Today we are going to continue our look at 1 John 2: 1-17 and we are going to go deeper with the World of the Text of verses 7-17.

This letter really does remind me a lot of the Gospel of John, because there is so much there.  You have to pay attention to every little word, every comma, everything.  There is meaning and depth in each part of this, and it is easy to miss unless we are really looking for it. Reading a letter like 1 John is a great practice for learning to read scripture, you have to read slowly and with purpose, paying attention to everything little thing.

As I read this passage and tried to truly look at what is happening, I saw a deep linkage between loving our fellow believers and walking in darkness/walking with the world.  So much of John’s writing in this passage is focused on that link. If you are in the darkness, you will hate your fellow believer.  For John, dark = evil.  If you are living in evil (darkness) your actions and deeds will be evil (hatred). But then, as you walk, blindly in the dark, you will stumble and be embroiled in more dark and produce more evil.

So notice what we are told in the end of the passage, these desires (and naming the eyes) come not from God, but from the world.

When we walk as the world walks, we are led further into darkness. When we are lead further into darkness our love grows cold, we do not love as we, we do not follow as we should, we do not care as we should.

So much of this passage reminds us, abide in Christ, walk in the light, live in love.  If we depart from Christ we walk in darkness and we live in hate.  John asks us over and over again, are we abiding Christ, because that choice and decision impacts our light/dark and our love/hate.

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