The scriptures use the contrast between darkness and light to describe our relationship with God. “The people that walked in darkness” were the people of Israel, who, on account of their infidelity to God, found themselves in exile in Babylon, longing to return to their own land, their homes and their religious practices. The future was dark for them until the prophet Isaiah started to shine the light of hope. Their exile did come to an end. They did return to their own land. Their Temple was rebuilt and religious practice was restored, but they were still in the dark. By the time of Jesus, it was the Romans keeping the Jewish people as a subject nation, and they did so with the collaboration of the puppet king, Herod, and greedy self-serving tax collectors. St. Matthew describes the coming of Jesus in these same prophetic terms, “The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light.” The darkness is not the darkness of oppression. It is the whole of humanity. Jesus is the light of the world. The revolutionary project that Jesus starts is far from a political revolt. It involves a real change of heart and it starts with faith: faith in God, but, first of all, faith in ourselves. Do I really believe that God loves me and has called me into a relationship of love? This is the project of Jesus, to change the world by changing one person at a time. In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus at the beginning of His project to bring this new light, this new revelation, into the world. With small group, which gradually increases to 12, Jesus goes around proclaiming the Good News, teaching and healing. Their mission is to capture the hearts and minds of people.
This is still the mission of the disciples of Jesus, to help all people to discover that their true destiny is to live in love with God and with each other. The challenge for us today is to recognize the real darkness. Many of us believe that human success and fulfillment lie in the acquisition of wealth and knowledge. Our life project will be very different if we start from our self-awareness: who do I think I am? If I really believe that I am beloved son or daughter of God, then I must start by asking, “What does God want me to be?” When Jesus is the light in my life, I am going to see myself and the world I live in very differently. Let us take up the invitation to follow Jesus. Let us ask for eyes that see as He sees, and for the courage to respond to the needs of our world with His love and compassion.