[459 words]
“The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up” (Matt. 4:16).
The world can be a dark place. “The whole world,” John wrote, “lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). Satan, the “prince of this world” (John 14:30), makes sure of that. The Bible does not water down the evil that is in the world, and neither should we. Paul said men will be “lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof’ (2 Tim 3: 1-5). We live in a sin-crazed world. Solomon said, “The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live” (Ecc. 9:3). The portrait of the tendencies of man in the Bible is ugly and it is true.
Many sit in darkness. They live in the shadow of death, trying to survive from one day to the next and hoping to enjoy as much as they can before they die. They live in ignorance, not knowing how they should think, feel, or act. They try to laugh and be happy but the fear of death and the pains of their conscience always come back to haunt them. They buy new things and reach their goals but end up feeling empty inside. They look for fulfillment in relationships with others but find disappointment. Like men groping in darkness, people desperately look for meaning and direction to their lives and find none.
What a sad condition! Such was the state of the world when Jesus came. Even Capernaum, a city exalted to the heavens for its religious heritage (Matt. 11:23), was full of pride and hypocrisy. When Jesus came to their city, He was a great light in a dark world.
Everywhere we turn there is great darkness. People are walking in the shadow of death and seem oblivious. The only hope for such a dark place is the light of the Son of God made known through His Word and His people. Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8: 12). He gave us “the light of the glorious gospel” (2 Cor 4:5). The more we are like Him the more we “shine as lights in the world” (Phil 2:15). In fact, the darker the world is the more Christian lights will stand out in contrast. One artist was called “the painter of lights” because he used small bright images on a dark background. Rather than feeling helpless in a dark world, we should see it as an opportunity to shine the light.
Kerry Duke
West End church of Christ
Livingston, TN