching caused waves.

He continues and begins to speak of the place of truth. Truth applied to sin’s chains and truth used as the key to breaking those same chains. You see truth and light are always together in God’s thinking. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say “truth is light, applied.” In our gospel reading for Reformation Sunday Jesus declares that truth is a liberator, a cause for true freedom. In our culture today there is a lot of spouting regarding oppression and the misuse of power. For all the chatter, never do people get to the real root of oppression and domination. The root is sin. And sin places the worst of bonds on its subjects.

There is only one Liberator. It’s a person. Truth is a Person. And the Truth will set you free.

Happy Reformation!