Now I have all four readings for the week. This is Friday’s reflection, so I need to synthesize all four readings: Isaiah 9:1-4 (Old Testament), Psalm 27:1, 4-9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 (Epistle), and Matthew 4:12-23 (Gospel).

Let me generate the chapel content:

Opening Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank you for being with us every day this week. Help us remember all that you have taught us. Amen.

Scripture: A Week of Light

This week we heard about light in the darkness.

Isaiah told us: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”

The psalm said: “The LORD is my light and my salvation.”

Paul reminded us that Jesus on the cross is God’s power—even though it looks weak.

And Matthew showed us Jesus calling fishermen to follow him, right away, with no waiting.

What This Means

Have you ever tried to walk in the dark? Maybe you got up in the middle of the night to get water, and you stubbed your toe on a toy or bumped into the wall. Dark is confusing. You don’t know where you’re going.

A long time ago, God’s people felt lost in the dark. Not nighttime dark—life dark. They didn’t know where God was. They felt forgotten.

But God promised them: “Light is coming.”

And the light came. Not a flashlight. Not the sun. A baby. Then a man. Jesus.

Jesus grew up and started telling everyone: “I’m here now. Follow me.” He found some fishermen working by the lake. They had nets and boats and families. They had stuff to do. But Jesus said, “Come with me,” and they dropped everything. Just like that.

Why? Because when you’ve been stumbling in the dark and someone turns on the light, you don’t say, “Hold on, let me finish this first.” You follow the light.

Here’s the strange part: Jesus didn’t look like what people expected. He wasn’t a king with a crown. He didn’t have an army. Later, he died on a cross like a criminal. That looks like losing, not winning.

But that’s how God works. The cross that looked like the end was really the beginning. The weakness was really power. The foolishness was really wisdom.

All week we’ve been learning this: God doesn’t wait for us to find our way out of the dark. He comes to us. He brings the light. And he says, “Follow me.”

Let’s Talk About It

Eberley: Why do you think God chose to send Jesus to a place people looked down on—Galilee—instead of somewhere important like Jerusalem first? What does that tell us about how God works?

Eberley: Paul says the cross looks like foolishness but is actually God’s wisdom. Can you think of other times when something that looks weak is actually strong?

Sonja: The fishermen left their nets “immediately” when Jesus called. What do you think they were feeling? Were they scared or excited?

Sonja: If you were sitting in a dark room and someone turned on a bright light, how would you feel? How is Jesus like that light?

Dahlia & Freddy: Who brings light into the darkness? (Jesus!)

Dahlia & Freddy: When Jesus said “Follow me,” did the fishermen go with him? (Yes!)

Remember This

When we are lost in the dark, Jesus comes to us with light and says, “Follow me.”

Closing Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, for coming to find us. Thank you for being our light when everything feels dark. Help us follow you this week—at school, at home, and with our friends. Amen.

Memory Verse

“The LORD is my light and my salvation.” — Psalm 27:1