Life in
Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;
29“Lord,
now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30for
my eyes have seen your salvation 31that you have prepared in the
presence of all peoples, 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32 (ESV)
(From
“Emmanuel, God With Us)
Grace and
peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
When my
family was all at home, we were sitting in the living room enjoying a video. The
wind was howling outside and the snow blowing against the window sounded like
sand. Just as the credits began to roll, there was a flicker in the lights…
then another, and finally the lights went out completely… and it was dark. Not
just a little dark either, I mean really dark. Fortunately, the lights were
only out a few minutes and they flickered back to life again. After a few other
threats, they stayed on for the remainder of the night. You know, there is just
something people don’t like about the dark. That’s why night-lights were
invented. That’s why the hall light burns out long before the lights in the
kid’s rooms. That’s why horror movies are always set at night.
But there is
also something we like about the darkness. In the dark, we can’t be seen. We
can be quiet and alone. And if you’ve been in the dark for a while you don’t
want the light. Think about turning that bedside lamp on first thing in the
morning. The alarm has dragged you from sleep, but your still warm and
comfortable. Suddenly the light clicks on and you shield your eyes from its
invasion. It almost hurts until you become once again accustomed.
For a long time,
the whole human race was very much in darkness. People didn’t really know where
they were. We didn’t know why. And many people tried to figure out the reasons,
but no one found it. Some of the time we were afraid, in the dark, but
sometimes we were very comfortable. Then a light did come into our darkness. It
shown so brightly that none of the darkness was left at all.
Why is it
that there is so much suffering in the world? Why do bad things happen to good
people? Why is it that so many people wander around their whole lives wondering
who they are? What am I supposed to do with my life? Why do people die,
especially my close loved ones? Why do I have to die? Life is full of questions
like this. Maybe we’ve come to expect them. Maybe we’ve become comfortable with
them. But it seems that in a good and perfect world we would have questions
like that to ask. Something’s not right, something is wrong in the world.
Well, the
world is in darkness. It’s like a shadow that covers over everything. Just like
all darkness it makes it hard to see what’s real. And even though we know there
is something wrong we can’t see what it is. Like sitting in a darkened room,
you can’t see what’s around you. During one of those strong snowstorms the
power went out several times. When you’re in the parsonage at night and the
power goes out, it’s very dark. There isn’t much to do, even with a flashlight.
And you know what it’s like to drive the roads at dark, knowing that lurking in
the darkness just outside your headlights are dear waiting to dart out in front
of you. It’s dangerous driving.
God’s Word
tells us about the darkness in the world. It’s called sin. Sin is a blindness
that has affected all people. It ‘got dark’ when Adam and Eve decided that they
wanted the ‘knowledge’ to judge good and evil on their own. They thought that
that knowledge would let them see more clearly. But, it blinded them to God and
His desire for their lives. They separated themselves from God by saying that
they wanted to be their own judge of right and wrong. But that’s something that
only God can really say, and that separation has been a real part of every
human life ever since.
We sing
right hymns here in the middle of our darkness. Jesus Christ has come into our
dark world and He has brought true light. God has always been about bringing
light. Remember God’s first words in the bible? Let there be light!
Through Jesus God has spoken those words again. Let there be light! Let
people see. Let them see that disease and suffering and death are not the way
the world is supposed to be. Let them see that things are not right. Go, my
beloved Son, and be the light that takes their darkness away.
One of the
worst things about darkness it that it hides those we love from us. You know
what its like to try to find someone in a crowd; and if the crowd is in a dark
room its even harder. Darkness separates from people. In darkness we are alone,
stumbling around looking for a friend, a mate, or just someone to talk to. Sin,
the real darkness in the world, has made it much harder to find each other.
It’s because of sin that we
can’t see each other clearly. We can physically see other people. But we don’t
know what they are thinking. We don’t know what people really want from us. How
many of you had a crush on someone when you were young? It’s called a crush
because is pushes everything else out of your mind. You spend endless hours
trying to find answers to your questions of: Does she feel the same? Does he
really like me? But primarily the most important thing about a crush, the thing
you spend the most energy on is keeping it secret. You don’t want to rush out
and speak your feelings, because you don’t want to be foolish. So, you keep
your secret in the dark. And really all our relationships are like that. We
spend a great deal of time and effort trying to discover what people mean when
they say certain things. We argue over the smallest thing because of a simple
misunderstanding. Marriages end because the spouses don’t ‘understand’ each
other anymore. Without God, without Jesus Christ, people are disconnected from
one another, hiding alone, living in darkness.
When the light shinse in our darkness, we are not
alone anymore, we can find each other again. When we are at one with God,
through Jesus, He binds our hearts together as one. Jesus brings light to the
troubling questions of life: Who am I? What should I be doing?
Who are we? We are God’s precious creation, loved by
Him dearly. He shows us the great extent of His love by sending His only son to
die and be separated from Him instead of you and me. He sends His Son into our
dark world to shed light on you and show you that you are His. God made you His
very own child in baptism. That’s where God snatched you out of darkness into
His wonderful light.
Where are we going? We are going to be in the light
forever. That is the light of Christ. We are on our way to city where there
will never be any darkness. And right now, you have a great purpose. You are a
light in the dark world. You are a light pointing to Jesus Christ; showing
people that their darkness can have an end.
It’s not always easy to see the light. Our lives are
full of dark moments that we’d rather not have to live in. But God shines the
light of Jesus on your life through His Word and Sacraments. Through these
things, He keeps you focused on the true light of the world.
You have been placed in the light through faith in
Jesus Christ. He is coming again, and when He does, all that is dark, evil, and
sinful will pass away forever. And we will join with all those who have faith
in Him, past, present and future, one in the light of Jesus Christ. Amen. Come
Lord Jesus, Come! Amen.
The peace of
God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
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