“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
In preparation for my fall Bible study on the book of Acts, I have been reading ahead in a Chronological Bible. It’s the fascinating story of the acts of the apostles and the work of the Holy Spirit in the early church. My translation is the New Living Translation. As I read through the persecutions surrounding Paul, Peter and the friends of Jesus, I was amazed at the darkness in the world and I began to think about my own ancestors. What would they have done? What would I have believed if I were in their “shoes?”
When Jesus was born, the entire world was in darkness. The powers of evil must have thought they were winning the war against the heavenly hosts! My ancestors in England were worshipping at Stonehenge, practicing all forms of evil, much like the Canaanites. The Norsemen had their gods, Europe was filled with Roman and Greek gods and goddesses. China, India, Indonesia, Australia, Africa, South and North America, all worshiped their particular gods. All of them sacrificed their babies, committed all manner of heinous crimes to satisfy the god they worshiped. The economies of the countries were based on traditional gods, the medical profession had their gods for healing, and temple worship consisted of all forms of immorality. It was a fearsome world! People lived in constant trepidation of appeasing these deities. The only country where any light shone was in Israel. God had called a people for Himself, Abraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldees. God chose him to be the Father of a great nation, a people preserved for Him. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” Genesis 12:2. And so Abram went with his wife Sarah and nephew Lot to the Promised Land.
But over time, the northern kingdom of Israel forgot God, sunk into idolatry and was dispersed among the nations. The southern kingdom of Judah was also carried away captive for 70 years, but returned to Jerusalem. At the time of Christ, only a small remnant of believers were looking for the Messiah, a tiny light! There were some people like Simeon and Anna, who were “righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel,” Luke 2:25. Others like Mary and Joseph, Zacharias and Elizabeth were also waiting for the Messiah and recognized Him when He came. The “light” of the Jewish testimony and the Holy Scriptures were nearly extinguished; they were a flickering candle in the darkness of the world. Then came the Cross, the resurrection and the indwelling Holy Spirit!
Imagine Paul preaching from Mars hill to the philosophers of Athens, telling them of Jesus, the “Unknown God.” As he pointed to the magnificent structures, the Acropolis and Parthenon, he preached God didn’t live in temples made with hands, but lived in our hearts. “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31. Some believed; others called him a “babbler” preaching strange ideas.
Lately, I feel our own country is not far removed from the practices of the “Canaanites.” Is the Church, the Body of Christ being deceived? Do we love the sinner, but hate the sin? We Christians walk a fine line! We need to stay strong! “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden….Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven,” Matthew 5:14, 16. Shine the light, friends, shine the light!!
Your friend, Jean