In a dark world... light reveals a lot of evil... and much of it does NOT welcome light...
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
did not comprehend it.
John 1:5 NASB
"...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. ..."
John 3:19 NASB
And it's just hard... to reveal what's dark...
and have someone refuse... to receive the light...
People who by the world's standards... don't look evil...
walk in and embrace the darkness... by God's standards they are evil...
It makes a heart hurt...
I wonder about one in particular...
completely closed off to "religion"... church... of any sort...
Thinking about him this morning... reading about the Light...
the eyes of my heart see just how much this new friend... with heels dug in the dark...
would just love the Light... if he opened up to know Him... for who He is...
It makes me sad...
Then those who know Him... have seen the Light...
when you shed light in their direction... and they reject it... well...
It makes a heart break...
My heart is feeling heavy today...
seeing darkness all around...
when there is Light so near...
and I wonder...
Did He get weary...? burdened...? with being Light...? in a very dark world...?
...so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey,
was sitting beside the well.
John 4:6 ESV
Jesus... the Light of the world...
journeyed through life in this dark world...
and it wearied Him...
The Greek here means... to grow weary... tired... exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief)... (Enhanced Strong's Lexicon)
His disciples left Him at the well where He could rest...
while they went to get food... they didn't experience the same exhaustion... burden...
You can hear the weariness in His voice... as He laments over Jerusalem...
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets
and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have
gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood
under her wings, and you were not willing! ..." ---Jesus
Matthew 23:37 ESV
In the gospel of Matthew... this follows His tirade against the scribes and Pharisees entrenched in the dark... His list of woe to you... still echoing in the air...
Yes... I believe He was burdened... grieved... saddened...
by being a Light... many refused to receive...
The prophets described Him even before He was born in a manger...
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief...
Isaiah 53:3 ESV
I'm feeling a bit sorrow-full and grieved myself today...
yet unlike Him... I'm sure I've failed to shed light perfectly...
sinned in my anger... grief... frustration...
Praise Him...!
Who shines Light perfectly...
grieves without sinning...
loves unfailing...
Praise Him...!
Through whom all things are possible...
and calls us to rejoice in Him...
not be anxious...
and pray...
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7 ESV
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