We absolutely love the words of Jesus recorded in John 3:16-17 (“For God so loved the world….”). And rightly so! They do, after all, embody glorious good news!
But what about the very next words of the Messiah in John 3: 18-21?
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Do we love these words just as much?
;)
Well,…er… not so much. We’d rather keep those more “inconvenient” truths stuffed deep down, out of sight and out of mind. We would much prefer that these words remain safely silenced, muffled and muted under a bushel basket, as it were, and locked away in the back corner of a dark, forgotten closet.
Some light is more comfortable than others, apparently1
;)
Dim It, Son!....We Love Our Darkness!
Watch us scurry, man, for cover
When the Light invades our space,
Listen to us pledge in darkness
To put Light back “in its place”:
“Light, we know just what you’re doing…
We can see right through your game!
Just go back to where you came from!
Light, you ought to be ashamed!”
“Hey, we’re over this exposure!
Back off, Light!...Just let us be!
We’ll be taking legal action…
You’ll be sorry…Wait and see!”
“Look, it finally dawned upon us…
You’re a nuisance!....You’re a pest!
Dim it, Son!…We’d rather darkness2…
Come on, Light, give it a rest! “
“Listen, Light, we’ve really had it!
Listen, Light, this just won’t do!
Listen, Light, we’re getting angry!
Listen, Light, we’re warning you!”
“Take your revelation elsewhere!
Put it where the sun don’t shine!…
Light, you’d better run for cover,
This is where we draw the line3.
Father, give us Grace to hear You
Even as we run and hide4…
Grace to sense this Light of Mercy,
Grace to face our deadly Pride.
Father, humble us and draw us
To The Cross of Calvary.
May the Son there, Lord, remind us
That He came to set us free5.
;)
;)
“It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.”
— A.W. Tozer
2 (see 2 Samuel , chapter 12 for further details)