I’ve been enthralled once more in the Gospel of John. This time, I am just soaking in the Greek word “lambano”, in its stand-alone form but also in it’s compound word use.
John 1:4 – “In Him was Life and The Life was the The Light of mankind”.
In Verse 5 it states (replacing the translated English word with the Greek) : “The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not katalambano it.
Verse 11 – He came to His own and His own people did not paralambano Him. But as many as lambano Him, He gave the right to become children of God.
The darkness did not katalambano The Light. The darkness could not understand The Light nor overcome it. Katalambano has an element of aggression in it, hence the translated word “grasp” used. The darkness on earth did not have the intense desire to take in The Light into their life; to do what is necessary to become a disciple of Yeshua; to lay down self and submit to Yeshua’s reign. The darkness tries to overpower or trap The Light but fails.
When a person moves into The Kingdom of GOD, it takes determination.
His own people did not paralambano Him. His own people did not accept His identity or teachings; they did not accept that He is The Son of GOD. Paralambano – to take closely along beside one’s self. By adding para to lambano, the meaning is an intimate, relational acceptance.
But to all that did lambano Him, He gave the right to become children of GOD…to those that believe in His name. Receive Him, take His Yoke…step into The Kingdom and submit to His reign..keep His commandments; live in grace.
This article was outlined with the assistance of Google Gemini.