Sitting in darkness

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. (Matthew 4:16 KJV)

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4 KJV)

How do you feel being in gross darkness?  Can you imagine you being wide awake in the dead of the night without any source of light and just staring into darkness. Now imagine this in an unending night.

This scripture talks about the people which sat in darkness. It did not say people who slept in darkness. You have no concerns for the darkness while sleeping. Sitting is a restful position. This indicates a settlement in their condition. They have no light and have gotten so used to the darkness around them groping their way through life. One can grope from one place to another and become so familiar with that path or route that one becomes very confident and quicker with movement through that path. This scripture, quoted from Isaiah (9:2) actually read "walked in darkness" instead of "sat in darkness." Sitting and walking are like two sides of a coin. They both express our life and living. Life as in a state or condition and living as in actions from that life. We can say here that walking (living) is an expression of life (sitting) The people sat and walked in darkness. 

What are the marks of a life lived in darkness?

 What would be the use of the eyes in darkness? It is as good as being blind. Our eyes are the organs by which light can be appreciated. Without light, the eyes, even though wide open with all the powers for vision will be of little or no value. Gaining knowledge becomes very easy in the presence of light. A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. Isaac was deceived in spite of recognizing the voice as Jacob's. He felt through his hairy hands and could recognize the smell of the fields from his body but Isaac blessed Jacob instead of Esau due to the dimness of his sight. Errors abounds when there is no light and life is lived by trial and error.

The beauty of God's creation can only be appreciated in the presence of light. Could it not be the absence of light that has brought so much hatred, wars and killings of people that ought to have been appreciated? It is darkness that makes a man kill another because of greed or envy. An African is God's creations as much as an Asian or European is and all can only be appreciated when there is light. 

In darkness, you alone knows what you do. Where there is an agreement between two or more to do something,them alone knows what is done and only to the level of their involvement in what is done. There can be no trust in another in darkness. Suspicion arises at the slightest  unanticipated action. Men sit together at a table with smiles on their faces but their hearts are with daggers drawn against one another. Neighbours have no trust, one for another.

There is a need for greater caution in darkness and  a heightened level of fear for the unknown. The scripture added that the people also "sat in the region and shadow of death." Imagine walking in darkness in the heart of a forest swarming with all kinds of creepy and dangerous animals.  We take every precaution and calculate every move we make to the least details. Rationale has become our guide. How we tend to justify every one of our actions based on what we know in our own little dark corner.

Are there traces of these marks of living in darkness even now in your own life. Are you not yet in darkness living in this so called "enlightened world?" 

Darkness is actually a way of life conditioned by the limited amount of knowledge (wisdom of this world) available to live by. 

Matthew's quote, comes as an affirmation of the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. Jesus is that great light which these people who sat in darkness saw, He is that light which sprung up upon those seated in the region and shadow of death. 

Gospel according to John has this to say about Jesus -

In Him is life and this life is the light of men. 

Have you received this Life that is Him? Are you settled (seated) in this new state provided as the way out of our darkness?

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12 KJV)

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. (John 12:46 KJV)

If you have not touched this Life, you are yet in darkness. Many have fallen under the assumption of knowing this Life when in actuality they only know about the Life. Where do you stand? Do actually know this Life or you know many things about this Life. 

Light has come, why living any longer in darkness.