Love of the Darkness

Scripture: And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life ... And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. John 3:14-15,19

Observation: In one of the most famous sections of the bible, Jesus recalls one of the more overlooked foreshadowings of the Old Testament, the curse of the snakes. In the wilderness, Israel was attacked by a curse of poisonous snakes, and at God's instruction Moses created bronze snake wrapped on a cross, and lifted it up. Anyone who had faith in God could simply look at the snake on the cross, and be healed, but anyone who did not look would die. In this same way, Jesus is clear that he as Messiah will be lifted up on a cross, and anyone who in faith looks to Messiah will have eternal life, but anyone who refuses to do so will die.

However, after telling the purpose of Messiah - to bring eternal life - Jesus is just as clear about why people will refuse to look upon Messiah when salvation is so easily obtained. It is not because of a lack of faith, it is because of love of the darkness. People love their sin, their misguided ways, their deeds and lives that follow their own paths. In this love of darkness, they are given a choice to simply look to the light of the Messiah ... and they refuse. They would rather die of the poison in their lives, than admit that their personal decisions are flawed and simply look to the light of Jesus to guide their path.

Application: Speaking 2,000 years ago, Jesus knew the world ... the world he lived in, the history of mankind, but also the future world we now see. Everyone has determined how they will live, and what they consider to be good and right. They base this on public sentiment and their own opinions. They measure the results on their own measures of success. They actively fight for evil causes as if achieving acceptance of them is their life's purpose, and celebrate when society moves closer to 'normalizing' such causes.

They love the darkness rather than the light.

Jesus has been lifted up. All people have to do is look to him in faith, and will have not just a healed and eternal life, but life in the full, walking in the light of the Lord. And most won't do this ... and that is how people have always been.

Prayer: Lord, I do understand why people love the darkness and love their evil ways. There are still elements of sin that I struggle with, because they are so embedded in the human condition of original sin. I get it. May I always look to you, and may I always love the light more than the dark. The truth is, I don't know how to even pray for those who are so entrenched in the dark that they deny the light even exists. I grown for our society, with no words to even ask for how to move next within this world. I know I am born from above. May others who are not find their way to look up and see the light. Amen.