“Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.’ ” (John 11:9-10)
I wonder if the disciples just nodded a lot when Jesus talked. Frankly, he is hard to understand sometimes, isn’t he? The disciples said, in essence, “Are you sure you want to go back to Judea; the Jewish leaders tried to kill you last time you were in town.”
Jesus answered with today’s verse. Read it again. How would you have taken it? Apparently, the disciples just looked at him, because we’re told that Jesus went on to explain why he wanted to go back. In a way, this kind of broken dialogue makes it easier for me to believe these conversations between the Creator of the universe and his confused-but-faithful human followers really happened.
The commentators tell me that Jesus’ point was probably that we never take a wrong step when we walk in the daylight of God’s will, even if it seems like the path is dangerous. I like that take, but I don’t blame the disciples for not getting it, necessarily.
They did practice it, though: They kept following Jesus even when they didn’t fully understand where he was leading them or why. They trusted him and let him set the pace. Following their example is always the best possible path for us, as well.
Think: Do the things Jesus says in Scripture ever confuse you? Do you believe that to trust and obey him is to walk in the daylight, even if doesn’t always feel safe? Why or why not?
Pray: Ask God to help you to understand Jesus’ hard words in the Bible and to know how to live by them. Ask him, also, to help you to walk in the daylight of his will for your life.
Do: If you haven’t done so before, start a list somewhere of things in the Bible that don’t quite make sense to you and add to the list as you come across them. Then look for some answers in some good Bible commentaries or by asking a Bible teacher you trust about them.