Light Arises

“Light arises in darkness for the upright…” (Psalm 112:4a)

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12).

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute [set, consider] darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20 – 21).

Note the definite article in John 8:12, “the” darkness. Darkness we see around us has its source in “the” darkness. Just Jesus prays in John 17:15 that we will be kept from “the” evil one, and just as Jesus teaches us to pray in Matthew 6:13 that we will be kept from “the” evil one; so in John 8:12 we have the definite article, speaking not of darkness in a general sense but in a specific sense, a definite sense. Let us not forget that the darkness has a source, that it emanates from a foul and loathsome place, from a foul and loathsome person whose goal is to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10).

We cannot see the darkness for what it is unless we are living in the Light of the world. As we live in the Light our sensitivity to darkness becomes acute, we know it and we sense it when it is in proximity to us. We hear it, we see it – whether over the airwaves, in print, on a screen, or in a personal encounter. As we follow Jesus Christ we do not walk in darkness, darkness is not our biosphere, darkness is not our habitat – for we live in Christ, we breathe in Christ, we see in Christ, we hear in Christ, we think in Christ, we feel in Christ, we sense in Christ.

The upright for whom light arises are those who know Jesus Christ as their righteousness, their wisdom, and their redemption (1 Cor. 1:30). The upright are those who realize that outside of Jesus Christ their righteousness is filthy and toxic and ugly. The upright are those who run to Christ, cling to Christ, embrace Christ, long for Christ; they are those who cannot live without Jesus Christ.

We live in a dark and barbaric world, a society and culture which is popularly and institutionally repudiating the image of God. Those in Christ need not fear the darkness, for Light arises for the upright in heart.

Psalm 112:7 tells us that the upright “will not fear evil tidings.” Those in Christ need not fear what the news outlets tell us, we need not fear what the politicians tell us, we need not fear what false teachers tell us – for when our hearts are steadfast, trusting in Christ, Christ will guard our hearts and souls; Christ is our Rock, our Gibraltar.

Let us not be unaware of “the” darkness, but let us live in the Light; and living in the Light, let us, by the grace and authority of Jesus Christ, rescue others from the prison of “the” darkness.