Of Jesus Christ is written, "That was the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world." (John 1:9)
The light is His life. "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men," (John 1:4) because this life has been given to every man that was ever born into this world, the light has been manifested to every man. Every man, therefore, who is not saved will be "without excuse;" for the light has enlightened every man. "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)
The most benighted heathen, without the written law and revelation, nevertheless receives life from Him, and the very life by nature gives him sufficient knowledge of the law of God, so that in the Judgment his conscience will witness for or against him. "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." (Romans 2:14-16)
The man who knows least of the will of God knows better than he has done, and is conscious of guilt. And it is not for not knowing that he will be condemned, but for not believing and doing what he knew. God is just. The condemnation is not that men did not know, but "that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light." (John 3:19) "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." (Luke 12:48)
It is the law of the kingdom of heaven. Great light brings greater responsibility. When the Word reveals God's will to a person, who sees it for the first time in his life, he can never go on in the old way, turning from the light, and be the same that he was before the fresh light came to him. "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin." (John 15:22)
The record concerning the cities of Galilee illustrates this principle of accountability for light rejected. Jesus came and dwelt in Capernaum. "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 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 4:14-16)
Here Christ lived and wrought most of His mighty works. The region was populous and one in which to reach men of all nations. Says Dean Farrar, in his Life of Christ: "Through this district passed the great caravans on their way from Egypt to Damascus; and the heathens who congregated at Bethsaida Julias and Caesarea Philippi must have been constantly seen in the streets of Capernaum. In the time of Christ it was, for population and activity, 'the manufacturing district' of Palestine, and the waters of its lake were ploughed by 4,000 vessels of every description, from the war vessels of the Romans to the rough fisher-boats of Bethsaida, and the gilded pinnacles from Herod's palace."
But the great light was seen, and the people rejected it. It was not convenient just then to receive it, and they lapsed again into the shadow of death; but now into denser darkness than before. And so Christ pronounced the woe upon these busy cities, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. "And you, Capernaum, which are exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works, which have been done in you, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you." (Matthew 11:23-24)
Yet Capernaum, the religious center of the North, prided itself on its scrupulous performance of religious forms, and its formal piety. But in rejecting the "great light" that had arisen, it sunk lower than Sodom, which sinned so terribly and yet without as great light as Capernaum.
Sharing with Jerusalem in the rejection of the light, Capernaum and the coasts of the sea shared in the general desolation that fell upon the land which had filled up the cup by centuries of apostasy. Of the region now, a visitor, Archdeacon Farrar, says: "The shores are now deserted. With the exception of the small and decaying town of Tiberias-crumbling into the last page of decrepitude--and the 'frightful village' of Mejdel (the ancient Magdala) where the degradation of the inhabitants is best shown by the fact that the children play stark naked in the street--there is not a single inhabited spot on its once crowded shores. One miserable, crazy boat--and that not always procurable--has replaced its gay and numerous fleet."
The ruins here piled about amidst the rocks and brambles bear mute testimony to the fulfillment of such portion of the woe as pertains to this world. And in the day of account the fearful record of rejected light must be faced by those who might have walked in it.
The mighty works wrought in Galilee are written that we might believe and have life: "But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through His name." (John 20:31)
They trusted in following the ways of the fathers, the traditions of the elders, and refused to walk forward in the light.
Nowadays we hear much of the enlightenment of the Reformation. But the light that shines from the Word since the Reformation set it free, and since God's providence has so multiplied it and made it possible for all to study it, only throws upon people of this generation the greatest responsibility that has ever come to a generation since Jesus walked among men in Galilee.
The light still shines. The Reformation is not ended. As Jesus said to the people in that day, so He says to all now, "Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walks in darkness knows not where he goes." (John 12:35)--Present Truth, August 6, 1896--John 1:9.