A sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany - Matthew 5:13-20. At Trinity Lutheran Church, Connellsville, PA. We sang "This Little Light of Mine" together during the children's sermon right before I preached.
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Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Do you remember learning
the song “This Little Light of Mine” in Sunday School? Written around 1920 as a
song for children, it became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement in the 50s
and 60s. Along with its simple lyrics, making it easy to sing on the fly, the
image of light in this song is a powerful one. In today’s readings, Isaiah and
the psalmist and Matthew all use the image of light to describe what it means
to be a follower of God.
This image of light seems
particularly fitting as we find ourselves increasingly surrounded by darkness
in our lives and in our world. Darkness presses in as we watch the people we
love struggle with cancer and illness. Darkness presses in as we grieve over
those who have died, both expectedly and unexpectedly. Darkness presses in,
taking the form of hopelessness, loneliness, and despair. Darkness presses in,
looking like fear, hatred, and racism.
So much darkness can feel
claustrophobic and overwhelming. So much darkness leaves us wildly reaching out
for something, anything, to hold on to. So much darkness leaves us searching
for even the tiniest glimmer of light.
Jesus tells the disciples
and those gathered on the hillside “You are the light of the world.” Not “you used to
be the light, before you screwed things up.” Not “you can be
the light, if you work hard enough.” No – you are the light of
the world.
And you, yes you are
the light of the world, too. So, a few observations about light:
The purpose of light is to
help us see things that would otherwise be obscured or hidden. This seems
obvious, of course. Lamps, flashlights, candles, lanterns – all of these light
sources were created expressly for the purpose of illuminating dark spaces. We,
too, were created with a purpose – to glorify God and to share God’s love with
everyone, the whole world. As Jesus says in today’s reading, and as we hear as
part of the baptismal liturgy, “let your light so shine before others that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
As the light of the world, our
words and actions can help others see God, especially in those times and places
when God’s presence seems to be obscured or hidden. When we stand up for the
vulnerable in the name of Christ, we are reminding them that God sees them and
cares about them. When we seek justice in the name of Christ, we are reminding
others that we are called to a better way, God’s way. When we visit the sick
and lonely in the name of Christ, we remind them that God’s presence is always
with them. When we feed the hungry in the name of Christ, we remind them that
God is concerned with their physical well-being, not just their spiritual
well-being.
We do this not to make
ourselves look good, but to point to God’s enduring goodness. We do this not to
try to earn our way to heaven, but to show others that God’s abundant grace is
already here and is for them, too – no strings attached.
Another observation about
light - even the tiniest bit of light can make a big difference in the midst of
darkness. One cell phone screen seems to light up an entire movie theater. Tiny
Christmas lights in a dark room are enough to read by. A miniature flashlight
gives off enough light to get your key into the lock when you arrive home late
at night. A small nightlight plugged into the wall is bright enough to keep you
from tripping when you wake up surrounded by darkness.
The same is true for us –
even the smallest good works can make a big difference in the midst of
darkness. One phone call or card is enough to help brighten the day of someone
who is lonely. One smile is enough to communicate kindness and peace to a
stranger. A donation of even five dollars to an organization doing important
work in the community helps ensure that perhaps one more person can receive
assistance. Yes, the impact of the light and love and hope we share is not
about quantity, but quality.
And, a final observation
about light - light multiples when divided. I know that sounds like some kind
of crazy math problem, but it’s not! Light multiples when it is divided. One of
my favorite parts of the Christmas Eve service, and maybe yours, too, is toward
the end when we turn off all the lights. Everyone holds a tiny candle, and as
John’s prologue is read, the ushers walk up the aisle with their candles,
pausing to let the unlit candles tilt toward the flame. Perhaps this should be
my selling point to get assisting ministers for Christmas Eve, because it is a
thing of beauty to watch from the chancel as this process unfolds.
The light spreads, slowly,
deliberately from the center to the edges, and the room fills with a warm glow
as we sing Silent Night together. All that light started from one tiny candle!
As the light is divided, passed from one wick to another, it does not diminish
or weaken. Instead it multiples, expands, and spreads. There is enough light
for everyone. It is a sign for us of God’s abundance.
Too often abundance is not
our default way of thinking. And in our fear of scarcity, of not having enough,
we allow darkness to take up space around us. We are so afraid that there will
not be enough for us that we hoard and hide and create divisions. In and out,
welcome and not welcome. But that’s not who we are as the people of God.
With God, there is always
enough, and more than enough. Enough room, enough bread, enough welcome, enough
grace, enough love, enough light. And when there is enough and more than enough
it doesn’t matter if you are deserving or undeserving, if
you’ve earned it, or not. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been
showing up for years or just showed up today, abundance means there is enough
and more than enough for everyone.
There seems to be no limit
to the darkness that surrounds us, both in our personal lives and in the world
around us. But we are reminded that death, and cancer, and hatred, and fear,
and division are no match for the light that shines through us. Created by God
to be the light of the world, we share this light, this love, and this hope
with others. For light that breaks through even the deepest darkness we say
thanks be to God. Amen.
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