The light of life
Commentary
Object:
The sun adds about 12 trillion watt-hours of solar energy per square mile to the earth each year. This is a significant amount of energy to come from the light of the sun, but it pales when compared to the light that comes from the Son, the Son of God. Jesus is the light of the world that shines forth in the darkness of our lives. It is a darkness of despair that comes in many forms which are familiar to all of us. These include such things as illness, emotional problems, estrangement from our children, marital troubles, stress at our place of employment, an income that is not sufficient and the ensuing anxiety, and concern for our elderly parents. When we make a list such as this we too often focus on the personal problems that confront us. But if we are students of the newspaper and watchers of the evening news we do feel some anxiety and stress regarding the problems of our own community and the larger world community in which we dwell. Terrorism and the Ebola virus capture the world news, but in our small corner of the world we have concerns about education, crime, and even traffic safety.
It seems we cannot escape that standard Christmas sermon that we have taken Christ out of Christmas. We are too caught up in gift-giving, holiday parties, and home decorations to focus on the child in the manger. Maybe we should reconsider this. Perhaps there is a place for Christmas tree lights this season that we ought to accept and promote. Christmas tree lights come from the tradition of lighting a Yule log in Germany. The log was lit to give light during the dark days of winter. Churches adopted this by having candles affixed by wax and pins to the branches of Christmas trees, demonstrating the light of Christ. Electricity allowed the candles to be replaced by lights. So we ought to look at those multi-colored lights on our trees and those decorating our homes to remind us that the Christ Child came as the light of the world.
Three days ago was the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. This is the day in which the darkness of night clouds the earth the longest. So it should have great symbolic and theological significance for us that in the darkest period of the year the greatest light comes forth to shine. As darkness covers the earth during this cold December, and darkness covers our lives with problems and uncertainties, in the words of Isaiah we can affirm and proclaim, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light."
Isaiah 9:2-7
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light" was a joyous and welcomed proclamation from the prophet Isaiah. This is a light that comes not as a sparkle but explodes like lightning into the darkness of Judah. Living in fear of an invasion by the Assyrians, the people of Judah need a message of hope and reassurance. Isaiah delivers that message by presenting to them a God who will comfort them, who will bring them peace, and who will be for them an everlasting God. It is in the titles that God is named -- Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace -- that the inhabitants of Judah find their solace. He was born a child, which speaks to the people for they know that through those born comes deliverance. The message of a child is one that has sustained the people since they learned of the story of Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah. It is the message of Jacob, Isaac's son, who became known as Israel. It is a message that recounts the infant Moses, who in his adult years led the people on their Exodus from bondage. And the first-century Christians realized deliverance came with the child born to Mary and Joseph. This is our Christmas message today that the light of hope and redemption has come into our lives.
Titus 2:11-14
We are now living between two Advents. The first Advent is of the incarnation in which God came to earth in the form of a child -- in human flesh -- to live among us. We await the second Advent, when this child will return in his final glory and establish God's kingdom on earth. During this time while we wait, we are to teach the gospel message by worthy living. This is demonstrated in lives absent of worldly passions. It is seen in lives that are lived upright and are self-controlled. We are not to confuse worldly passions with indulgence. We can give gifts on Christmas Day without apology. It is when we become too materialistic that worldly passions will have a stranglehold on us.
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Abraham and Sarah were a pious couple who had a child named Isaac. Isaac and Rebekah were a pious couple who had a child named Jacob, who became known to us as Israel. We often speak of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the patriarchs of the covenantal relationship with God. To another pious couple, Mary and Joseph, a son is born named Jesus. Through the incarnation he seals the covenant for all people for all times. Isaiah proclaimed to the people that a great light has come upon them and they shall not walk in darkness. The shepherds looked into the night sky and saw a light that surpassed any other in its glory. It is a light that shall shine for eternity. In the manger we truly have the one who will fulfill the law and the pronouncements of the prophets. The shepherds were afraid, not unlike the people of Judah. But the angels told the shepherds to "fear not." Jesus most often said in his public ministry "follow me." Second to that were his words "fear not." The glory of the Lord so shone wherever he went that he had to comfort people by saying "fear not." We look into the manger and see the innocence of a newborn, who we know is the King of kings, but we fear not for we know that this child is our Savior.
Application
1. Discuss the trials and tribulations that we all encounter in our daily living.
2. Discuss the fears that the people of Judah had. These were the same fears that paralleled those of Mary and Joseph who were living in an occupied country.
3. Discuss how the light of Christ has come to take us out of the land of darkness.
Alternate Applications
1. Discuss the traditions of Christmas and how they are often misunderstood and criticized as overindulgence. Dialogue on how these traditions if employed properly can enhance our understanding of the Christmas season.
2. Compare these Christmas traditions with the symbols used in two of the lectionary readings: Isaiah and Luke. Discuss the significance of light, the witness of pious parents, and the testimony that can come from the birth of a child.
3. Share with the congregation from the lectionary reading in Titus how we are to live in the presence of the brilliant light of the Christ Child.
It seems we cannot escape that standard Christmas sermon that we have taken Christ out of Christmas. We are too caught up in gift-giving, holiday parties, and home decorations to focus on the child in the manger. Maybe we should reconsider this. Perhaps there is a place for Christmas tree lights this season that we ought to accept and promote. Christmas tree lights come from the tradition of lighting a Yule log in Germany. The log was lit to give light during the dark days of winter. Churches adopted this by having candles affixed by wax and pins to the branches of Christmas trees, demonstrating the light of Christ. Electricity allowed the candles to be replaced by lights. So we ought to look at those multi-colored lights on our trees and those decorating our homes to remind us that the Christ Child came as the light of the world.
Three days ago was the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. This is the day in which the darkness of night clouds the earth the longest. So it should have great symbolic and theological significance for us that in the darkest period of the year the greatest light comes forth to shine. As darkness covers the earth during this cold December, and darkness covers our lives with problems and uncertainties, in the words of Isaiah we can affirm and proclaim, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light."
Isaiah 9:2-7
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light" was a joyous and welcomed proclamation from the prophet Isaiah. This is a light that comes not as a sparkle but explodes like lightning into the darkness of Judah. Living in fear of an invasion by the Assyrians, the people of Judah need a message of hope and reassurance. Isaiah delivers that message by presenting to them a God who will comfort them, who will bring them peace, and who will be for them an everlasting God. It is in the titles that God is named -- Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace -- that the inhabitants of Judah find their solace. He was born a child, which speaks to the people for they know that through those born comes deliverance. The message of a child is one that has sustained the people since they learned of the story of Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah. It is the message of Jacob, Isaac's son, who became known as Israel. It is a message that recounts the infant Moses, who in his adult years led the people on their Exodus from bondage. And the first-century Christians realized deliverance came with the child born to Mary and Joseph. This is our Christmas message today that the light of hope and redemption has come into our lives.
Titus 2:11-14
We are now living between two Advents. The first Advent is of the incarnation in which God came to earth in the form of a child -- in human flesh -- to live among us. We await the second Advent, when this child will return in his final glory and establish God's kingdom on earth. During this time while we wait, we are to teach the gospel message by worthy living. This is demonstrated in lives absent of worldly passions. It is seen in lives that are lived upright and are self-controlled. We are not to confuse worldly passions with indulgence. We can give gifts on Christmas Day without apology. It is when we become too materialistic that worldly passions will have a stranglehold on us.
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Abraham and Sarah were a pious couple who had a child named Isaac. Isaac and Rebekah were a pious couple who had a child named Jacob, who became known to us as Israel. We often speak of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the patriarchs of the covenantal relationship with God. To another pious couple, Mary and Joseph, a son is born named Jesus. Through the incarnation he seals the covenant for all people for all times. Isaiah proclaimed to the people that a great light has come upon them and they shall not walk in darkness. The shepherds looked into the night sky and saw a light that surpassed any other in its glory. It is a light that shall shine for eternity. In the manger we truly have the one who will fulfill the law and the pronouncements of the prophets. The shepherds were afraid, not unlike the people of Judah. But the angels told the shepherds to "fear not." Jesus most often said in his public ministry "follow me." Second to that were his words "fear not." The glory of the Lord so shone wherever he went that he had to comfort people by saying "fear not." We look into the manger and see the innocence of a newborn, who we know is the King of kings, but we fear not for we know that this child is our Savior.
Application
1. Discuss the trials and tribulations that we all encounter in our daily living.
2. Discuss the fears that the people of Judah had. These were the same fears that paralleled those of Mary and Joseph who were living in an occupied country.
3. Discuss how the light of Christ has come to take us out of the land of darkness.
Alternate Applications
1. Discuss the traditions of Christmas and how they are often misunderstood and criticized as overindulgence. Dialogue on how these traditions if employed properly can enhance our understanding of the Christmas season.
2. Compare these Christmas traditions with the symbols used in two of the lectionary readings: Isaiah and Luke. Discuss the significance of light, the witness of pious parents, and the testimony that can come from the birth of a child.
3. Share with the congregation from the lectionary reading in Titus how we are to live in the presence of the brilliant light of the Christ Child.
