Tuesday the 24th

John 1: 4-5

⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

 

“Understood it”, the Bishops’ Bible from 1568 and the King James both read that “the darkness comprehended it not”, the ESV reads that “the darkness has not overcome it.” You really can’t have one without the other can you? You will never overcome something if you do not understand it. This Light has never been understood by the darkness. I believe that the darkness will never understand. The birth of Christ was the beginning of the end for the darkness, the resurrection of Christ was the death blow (pun fully intended). Yet the darkness does not understand that it has been defeated. Christ won, he was the one time sacrifice that cleansed the world of sin, and in doing so gave each of us the offer of salvation. Therein lies the catch, and the reason why the darkness is still around. We were offered the gift, it is up to each of us to grasp it. The darkness is hoping that you don’t. Before we let the light into our lives we are all very much in the dark, and controlled by the darkness. We were living for one thing, and one thing only…..ourselves. It is only when we reach out into the light of Christ, and pull ourselves out of the darkness that we can see the beauty that surrounds us. The light continues to grow as long as we continue to look for those hands reaching out from the darkness, and pulling them into the light. Christ is the light of the world, yet that light can only reach as far as we are willing to take it. Around the globe, to the other end of town, maybe just into a neighbors house; wherever you go, carry the light of Christ with you. The darkness might understand you, but it will never defeat the light of Christ, it cannot defeat it, because it does not understand it. Let us all give thanks to God this week for sending the light to the world.

 

Peace,

Brian