Darkness hides things that should be visible.
Practically speaking, we are either at darkness’ mercy or attempt to use it to our advantage. Neither approach is ultimately in our best interest. Darkness covers dangers making them impossible to avoid until it is too late, leaving us bruised. Walking into the jagged countertop corner or tripping over a tool or a toy at night can cause us to wince in pain or worse. Sometimes, we use darkness to hide our failures and poor decisions. We sneak to the fridge in the middle of the night to indulge our midnight cravings or bury our sinful lusts at the bottom of our sock drawer.
What we often experience in our everyday physical circumstances is even more cunning and corrupting in the arena of our spiritual condition. Scripture tells us that our inborn spiritual condition loves darkness rather than light and that our works are evil (John 3:19). The darkness of heart is so insidious that we deceive ourselves into thinking that we are good enough in our self-righteousness. We believe our own “religious” lies and retreat even further from the Light that offers life.
When speaking in spiritual contexts, Jesus used powerful word-pictures that we all can identify with. Jesus said that He didn’t come for the spiritually healthy, but the spiritually sick (Lk 5:31-32). He didn’t come for the spiritually rich, but for the spiritually bankrupt (Matt 5:3). The Messiah’s mission was marked by seeking and saving the lost. He came for sinners. He came for you and me. Jesus, the Redeemer, came to regain our ownership. It is a healthy spiritual exercise to remember where He found us and to rejoice in what He redeemed us from (Eph 1:7).
Take a few moments to read through the following psalm, Psalm 103:1-4:
1Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost
being, praise his holy name.
2Praise the Lord, my soul, and
forget not all his benefits—
3who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4who redeems your life from the pit and
crowns you with love and compassion.
The arrival of Jesus, the Glorious Light, is great news! He comes with transforming power, surprising simplicity, and rich benefits. Respond to the Light and let His glory grip you anew! We are lost no more!
Luke 19:9-10 (ESV) – “And Jesus said to [Zacchaeus], ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’”