Day One
Completing the World Around You
In Hebrew terms to be in the dark is a term used when you are sabotaging the basic thing that holds the whole universe together. You are indulging in acts such as gossip, malice, slander and lying. You are doing things like cursing people with your lips. You are doing things that tear down the basic idea of the whole world. You are doing things like overlooking the poor, which tears up the very fabric of what holds the universe together.
In Hebrew these kinds of things relate to the yetzer hara, which means the eye of darkness. The other side of that is the yetzer tov, which means the eye of light. In the ancient Middle East to say that someone had an eye of evil meant that they were so self-centered that they had a pattern of selfishness that constantly tore down echad. They believed that the number one manifestation of the yetzer hara was greed. In other words, to say that someone had an evil eye or an eye full of darkness meant they were greedy. To say that someone had an eye full of light meant they were generous; that they were actively participating in the basic completeness of the world around them.
When Jesus is saying that you are the light of the world, He is saying that your choice to be selfless and generous and to bring the world back to completion and restoration of all things leads you to show forth the battle that was won on a hill. This is what God is getting at. In Ephesians 5:3 and following, Paul has this thought about being in the light versus being in the dark. I want to read from verse 8 first then back up and show you the context. Verse 8, For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. In Ephesians 5, Paul is talking to people who were once in darkness and they have now transferred from darkness to light. The whole of Ephesians 5 is talking to people who are already saved.
He’s talking to people who are already walking with Jesus. But what does it mean to be children of the light?
Let’s go back to Ephesians 5:3-4, and this sets the context. It says, But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. Notice His language. He says don’t let any of these things be mentioned among you, because it’s not becoming of people walking in the light. Sometimes we think that if you do these types of things then you’re not of God. That is not what this is saying. This is saying since you are of God don’t do this. It’s totally different to how we have thought of it if you do this then you are not of God. No, that’s not what Paul’s saying. He is talking to the children of the light. He is saying since you are of God, then choose not to make these behaviors part of your life.
