The Night Cometh...the Wayfarer 1/15/16

The Night Cometh
 1/15/16

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

(John 9:4)

These words were spoken by Jesus, to the disciples regarding the healing of a blind man, after their question of whether this man who was blind from birth, was blind because of his own sin, or because of the sin of his parents.

The simple answer was that neither the parents, nor the blind man had caused the blindness, but simply that the healing would be done to glorify God, and to give hope and proof of that hope of God’s power to correct any and all affliction, no matter the cause, no matter the time, no matter the perceived legality of what was clearly God’s work.

After having been healed, the man, of course, let everyone in on the news of that healing, leading to the criticism of the Pharisees who looked for any breach of protocol to convict Him of to perpetuate the power of men, namely their own.

They steadfastly, stubbornly insisted that because the act was done on the Sabbath, that it could not have been a gift from God, because the Sabbath was violated by the simple act of the “work” of making the clay to place on the man’s eyes.

Jesus, in their opinion, had to be a sinner for having broken the Sabbath to heal.

These “righteous” went about gathering evidence against Him, attempting to force the parents of the man to make a statement that would be used to persecute them as well, or deny that the healing came by the power of God.

They, in turn, refused to be drawn into the deceptive, and perjurative testimony intended to deny that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of God.

Instead, they had the Pharisees ask the man himself about the healing.

He in turn asked them if they would be disciples of the One who had healed him, only to be met with ridicule, derision and condemnation for accepting the love given him.

Having been cast out of the temple, ostracized by the “religious”, the man then was sought out by Jesus again, He asked simply if he believed on the Son of God.

Even after having been healed, having experienced the power of God for himself, the man asked who that Son of God was, only coming to the comprehension of the truth once it had been given by Jesus himself.

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

And Jesus said unto him, thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?

Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth”

(John 9:35-41)

The truth has been given, ALL claims of blindness removed through the gospel that has been given us.

Acceptance or denial are no longer a matter of perception, but one of choice, a choice made by each to accept or deny.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

(John 3:17-21)

Light, or darkness, the choice must be made by each wherein to work.

Much work remains to be done, and is being done both in the light and in the darkness that denies the light of day which is the truth.

Night is fast upon us, the time for the light is now. The time to choose is now, while time remains both to hear and choose the truth.

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:

And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.”
(Amos 8:11 & 12)

From the beginning, from the first book of the Bible, Genesis, to the last book of our Bible, Revelation, we have been warned that God will only allow for the denial of his power for so long, then no longer.

Sin will be tolerated by individual, by nation, by society, by the world for only so long, then no longer, and the price must be paid, reward accepted or condemnation given that has no limit, to temporal constraint, no end.

“And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”

(Genesis 6:3)

Few are allowed to reach that mark set for a limit on the physical age that was given, most must choose long before having reached that age, then must in turn, face the consequences of that decision made, for the length of time given them in the flesh, and in the eternity yet to come.

“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still.

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

(Revelation 22:11-13)

Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer