There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. [John 3:18-20 (NLT)]
Occasionally, I’ll spot a partially open moonflower (Ipomoea alba) during an early morning walk at the park. While the Moonflower’s cousin the Morning Glory opens wide to welcome the sunlight, the Moonflower prefers darkness. It’s only when the sun sets that it opens to a large trumpet-shaped bloom. Rather than competing during the day with brightly colored flowers for pollinators like bees and butterflies, Moonflowers enjoy pollinators like bats and moths at night. As the morning sun rises, the Moonflower again rejects the light and rolls up into itself.
The Moonflower’s rejection of the sun reminds me of those people who, preferring darkness, reject Jesus, the light of the world. Some people choose the dark because they don’t know or understand God’s word or doubt its authenticity. At best, they may think of Scripture as a guide to good living and, at worst, a work of fiction along the lines of The Odyssey and The Iliad. Others may reject the light because of painful personal experiences with the church, the hypocrisy they’ve seen in people claiming to be Christ’s followers, or the church’s failures regarding abuse, morality, prejudice, and righting wrongs.
While a Moonflower can never become a Morning Glory in my garden, they can in God’s! An unbeliever can become a believer and glory in the light of Christ. But, for that to happen, we must do a better job of sharing the light of the Lord and being Christ-like in all we do. As God’s gardeners, if we gently correct misunderstandings and misconceptions and witness Jesus in our words and actions, some of those choosing darkness may turn to God’s light.
Nevertheless, while some people may have their reasons for rejecting the light, I suspect many reject Jesus simply because (like a Moonflower) they prefer the darkness to the light. While they might even know the truth of Christianity, they’re like the Jews who believed in Jesus but, fearful of the Pharisees, wouldn’t admit it and remained in the darkness. John tells us they “loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” [12:43] Perhaps, like the rich man who walked away from Jesus because he valued his earthly possessions more than eternal life, they find the ideas of sacrifice, selflessness, humility, submission, righteousness, repentance, or forgiveness to be stumbling blocks. The cost of discipleship, of carrying their own cross and following Christ—is too great. Jesus may stand at the door and knock, but it’s up to each person to decide whether to open it! Sadly, not everyone will.
The issue is now clear. It is between light and darkness and everyone must choose his side. [G.K. Chesterton]
Some of the lesser-known heroes of the Bible are found in the lists of David’s mightiest men. Among his warriors, David’s mighty Three had the most authority, influence, and leadership. Their leader was Jashobeam, a man who once used his spear to kill 800 warriors in a single battle. Next in rank was Eleazar who remained with David in battle when the rest of the troops fled. He killed Philistines until he no longer could lift his sword. The third of the Three was Shammah. After being attacked in a field by the Philistines, the troops fled. Shammah alone remained to defend it and bring victory to Israel. These three were so devoted to David that, when he expressed a desire for fresh water from Bethlehem, they risked their lives to break through enemy lines to get some for him. David’s Three were among the best of the best when it came to valor, courage, and allegiance.
The Resurrection story didn’t end on Easter with Jesus’ appearance to ten disciples, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and John, Salome, and Joanna, along with Cleopas and another believer who broke bread with Him in Emmaus. Appearing and disappearing at will, Jesus remained on earth for forty days. While He probably appeared other times, Scripture tells us He later appeared to Thomas and the ten others, to seven of the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee, to His half-brother James, to over 500 believers at one time, and to the disciples on his last day with them.
In my last post, I pondered why Jesus chose the men he did as his apostles. As we enter Holy Week and the events leading to the Lord’s arrest and crucifixion, I wonder specifically about Judas Iscariot. We don’t know what Jesus saw in Judas when he was chosen as one of the twelve or even what was in Judas’ heart in the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. We only know that discontent, ambition, and greed had entered his treacherous heart by the end.
In a cartoon drawn by Paul Noth, an enormous political billboard overlooks a pasture inhabited by a flock of sheep. Looking up at the picture of a grinning wolf in coat and tie saying, “I am going to eat you!” one sheep tells another, “He tells it like it is.” Would that all politicians were so forthright!
“How was work today?” asked the wife in the Born Loser comic strip (drawn by Chip Sansom). Her husband answered, “Horrendous!” adding, “It feels so good that it’s over, I’m almost glad it happened!” Having had times when my prayer was simply, “Lord, just get me through this!” I understand. Sometimes, life seems so challenging and exhausting that we’re willing to settle for merely getting through it. That, dear friend, is setting the bar far too low. God has better plans for us than just getting by and none of us are born losers.
Devotions of the Heart 