The Extremes of Light and Darkness
P.C. Barker Matthew 4:16 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. The interval between the place of this verse and the close of the three temptations is considerable, and is not evident from the passage before us. It is also even obscured by the order of the verses here. Much history belongs to the gap between vers. 11 and 12. The seventeenth verse, as regards the matter of it, follows the twelfth. That, again, begs the fuller explanations of Matthew 14:3-5; and lastly, after all the history of Jesus visiting the synagogue of that Nazareth "where he had been brought up," given us in Luke 4:16-31, the proper chronological place of our vers. 13-16 is found. The one chief fact of history revealed by these verses is to the intent that Jesus, for whatsoever reason, takes up his abode in Capernaum; and certainly one chief moral significance is exhibited as attaching to that fact, namely, that so far from being an enlightened place, or a little more enlightened haply than some others, it was in and of itself, as also of the announcement of signal prophecy, the head-quarters and metropolis of darkness. The place wan dark, the district was dark, the people were dark - they even "sat in darkness." This spot was the principal residence of Jesus, this district the principal scene of his ministry, and "mighty works" and "gracious words." Notice in this prophetic announcement, now reduced to fact - I. A SPLENDID ILLUSTRATION OF ONE LEADING METHOD FOLLOWED BY CHRISTIANITY FOR THE REGENERATION OF MANKIND. The Light comes to the darkness, though it take the darkness a long time to "comprehend" it. II. A CONVINCING ILLUSTRATION OF THE GENUINELY CONDESCENDING CHARACTER OF THE FOUNDER AND EXEMPLAR OF CHRISTIANITY. The personal Light comes to those thick-covered and sunk in the very degradation of darkness, and endures patiently all the consequence. III. A CONSUMMATE ILLUSTRATION OF THE THRILLING RESPONSIBILITY THAT GATHERS UPON MEN ON WHOM CHRISTIAN GIFT IS BESTOWED. Light itself is offered them - the light of (1) correct information about themselves; (2) correct instruction about their Help and Deliverer; (3) perfect holiness and goodness; (4) a perfect Example and Model; (5) the unseen future and eternal. These are the things that make responsibility. - B. Parallel Verses KJV: 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. WEB: the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, to them light has dawned."