June 6, 2024 Devo

Several years ago in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a 22-year-old hit a parked car while driving intoxicated. When he was brought before the judge, he had no lawyer, didn’t speak English, and was charged with a DUI. Hoping to avoid going to jail, he gave the judge a Monopoly-like “Get out of jail free” card that was a promotional gimmick from a hopeful Sheriff candidate. The young man thought it was real. It sort of worked, though. The judge didn’t put him in jail. He received a hefty fine and had his license suspended. I guess he didn’t have any of those cards on him.
Not knowing or pretending doesn’t change the law. It doesn’t change Jesus either. As I camped on this “seeking Jesus in the dark” idea, another thought that hit me was how many people seek after a Jesus that they “think” they know or a Jesus that they “hope” is a certain way. What I mean by that is that many people don’t read the Gospels to discover who Jesus really is and what Jesus really said. How many people have you heard say, “Well, Jesus knows my heart.” That statement is absolutely true. It means that Jesus knows when you don’t really want to know the truth but simply do what you want to do without consequence or accountability. It also means that Jesus knows when you’re deceiving yourself, justifying your actions or your attitudes, or trying to avoid the truth because you want to plead ignorance. That approach isn’t just “seeking Jesus in the dark.” It’s not seeking Jesus at all. It’s simply using His Name to put a stamp of approval on doing what we want to do.
Jesus lived and taught among us. His life and words were recorded for us so that we wouldn’t have to seek Jesus in the dark. The Gospels allow us to know who He is, what He said, and what He expects of us as His followers. Open His Word and read His life for yourself. Open your mind and heart, and let Him shine the light of His truth upon your life. Let’s not reduce Jesus to just some Nice Guy in the sky who winks at our arrogance. He is our Redeemer. He is our Savior. He is also our Lord and our Righteous Judge. He is both Grace and Truth. He’s revealed Himself in His Word, so that we can seek Him in the light. Trust me, a fake “Get out of jail free” card won’t cut it. That’s God’s Word for you today.