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In Luke 11:35, Jesus says "See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness." In Matt 6:23 he says something similar.

How can light be darkness? Is he saying that the illumination we think we have is false and is actually darkness?

Ruminator
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blearyeye
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  • In scripture darkness can sometimes be considered a kind of light. Just as light pervades all that it touches, so does darkness. A room at nighttime with a candle is full of light. Without, it is full of darkness. Yes, the illumination we think we have, may be a fog of darkness. There are two luminaries in the heaven - one is pure light and rules the day; the other is pale reflection and rules the night. – Nigel J May 25 '18 at 17:56
  • How can light be darkness ? - Have you ever gone on a walk during (late) evening, or (very) early in the morning ? – Lucian May 28 '18 at 12:20
  • I've begun wondering about the ontological status of darkness. In Genesis 1:3-4, God separates light from darkness. In the underappreciated answer at link, the assertion is that darkness is a thing, just like light. Light was created and darkness was something removed from it. – blearyeye May 30 '18 at 12:32
  • Welcome to the forum, blearyeye. This is a simple and straightforward question. It reminds me of the Passover question, "Why is this night different from all other nights?" The answers to simple questions sometimes expose profound truths. Jesus might have deliberately made a seemly contradictory or contrasting statement to elicit such questions as yours. Blessings. – Dieter Jun 01 '18 at 02:15

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I think so. We may think we see clearly and are in the light but are actually in darkness. Even Satan can present himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:4) and we may not see through his deception.

In the Matthew 6 context, it means that the love of money can cloud our spiritual perception. Our goal should be pure and single, it should be to gain Christ alone (Philippians 3:8). If we have other desires and value other things, what we consider the Lord's leading, may be something of the self.

enegue
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RobV
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