Matthew 4:12-17

Matthew 4:12-17
English Standard Version (ESV)

  If you're a Cincinnati Bengals fan, you're accustomed to life without postseason success.  No matter how good they may be during the regular season, they fail in the playoffs.  They currently hold the record for how long its been since they won a playoff game -- it's almost 30 years, longer than any other team.  You think this is the way it always is.
  We get used to our surroundings.  We adapt.  It's a skill and a gift, in many ways -- if we're always in the light, we get used to it, and if we're always in the dark, we get used to that as well.
  In a lot of ways, we're used to the dark.  We have grown accustomed to the lack of light, and in some ways, we've forgotten what it's like to see the light.  I know I get so used to my work environment, so used to the way it is, that I often forget to think that it could be any other way.  I can't even dream of what it might be like.
  So when Jesus came, he brought light to the darkness.  The people who were used to dwelling in the region and shadow of death saw a great light, and their lives were changed.  I imagine their entire understanding of how life works was transformed by the arrival of Jesus -- they saw everything differently, as it was bathed in the light of Christ.
  When you go out into the world, it's critical to pray for the wisdom and courage to see the world the way Christ sees it, to not lose sight of the vision of the light shining in the darkness.  If we grow accustomed to the darkness, we'll forget that God has another intention for the world, a grand vision for how things are supposed to be.  Let's not lose sight of that -- don't grow used to the darkness and give up the hopes and dreams of the light.  Focus your vision on how Christ is alive in the world.