The Darkness of Darkness

Parable of the Rich Fool

Something of a paradox: You cannot gain without losing. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Matt. 16:25-26.

Exploring the Parable.

Anyone who knows my writing understands that I frequently make comparisons; often paralleling Old and New Testament scriptures. This is one of those occasions.

“The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, this will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry” Luke 12:16-19.

This man has totally ignored the teaching of scripture: “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine” Proverbs 3:9-10.

“Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of ALL thine increase;”

“I will pull down My barns and build greater; and there [ in MY barns] will I bestow ALL My fruits and My goods.” (He has no intention of honoring God, either with or without his firstfruits.)

“Honour the Lord. . .so shall thy barns be filled with plenty. . .”

“And he thought within himself. . .What shall I do. . .I have no room. . .this will I do. . I will pull down my barns. . .[I will] build greater. . .I will bestow ALL. . .I will say to my soul. . .Soul, thou hast. . .” “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee:” “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: Come, get you down: for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great” Joel 3:13. Little did this rich man know, that as he thought to “gain the whole world,” he was about to “lose his own soul.” “I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into My barn” Matt. 13:30. The rich man took into account the greatness of his fruit; that he would pull down his barns and build bigger in order to accommodate his goods. What he did not take into account was the Divine harvest; that God had a “barn” in which to gather his “goods,” but a great fire in which to burn the tares.

An interesting comparison: “Honour the Lord with thy substance. . .thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Pro. 3:9. “the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.” Joel 3:13.

Paul well summarizes the rich man in the parable: “they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful: but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. . .” Romans 1:20b,21,22.

The Darkness of Darkness.

Amidst one of the darker days of Israel we have this sad commentary: “For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!” Deut. 32:28. The “latter end” for the rich man is found in Luke 12:20: “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.”

In Deuteronomy 32:28 are three things which describe the nation, yea, the individual: they are said to be void of counsel; to be void of understanding; to be void of wisdom. And so it is with all of mankind, whether they be Jew or Gentile: “they are all under sin. . There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God” Rom. 3:9b,11. (Were it not for pure Grace we would still be in that camp!)

“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” John 1:5. They are void because they are in darkness. May we further say that they are not only in the midst of, or surrounded by darkness, but are embedded in a cesspool of darkness. Moreover, I would contend that they may be rightly addressed as Darkness. Darkness is a great void. It is mindless; it is incapable of any degree of comprehension. Yet it is also to be owned as the entire spectrum of wickedness. Darkness is another scriptural name for the unregenerated man. Though he should comprehend [have counsel, have under- standing, have wisdom], he cannot. He cannot, he will not. Let’s go a step further: to the believer is given a name to Whom he is to be identified: it is that of Light. “Chapter and verse, please!” “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” Eph. 5:8. It is not“in” darkness, nor “in” light. Ye were Darkness; ye are Light.” Three verses down, Ephesians 5:11 gives us counsel: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” We firmly believe that it is the unfruitful works of Darkness; not darkness the great void, but Darkness, the man who is void of counsel, understanding, wisdom!

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” II Cor. 6:14,15. Consider (if you can) righteousness yoked with unrighteousness, light yoked with darkness, Christ yoked with Beliel, the believer yoked with the infidel!

Man is Darkness personified; he is endwelt with darkness; he is surrounded by darkness; his heart is darkened (Rom. 1:21); his eyes are darkened that he cannot see (Luke 11:34); his works are the works of darkness (Eph. 5:11). One need not look far in the scriptures to find a strong link between darkness and evil. The Light shineth into the depths of darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. Oh the darkness of this darkness!

Christ “was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” - but man does not comprehend that Light. “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”- but men are void of that Life; they are void of that Light.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” John 1:12,14.

“Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path” Psalm 119:105. “The entrance of thy words giveth Light; it giveth understanding to the simple” Psalm 119:130.