So many things about the light catch my attention. Understood katalambano - to make something one's own, to win, or attain it.
...and that life was the light of men (John 1:4)
I have always viewed the light as rushing into the darkness and driving it away. Isn't that what made the monsters late at night flee our thoughts, when we were tucked in tight under the blankets. When fear set in amidst the darkness, we reached out for the light. Hope would come rushing in and save the day. Even now 30 plus years later I still reach out for the light when I wake up in darkness and I am crippled with fear. Surely this is what this verse means right? What hit me in the gut and took my breath away is the fact that the darkness is trying to understand the light. I always see this grand battle between light and darkness. Ultimate good and deplorable evil. The darkness flees true enough. But this battle (maybe with swords) I always see (with a man who has seven fingers) does it really exist in such an anger filled conflict?
The LIFE in Jesus is the light (phos). John make that unquestionably clear. The darkness can not attain this life. Jesus made his DWELLING (skenoo) among us. The meaning explodes in me. To settle, to take up residence. The idea of complete permanence. It is so opposite from the Greek skenos, a temporary abode, a tent. No settling. No permanence. The life, the light to all men dwells among us, in us. The more the light dwells in me the more the darkness is just gone. No battle, no clashing of swords, just gone. The true battle is that my own evil desires drag me away and entice me to conceive and give birth to sin allowing it to grow fully into death/darkness or the absence of life/light (James 1:14-15).
As if that wasn't enough challenge God one upped me. One of my favorite words. Exegeomai - to make him known, to set forth in great detail, expound, clarify, explain or unfold. This Life that Lives in me much like Jesus made the Father known to all, I now need to make known to others.
When the monsters and fears come quietly into our lives and take all our comfort and peace away, What light/life is DWELLING in us? Am I bright enough to illuminate with others in need thus making the Father known though love, peace, truth, and life?
Lord DWELL brighter in me. Burn Livelier!
the other understanding of "katalambano" is violent,like GET ~ as in on one side 'get' can be understood as "understand" as in "oh, I GET it", but there is also the "I will GET you" "to take violently by force and destroy"... the darkness could not "get" the LIGHT, and still cannot.
ReplyDeleteYeah, both understandings are used in this verse. Surprisingly. There is a desire that the darkness has in wanting to attain this life. The second meaning does mean gaining control of something through pursuit, catching up, seizing. There is hostile intent involved. But I don't in this specific verse see a battle or violence. I see the longing of darkness (even with possibly a violent desire) to want to understand the life and gain control of it. My understanding is shifting, there is no battle when light shines in the darkness. The darkness flees and is gone. Much like when a room is dark and a light is turned on. The battle for me comes into play when I am in the light and want to turn it off and sit in darkness.
ReplyDeleteThe battle is over. Darkness lost, Christ is risen, the light of all men is life now living in me. The enemy does seek to kill, steal, and destroy, but when the light dwells in me he flees, (no battle). The Battle for me is I like to sit in darkness.
I guess I am shifting in my understanding of what I am in Christ and how the darkness works when I am in the place I should be in. I guess I have always seen this grand battle taking place between Satan and God in my life on a daily basis. Now I am beginning to see a new facet of Jesus truly dwelling in me and what that means when it comes to darkness in my life and my actions on a daily basis.
I think John sets out to shows this idea that Christ/Life (light) has won. John even records Jesus telling us in chapter 8 that whoever follows Christ will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.
I see the battle now over. Satan does want to get me. But he can't - no battle, I have Christ/life. I guess I see more now that I am not battling Satan, he is defeated, I am battling myself wanting to dwell in Satan and not in dwell in Christ. I Guess I do see more the intent in this verse for understand and less the intent of violently attack used here. :)