People will come to your light!

“Close your eyes, I have something to show you.” It might be a blanket fort, a special meal, clean room, new toy, finished chores, etc. As kids and adults, when we have something to show someone that we know will make them happy, we often ask that their eyes be closed or covered, so we can be there when they open their eyes to see the surprise and share in their joy.

Keeping someone in the dark is cruel. When there is a plate of fresh baked cookies and you choose not to share the news with your siblings, it is cruel. When it is time to pick teams and you leave someone out, it is cruel. When you give your spouse the silent treatment rather than have an honest conversation, it is cruel. When we choose to keep someone in the dark, it is cruel. The people of Judah could have kept quiet about the coming of a king when they were exiled far east of their homeland in Babylon, but some shared the message. We know some shared the message because in our Gospel reading from Matthew 2, we read,

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

The Magi wanted to worship the king of the Jews. From what they had been told, it was clear that this king was for them too even if they were not from the nation of Israel. When King Herod heard about this, he discovered what the prophet Micah who served Judah at the same time as Isaiah, about 700 years before Jesus’ birth, said about the location of the newborn King,

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

King Herod shared the prophecy with the Magi who then followed the star until they came to Jesus. And we read,

11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The shining star brought them through the darkness to the Light of the World and joy filled the Magi’s hearts. They did not share Jesus’ location with the cruel and jealous King Herod who then tried to kill Jesus.

Darkness cannot produce light. King Herod’s rule brought darkness and the same was true centuries earlier at the time of the prophet Isaiah. Darkness and deceit ruled in Judah as we read in the chapter before our Old Testament reading in Isaiah 59,

15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

The people had turned away from the truth of God and those few who did what was good and right were targets. Injustice flourished in the darkness, but it was not hidden from God. As punishment, God allowed Judah to be conquered by Babylon and the people exiled. In those dark times, the light of God was the only truth that could save them.

The times we live in are dark. As Christians, it is not cliché so say that we have seen the light. Jesus is the Light of the World. Our eyes have been opened, our ears unstopped and our hearts softened by the power of the Holy Spirit to believe in Jesus. Yet, we are like the stars in the night sky, bright, but surrounded by far more darkness. Jesus is not only our Savior, but the Savior of the world. His light must be shared as the Apostle Peter wrote 1 Peter 2,

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Notice, this calling is for all of us; there are no exceptions or exemptions. Instead, we are the people called out of darkness. We are the people of the light who share Jesus. We are surrounded by people who need to see the light, or they will remain in darkness. In prison, some of the worst forms of torture are solitary confinement or a dark cell. We know the light and we know people are in darkness, but we have lived with a dim and dull glow. There is a difference between knowing others need Jesus and sharing Jesus with those in need. You can think of it like the difference between knowing lifeboats are a good idea for a cruise ship without doing the work to install them, and believing they are a good idea by installing them. All people need Jesus, but some are still in the dark about him. Light shines in the darkness, but darkness remains darkness.

The Light shined in the darkness to save all people. God shined his light on us; he did not leave us in the dark. Isaiah describes our salvation as light rising on us in Isaiah 60,

1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

The glory of the Lord that has risen upon us is the answer to the darkness, injustice and lack of truth detailed in the previous chapter of Isaiah. In Isaiah 59, the King himself fights to redeem his people as we read,

16 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. 20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord.

We were darkness and could only produce darkness, but God is light. From the beginning, we see God shining light and life into the world as we read in Genesis 1,

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

And these verses are referenced in John 1, revealing or giving the epiphany that Jesus is the light of the world who gives us life and overcomes the darkness,

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Jesus was born to endure the darkness of hell on the cross as his Father punished him for our sins. There was even physical darkness on Good Friday, and when Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross, it was entombed in darkness for three days. And on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead because light cannot be overcome by darkness. God is light, life, activity and righteousness, while darkness is death and evil. In our Psalm for today, Psalm 72, we read,

1 Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. 10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts. 17 … Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.

Jesus saved the nations, kings and their people, from darkness, sin, death and hell, as we read in John 8,

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

We have been saved by Jesus from the darkness, and that means we are light too as we read in Matthew 5,

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”

We are no longer darkness, but light because our King fought to save us.

We shine light in the darkness. Isaiah wrote,

3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Jesus, the King of the Jews and Light of the World, draws people to his glorious light through us. As we grow from a dim glow to a bright light for the people around us, we often struggle when the darkness swallows up our light. When we want to give up shining the light of Jesus because it does not seem to be working for someone or we do not like some of those people caught in the darkness, those ideas come from our sinful nature. God has made us light and to be like him. God loves all nations, the world and all people and he is patient as we read in 2 Peter 3,

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

When we are patient like God and eager for no one to perish, we will get to see God do amazing things. And, when we love all who are caught in the darkness, we will remain in the light as we read in Proverbs 25,

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. 22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

God made us his lights to shine his light. We have full confidence that we will live in the warm rays of God’s light in heaven forever, and that future is what we share with others. Our New Testament reading from Ephesians 3, reveals or ‘epiphanies’ the mystery that Jesus came to save all nations, not just Israel,

6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

The truth of the Gospel is not a complex mystery to be solved, but one to be shared and revealed. We share Jesus so many will join us as heirs of heaven, members of Christ’s body, the Church, and sharers in the promise of salvation. Isaiah shares an epiphany opening our eyes to the gathering of believers in Isaiah 60,

4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. 5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; 6 … And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.

God will assemble from all nations including the young and those from distant nations like Sheba which was also mentioned in Psalm 72 and the Magi who came to honor their King. When you shine the light of the gospel, the truth, God’s Word, Jesus, sin and grace, law and gospel, when you love people the way Jesus loved people, you will see God transform hearts. Go to the stressed, anxious, worried, tired, lonely, angry, greedy, prideful, immoral, and those who do good, but do not know God, and shine your light. God will bring those caught in the darkness to the light and our hearts will fill with joy.

“Close your eyes, I have something to show you.” It might be a fort, food, clean room, toy, finished chores, etc. As kids and adults, when we have something to show someone that we know will make them happy, we want to be their when their eyes open to share in their joy. The Light of the World, the glory of the Lord, has risen upon us. Jesus saved us from the darkness by paying for our sins on the cross and rising from the grave. Filled with his light, we share what Jesus has done for the world. Our hearts will fill with joy as people will come to our light. Amen.