About
six years ago, I developed cataracts in both my eyes. I first noticed it when I
started seeing halos around lights. When I drove at night, the headlights of
the cars coming toward me spread so far, I couldn’t see the cars. I had to stop
driving at night, because I couldn’t see the road.
That
is what Jesus is warning about in these passages. When your eyesight is bad,
you’re in darkness. And when you’re in darkness, you can’t see where you’re
going.
People
who are in darkness may not necessarily know it. They think they have light,
but it’s actually darkness. Most people think they know some sort of truth.
They have a sense of right and wrong, a code of sorts, and they try to live by
it. It’s probably based on their experiences, their desires and some sort of
teaching they’ve received. They find a cause and throw themselves into it –
environmentalism, tolerance, social causes, politics. Or they live by a
philosophy like, “Respect me and I’ll respect you.” But because their vision
isn’t based on the of light of God’s truth, their philosophies fail. Like the
halos that I see at night, the light they see actually blinds them and makes
the darkness worse.
Because
they are in the dark, they don’t know where they’re going. They may have a goal
in mind, and they try to get there, but even if they know the way, they can’t
stay on the road. They can’t see it.
People
living in darkness need a light to show them the way. People living in darkness
do evil things and don’t even know they are evil. People living in darkness
need a light to see the truth. People living in darkness are lost.
I know and love a lot of people who are living in darkness and don’t know it.
Thanks to God’s love and goodness, I have a message of hope for them. A light has
come to dispel the darkness. His name is Jesus and He was born on Christmas. (John12:46)
Christmas
is a celebration of the end of the darkness.
We experienced this during a family gathering to celebrate Christmas. Jesus was only mentioned in the usual traditional ways, mealtime and Church service. All the secular attempts to create a joyous occasion were fruitless. All the attempt to create an environment of generosity were unsuccessful. The material gifts meant nothing without the gift of Unconditional Love. This is the Love of, for and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and it must be reflected in and by us. Without that nothing else will fulfill the desires of our hearts.
ReplyDeleteI've had the same experience with family. It's so hard to focus on the real celebration when those you're with don't get it. But it's encouraging to know I can pray for them, and maybe next year I'll have a chance to share that Unconditional Love with them.
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