A lot can change when the light is turned on.
“If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; 3 but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed.” (Exodus 22 v 2-3)
At night, a homeowner cannot see who is at the door. He cannot tell whether the intruder is armed, or whether his family is in danger.
After sunrise, everything changes. Now the thief can be seen. He can be identified, restrained, and brought to justice. To kill him then is no longer defence but vengeance, and the law calls it bloodshed.
What do we do when we see clearly? In the dark, we may act in confusion and fear. In the light, we are without excuse. Once we know the truth, we are accountable for how we respond.
When we see clearly, we are accountable for how we respond.
And this ultimately points us towards the cross.
The cross was where justice and mercy met. Sin was not ignored. It was brought fully into the light. Yet the One who saw everything clearly chose redemption over revenge.
Jesus knew exactly what humanity had done, yet He prayed, “Father, forgive them.”
The light revealed the sin, but mercy provided a way back.
Perhaps the question for us is simple: What has God brought into the light that now requires a different response from us?
Because when we see clearly, we have a choice which is not to take revenge, but to respond with the grace we have received from Christ.
