Dear Trekker,
There is nothing quite like “external events that upend our lives.” Just yesterday one (eclipse) of those events occurred. All such events “after the fact” are a part of life. One accepts or denies them as fact, but by all means, “deals with them.”
“External events” are those we usually have no control over, do not choose and yet are indeed undeniable. What God has done in history is the standard of all “external events.” There is the eclipse of the sun, the rotation of the earth (and moon) around it and its light and heat. There are other such “events,” those of man’s own making, like human social diseases minted in hatred. Terrorism, riots… instigated by rebels with cause. Think Charlottesville, Boston, Barcelona, St. Louis, Baltimore, etc. The list goes on, ad infinitum. Only the details (place and time) vary. Our reason fails us or we don’t use it, or we don’t like our outcomes, e.g. elections. Somebody must pay we say…now, that is justice! What’s become of us?
The sacred Scriptures, God’s written word, provide guidance… as always! Men must believe the Scriptures or wander in the dark wilderness! I pause to recall Jesus’ words to the Pharisees when asked if the Jews should pay taxes to Caesar: “Render to Caesar (read government) the things of Caesar, and to God, those things that are His!” (Mark 12:17). What a challenge to speak so wisely and matter-of-factly, that we speak the truth as He, offending no one! For sure, human government has actual, real life claims upon its citizens!
Then I think of Romans, Chapter 13. Right from the starting gate, Paul exclaims, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God!” (Trekker, stop and read all of Romans 13 before proceeding, focus on v. 8-13.)
Romans 13:11-13 is extremely relevant. We must, in every generation, “understand the present time” (v.11). What does the Apostle Paul mean when he uses such phrases as: “stop sleeping and wake-up,” “the time has come,” the “moment is here?” How is it “our salvation is near?” (I Corinthians 10:1-11).
Yes, Jesus is the answer, but what is the problem? The problem is “the night” (v. 12). One cannot see in the dark. Oh, how rich the symbolism of the Scriptures! It is always “night” when the Son is eclipsed by the darkness of man’s intellect, the failures of potential fulfilling relationships and the deceptive and deceitful, deliberate distraction of the Devil and his demons. “The night is nearly over, daylight is on the way; so let us shed (throw off) everything that belongs to the darkness and equip ourselves for the light.”
The theme of light vs darkness is the story of human history. Light in the Scriptures is both literal (Matthew 17:12) and symbolic (Matthew 4:6). It is expressed in at least three ways: 1) Light as the sun. The sun lights planet earth and the universe. 2) Light as life. All nature tells us that life cannot exist without light. (Plants do not bloom at our house without light!) Conversely, “darkness” symbolizes death. Death is natural in the absence of light. In this contrasting imagery, darkness represents all that is associated with death – suffering, enslavement, cruelty, hatred, etc. while light symbolizes life, liberty, happiness and salvation. Since the coming of Christ, His “light is the Way back to God (John 1:9). Hence, Christ is the “Life and light of the world.” 3) The battle between good and evil on earth. The ultimate battle is between the good King Christ and the bad king Satan. Each person chooses between good and evil, i.e. which king he or she will serve. The default position or choice is Satan. “We are conceived and born in sin” (Psalm 51:5). People who serve Christ the King are “children of the light.” Those on the “wrong side” are “children of darkness” (Ephesians 5:8-16).
William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible shows how seminal this passage (Romans 13:11-14) is to our understanding. Barclay notes that St. Augustine found Christ in this section of Scripture. Augustine tells the story in his Confessions, “Let us not walk in darkness or revelry or drunkenness, in immorality and in shamelessness, in contention and in strife. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ as a man puts on a garment, and stop living a life in which your first thought is to gratify the desire of Christless human nature.” Ephesians 4:17-28 is also most helpful in similar description.
There are two kinds of wisdom in our world, the Apostle James points out. One reflects light, the other darkness (see James 3:13-4:3). If we harbor envy, racial hatred or racial superiority in our hearts, we deny the truth of the light. “Such wisdom does not come down from heaven, but is earthy, uninspired and of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice” (James 3:16). Oh what a commentary on the present age. We must shun the deeds of darkness and renounce them vehemently. Unfortunately, futile deeds of darkness characterize every culture!
Contrast our natural “dark side” with the justice (”just” as God intended) of God. Because of Christ, the light of the world, we are all one, but only as we walk in His light. “There is neither Jew, nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” is the way the Apostle Paul phrases it (Galatians 3:28). St Luke says in his account in Acts 19:26, “From one man (or blood), he made every nation of men…” “God did this so that men would seek him” (v. 27). (Trekker, read Paul’s Areopagus sermon, which Luke quotes. It’s all there in Acts 26:22-31. Powerful for all!)
Bottom line… anything that separates us from the Son is an eclipse and causes darkness! We must focus on the Son! Fortunately, the eclipse of the sun is a passing, temporary thing. The eclipse of the Son is not. In His eclipse, we are doomed to wallow in self-hatred and the hatred of others; climbing the mountain of justice, we fail again and again.
Until the light of Christ once again is the first thought of our generation (Matthew 6:33), we will not give Him a second thought. Some of us will ignore Him and His written word. Others will adamantly deny He exists. The fool says in his heart, there is no God! (Psalm 14:1). We must trade our sin and darkness for the rightness (righteousness) and light of Christ. There is no viable way other than the enlightened way of Jesus.
Let us walk in the light as He is in the Light, trekker, and have His fellowship grace our lives. Let’s turn our eyes on Jesus…His Kingdom…His righteousness.
Your friend,
Jim Meredith
