I Am the Light of the World.

 Sermon John 8:12-20 March 12, 2022 Lent 2

I Am the Light of the World.

Jesus said, “I Am the Light of the World.” He said that in a time that electricity did not exist. He said that in a time when people relied on candles or oil lamps for illumination. If any of you lost your power in our wind, rain, snowstorm yesterday you may understand that candlelight or oil lamp light is not very illuminating.

Our lives are so filled with light that we can get up in the middle of the night and all the little LEDs or power lights of our appliances, TVs, hallway nightlights, brighten the space so much that we have no need to turn a light switch to find our way. We are flooded with light from the streetlamps, to the computer screens, iPads, cell phones, and bright overhead fluorescent lights.

Light for us is a given. Light, very bright light is expected. In your imagination when we hear Jesus say he is the Light of the world, what kind of light are you thinking he is?

Do we imagine him as bright as the sun on a hot summer day shining upon us to keep us comfortable and to warm our days with goodness? Do we imagine him as a light from our cell phone helping us look under the bed for our lost earring? Do we imagine his light for the world to be bigger than our own needs and a light to shine our way forward?

When God created the world light was the first words God spoke, “Let there be light.” And when the gospel of John begins, we hear the words, “What came into being was life and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” Clearly, light is an important announcement That Jesus was, is and will be the beginning and the end of the world and for the world. He is the Alpha and the Omega.

But if we know all this already about Jesus, why is he repeating it again here in chapter 8? Jesus was not sharing this message among the disciples in this chapter but among those who disputed his validity. There are many who need to hear God’s word revealed to them in places where it is rejected. Jesus began to speak out and speak up in places where he knew there was resistance to his claims. He spoke up about his claim in a place where he knew he would be rebuked. Jesus recognized that anyone could shine light among willing listeners. But to shine light in the dark halls of hate and injustice, that’s a different league. He demonstrates for the future generations of his church how important it is to shine clearly on areas of the world where there are people who harm others, to shine and expose systems that betray and take advantage of others.

Light has a way of shining on those whose lives have only known darkness. Evil only knows darkness and Jesus threatens to bring light there. And friends, when the threat of revelation coming to light occurs among the darkness of evil all the legions of evil let loose, and it can become very dangerous.

We are continuing to live in challenging times. There doesn’t seem to be one moment’s rest from either the problems in our homes, schools, workplaces, communities, then we turn around and witness all ‘hell’ breaking loose across the world.

I ask myself, ‘Where is this precious light of the world Jesus bringing the peace and harmony we so yearn for and desire?’

I then reread the words of Jesus as he defends himself before his critics.

I realize in his words we find our hope.

We have our hope from a God who descends from heaven to shine a light on our path for eternity.

In God’s entrance into the world through the incarnation at Christmas, God chose death at the birth of Jesus. Because God knows-all flesh dies.

God who created the world with the words, “Let there be Light”, became the Light of the world in Jesus. Long before the cross became the death of Jesus his entrance into our world to be our light sealed his fate in death.

As we walk this Lenten path, let us remember that.

God’s incredible desire for us is so strong that God chose to shine his light through his physical presence. It’s that kind of love that God is willing to give up to bring life to those who receive his light. Friends, that is some marvelous hope!

I cannot help but think of the little girl singing the song ‘Let it Go’ from Disney’s movie Frozen as she was sheltering in a bunker hiding from the bombs going off outside. Those signs of light that illuminate the darkness of our world restore us to want to do and to be more than who and what we are at the moment.

Jesus provides us with constant examples about how to live in his light and to carry on his light. Today I offer two take aways to consider. One is not to shy away from the need to speak the truth of his love even when it is dangerous. Another is to continuously bring the light to the dark places of our lives and of the world.

Jesus didn’t come into the world to win a popularity contest or to try to make everyone happy. He took his responsibility as the Son of God to show God’s love through his healing, his teaching, his message of grace. He also called people to repentance and rebuked those who were harming others. Showing grace and mercy is not about pleasing people so they feel good. It is about revealing the truth of God’s love so one’s life can be transformed and turned around.

We all need someone in our life to point out places where we can grow. Sometimes that is hard and difficult. I know that sometimes people go to see counselors and then quit going because the counselors challenged them to discover some depths of themselves that shed light on things that made them uncomfortable. It then made them angry and they quit. Sometimes the truth of Jesus shedding light on our lives can also be uncomfortable. He comes to bring us new life. And sometimes that means changing the way we are living.

Part of the reason we use candles in the church is to be reminded that the light of Christ is with us. And when we leave, we carry the light with us into the world. We have been restored to new light in worship and that grants us what we need for the next week to shine our candle of grace to those around us.

Today as we suffer through the effects of the time change for daylight savings time, we know the reward tonight will be lighter a little longer. Let us begin to be encouraged. We are moving to longer days and brighter lights.

Let’s ask Jesus to reveal to us how we can shine.

Let us ask Jesus to restore our souls so they ignite with joy.

Let us ask Jesus to recreate the spark of wonder in our hearts.

Let us go out in faith as we walk in the light together. Amen.

 

Benediction.

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World”. Jesus also said, “You are the light of the World.” Go and be light.

 Resources: NIB Commentary John's gospel.

Words and quotes property of Monica Gould

Eye has not Seen

 

Meditation 1 Corinthians 2:1-13; Nehemiah 8:5-6 March 9, 2022, Wednesday Ecumenical Lenten service @ HT

“Eye has not Seen; ear has not heard what God has ready for those who love him. Spirit of God give us the mind of Jesus, teach us the wisdom of God”. anthem Teach us the Wisdom of God

Greetings to the beautiful people of Holy Trinity! It is a gift to return among you and it feels like coming home again. We have served together in the community in so many ways and today rings with the memory of such joy.

We’re here today in this blessed season of Lent. We are here to worship our Lord who brought us into a life of faith and wonder; a life of joy and adventure. We are here to raise our voices and our praise to the One who is watching us and who is receiving our worship. May we honor the name of Jesus our Lord today in our words and our deeds.

Paul is our witness this morning to the testimony of Jesus Christ as he speaks to us through his letter to the church in Corinth. Paul arrived in the bustling metropolis of Corinth around 50 AD. Here he miraculously unified the most diverse people into a one unified church of Jesus Christ. From the beginning, the church was in constant need of the reminder of who brought them together into a unified faith. From the beginning the people of the church of Corinth were in constant dispute among themselves. It was the largest blended family experience and experiment in the Christian faith.

And yet, somehow this eclectic group of people became a powerful witness to the world as a united body through the power of the body of Jesus Christ.

Last week the Reverend Willie Justus reminded us to remember. It’s true! If we can’t remember where we came from as people of faith, we don’t have the shoulders of those precious saints who came before us to stand on. We need them. They pray with us every time we pray. There is a legion of angels and saints waiting for us to pick up the prayer train and pray and witness and testify to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Friends, we are standing on the threshold of the future church. It is up to us to do something. It is up to us to stop being afraid of the open door and cross over into the next phase of the church of Jesus Christ.

You see we have to ask ourselves the question-are we ready? Are we willing? Are we able? To do what God has ready for those who love him?

Because he promises what ‘eye has not seen, what ear has not heard God is ready’ to launch the Spirit within us to unimaginable sights and heights.

I believe as people of faith we need a reset. We need to take our remembering from last week and reset our minds  and our hearts this week so that God can fill us with his wisdom and restore us and send us out over that threshold with boldness and with courage and without fear. If the church is unified and strong-the world can be too.

The assault on the church has been great. It has been so great that it is suffering today more than it has in decades. People have stopped coming to church and we have no understanding of how to get them back in the pews. We are suffering because we can’t remember our witness story. We can’t remember our testimony to preach. People have so many choices in their lives and they’re not choosing church. They’re choosing online church of a variety of styles but they’re not choosing in person church. They’re choosing chat rooms and other faith experiences but not church. We have no idea how to bring them back into the pews. We feel lost. We are confused. We have no idea how to navigate this chaos of order around us. Minister colleagues and lay leadership are baffled and struggling to find the way.

So here we have Paul in Corinth, who brings amazing hope to this crazy band of gentiles, Jews, and Roman pagans and tells that that they are powerful force of witness to the world around them. He lets them know that the gospel is its own power of testimony, and they can be renewed in that wisdom. Who doesn’t need some wisdom today?

Perhaps, that’s part of our Lenten journey-to hear the voice of wisdom, to see the way of God. We pause in this season to restock, reset and to restore.

When Mike and I are on our passages with our sailboat we have to stop and pause too. When we come into port we assess our situation. We go around the boat and look for places of chafe and damage. We repair what needs repairing. We reprovision our fuel, our water, and our food. We make sure the boat is fully restocked to complete the next phase of our passage making. And then we reset-we rest. We make sure we are fit for travel again. We reset and recalibrate our instruments. We sleep. We get our land legs again. We interact with the world around us. And through that process we are restored for another season of passage making. That’s what Lent does for us.

In another age before Paul there was a need for a restoration of faith and courage and testimony. In Nehemiah 8:5-6 Nehemiah calls on Ezra to bring out the Law-the then known Word of God and read it to the people. As Ezra stands before the sea of people, he picks up the book of the Law. As he begins to read it the people STAND! They stand, they get up. They respond automatically. Their bodies literally raise themselves up in awe of God’s Word. It is one of the most incredible testimonies to the power of God’s word. It is the power of wisdom, the power of the Spirit at work within the people to restore their faith. To renew their hearts. To fill their souls with the goodness of God’s love. Not only did the people stand when they heard God’s word they then bowed down and wept, they wept because the words of God’s grace were fresh and new on their ears. Sometimes that’s all we need is to hear the words of love and grace read to us one more time and we too weep as we are restored to the bosom of God’s embrace.

So, friends, in this age of uncertainty, where are we standing? 

Looking back? Yes-to remember the saints and to stand on their shoulders. 

Looking forward? Yes-to look with hope and anticipation, not fear, of the future church that God is calling us to envision and provision. 

Looking to the present? Absolutely-for it is in the present that we live. In the present we build, we sustain, we encourage, we act, we live with joy and we do not hesitate. 

You see, in the present we trust the Spirit to grant us wisdom as we believe the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ to be true and to be our story to tell.

Be of good faith. We have the Spirit of God within us. Be restored. Live a holy Lent. Amen.

Resources: NIB J. Paul Samply- Corinthians commentary.

Words and quotes-Property of Monica Gould.