“Far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found” sings the final stanza of the great Advent hymn, “Joy To The World.”
But, what is “far as the curse is found” talking about? It refers to the wide scope of sin’s effects in God’s world.
Sin’s corrosive, perverse, misdirecting, and deadly effects are as wide as creation, both seen and unseen. We see this everywhere we look. Internally, we experience desires that promote love of self over love of God and others. Externally, we see sin’s affects in sickness and disease. We also see nature not working as it should when tornadoes and tsunamis wipe out entire communities.
There is no place in creation where sin’s presence is unknown.
Further, we see sin’s effects in everything people put their hands to. Ever experienced a computer crash? An engine fail? Food poisoning? All the result of human imperfection, mistake, and neglect.
Ever been on the raw end of a corrupt justice system? Been overlooked for promotion at work because your gender or skin color? Driven by mansions built next to a trailer park? These too are the result of societal structures and norms—some formal, some informal—that promote evil and injustice over good and righteousness.
As a friend once said, “If sin were the color blue, we would specs of blue everywhere.”
The hope for creation, however, is that the Creator took on creation, and through His flesh He broke the very thing that broke His world—sin. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Christ the Creator became Christ the Redeemer who loosed the stronghold of sin in the world, giving hope to all of creation!
How far is sin’s curse found? As far as creation. How far does Christ’s redemption reach? “Far as the curse is found.”
This is good news, indeed! And to that we sing, Joy to the World!
