The Light has come into the world. And the Light is the test by which men are guilty or not. People love darkness more than the Light because the things they do are sinful. [John 3:19 NLV]
The setting for the coming of the Messiah is one of great spiritual darkness.
Everyone is stumbling around in the dark - even the religious leaders struggle spiritually.
This passage reminds me of this verse from the prophet Isaiah:
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;Jesus is that great light that has come into the world.
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
His light illuminated, and yet illuminates, the dark ways of humankind.
His life, teachings and ministry testify to the light of God.
I find it interesting how, in the gospels, sinners repented and were made whole by this light.
Yet religious people ignored their witness preferring their darkness to Christ's light.
It is a troubling thought for those of us who have followed God for a long time.
It is troubling to know that Christ mostly confronted the darkness of religious people.
It concerns me and causes me to question the dark theologies that I once embraced.
And it reminds me how easy it is to be drawn to the dark side.
Lord, I need your light. Please shine and expose all of my dark ways.
... this devotion is part of the Red Letters series. Click here to read more.
This is a very humble and difficult attitude to take. After spending years in a system of belief, it is difficult to accept that it may be in error. The question of how much darkness has crept back into religion is a scary one.
ReplyDelete