Third Sunday of Epiphany – on Sunday 22nd January 2017 – by Archdeacon Paul Vrolijk.
Isaiah 9:1-4; Matthew 4:12-23, and Psalm 27.
It is a great joy to be with you today….and to get a taster of your life together…
Greetings from your brothers and sisters in Christ in Brussels!
The last 12 months have been very eventful for all of us….
In Brussels we had the March bombings…. the Brexit vote….which has been a major bereavement…..
…….and we just witnessed the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States….
Later this year…. key elections in France, Germany….and the
Netherlands…. We could be in for a bumpy ride….
To reflect on these issues in the season of Epiphany following
from Christmas is fascinating…..and hope giving!
What contrast this season between darkness and light….
……. between BAD news….and the GOOD News…..
How do we deal with that? How do we hold that together???
Various options are at our disposal….
One can opt for pessimism or cynicism….
That’s not too difficult ….but it does not really help oneself ….or
others…
OR… be an escapist… 🙂
We withdraw to our cosy bubbles of warmth and light…. for a day or two…. and just forget about it all….
Certainly a good short term fix…I did just after Christmas….it was wonderful…… but it does not resolve anything either…
OR….we are reasonable….we choose middle ground…
…holding both the good and the bad… keeping things in
perspective. Counting our blessings yes……. but what about all that darkness??
All these strategies are all too familiar…God does none of
them……God does something completely different….
The Good news we heard at Christmas is that….
Light shines in the darkness….and the darkness has not
overcome it….
God ENTERS the darkness…. God ENTERS our struggles…. our
suffering…..and death…
The Word became flesh and dwelled among us….
God …..the Creator of the universe…. decides…..to become….
ONE OF US…. Jesus….. The Lord SAVES…..
Not just to show solidarity….I will just be with you in darkness for a bit…
Jesus ENTERS our darkness….in order to TRANSFORM it….
As in our reading today…..a reading that features in both Christmas and Epiphany….
Isaiah 9 vs 2
‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has
shined.’
It is important to remember that Isaiah spoke these words of hope in times a great crisis for the people of Judah…
‘In the former time he brought into contempt the land of
Zebulun and the land of Naphtali’ (v1)
The land of Zebulun and Naphtali…. always was the first entry point of enemies attacking from the North…. enemies like Assyria….and Babylon…..
This region that had seen so much death and destruction…. would also be the first region to see the glory of God….
…..but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the
sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. (v1)
In Matthew 4 this passage is applied to Jesus….the Christ….
The PROPHETIC readings we heard this Epiphany season… are all about God’s big hope….God’s big mission… despite DARK TIMES……not only for Israel…..but for all the nations….
Note by the way that vs 5…. a verse that is often left out in Carol
Service readings…. refers to the aftermath of war…..
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the
fire. (v5)
before we get to that glorious verse 6….
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder (v6)
Biblical scholar Tom Wright says that when Jesus read such
prophecies….. Jesus saw his ‘job description’ …….
…….Jesus KNEW that role was for him….that he was ….the
MESSIAH…. the long awaited….anointed One…..who is also the
suffering servant who would bring salvation to the ends of the
earth….
One example from our reading last week Isaiah 49….. Also about being THE LIGHT…..
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ (49:v6)
Jesus himself would say…
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk
in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn. 8:12 ESV)
and in Matthew 5….to his followers….
“YOU are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden.” (Matt. 5:14 ESV)
This is about cross and resurrection…. and the spread of the
Gospel….and the renewal of all things….
Jesus knew HE was the LIGHT….and that HIS LIGHT would be
visible in his FOLLOWERS….
He also knew that before bringing salvation would reach the ends of the earth…. He really had to ENTER THE DARKNESS….
[Jesus had great HOPES…. HE also was very realistic…..]
Jesus was born in a world of great violence…and darkness..
Jesus and his family had to flee the violence…..and
became….refugees…. ….all small boys in Bethlehem were killed soon after his family and he fled…
Jesus himself would die a horrible death…on the cross….
Jesus really descended into darkness….
The evening before Jesus died… he spoke to his friends about
everything that was to happen …. And he concluded like this….
John 16:33 (NLT)
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.
….may have peace IN ME….
Jesus says that only IN HIM….will we know true peace….
…and then he said….
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take
heart…. I have overcome the world.”
God does not deny evil…. God does not….
Darkness is confronted with light…. the glory of JESUS….full of
GRACE and TRUTH…..
Death and darkness were not able to hold Jesus….!!
Actually….one day…all darkness and death….will be swallowed up by light and life!!
Behold…. I make everything new! (Revelation 21:v6)
that is the vision!
All of humanity is invited to turn to the light…. so that we become light bearers ourselves…..in a dark world….
Last week…the Gospel invitation (in John 1:v29-42) was…. COME AND SEE….
This week… Jesus says…. FOLLOW ME….
When we meet Jesus…. lives are changed forever….
In Jesus….we come face to face with God… His LOVE…. GRACE
…truth….and PURPOSE….
When we turn to Jesus….the Light of the world…Christ is born in us…. light of the world….
As c16th thinker and writer Erasmus said:
“Give light….and the darkness will disappear of itself…”
We are not to give in to darkness…. or ignore it….
We are called to confront it….in grace and truth…..
We have to bring God’s light… wherever God has placed us…
Martin Luther King, Jr. said…..
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
And yes… they were unfinished…..works in progress… we all
are….jars of clay….. YET….. holding the glorious treasure….. Christ being formed in us……
We live with many challenges ourselves… We live in a world that
can be so dark… YET…. we may believe….that LIGHT shone in
the darkness…. and the darkness did not overcome the light….
We know that following Jesus resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit….. the life-giving message of Jesus went out in all the earth…. the growth of the Church…. Light of the world…. Salvation to the end of the earth…..
HOW did that happen?….and how DOES it happen?
Jesus says….FOLLOW ME…..
Being with Jesus…..to become more like Jesus…..to do the things
Jesus did…..in the way he did them……
It always goes back to OUR own ENCOUNTER…..with the living
God….
I think all this is very well reflected in your church values…. UP IN OUT….
Worship and Prayer….(UP)
Deep Community and Discipleship…(IN)
Service and Evangelism….(OUT)
By the GRACE of GOD….This is how faith grows…. This is how the church grows….In a world that desperately needs light….
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. (v2).
In this place….at this time….Jesus calls you to follow him….and be that light…
Jesus calls you to be the hope….of the world….
AMEN
Paul Vrolijk / Amersfoort 22 January 2017