Let Us Be Lights

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SERMON FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2008
ADVENT 3B
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Psalm 126
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 1928


According to the gospel of Luke, the first public act of ministry that Jesus did was this:

He was in Nazareth, his own hometown where he had been raised, and on the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as usual. And when it came time to read, he stood up and opened the scroll and read from the prophet Isaiah, from the portion that we just heard:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

These were words that a prophet of Israel had written about 5 centuries before Christ… written to comfort and encourage people in exile, far away from their homeland, living in a reality far different from what they had been expecting… A reality that seemed bereft of the presence of God and very far away from the fulfillment of God’s promises to them.

And the prophet wrote these words, to encourage them that in spite of all the tragedy and difficulties and challenges they had endured, God was working for their good and would bring them home.

And when Jesus picks up the scroll and reads these words, they still have their historical meaning, but they are no longer bound by space or time to just that one meaning. They leap forward 5 centuries and take on greater meaning in a new context.

Jesus read: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. The Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. To comfort the broken hearted… to proclaim liberty… freedom… to announce the good will of God toward all the world.

And as we hear these words, they have come completely undone from their tether. They are no longer just about the Israelite people in exile in Babylon. They are not just for first-century Nazarenes. They are words of hope for all who are estranged… all who are oppressed… all who are brokenhearted… all who are captive… They are words of hope for us.

The message of all our lessons today is a message of hope and joy. Of light in the darkness. A message of God’s promise for good – in our lives and in our world.

Paul, writing to the fledgling church in Thessalonica, advises them: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances… hold fast to what is good. They are struggling, facing persecution, and he tells them to be joyful.

This past week Warren Taylor wrote on the CaringBridge website that Amy’s condition was worsening. The cancer has taken over her bones and her liver, and it is absolutely incurable. They are making plans now for hospice care, and praying for time – weeks, if possible – for them to have as a family before Amy dies. And then Warren asked for stories and jokes. Something to bring a smile. Stories of children’s antics… one-liners that bring a chuckle or guffaw… Even in the darkness of impending death and loss, joy and laughter can help lighten the path.

The Lord has anointed me to bring good news… Rejoice in the Lord… Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy…

Our world is full of unspeakable pain and also of dazzling joy and goodness. As Christians, we choose to see the goodness. We don’t deny the pain, but we believe that goodness is stronger. We believe the light is stronger than the darkness. And, believing this, we look for the light in even the darkest moments. And we hold the light for one another, so that we can find hope.

A favorite hymn says:

“I will hold the Christ-light for you, in the nighttime of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.”

We draw on the Divine Light that has come into our world, and fills our world and our hearts, and we let that light shine through us. We become light.

There was a man sent by God whose name was John. He himself was not The Light, but he came to testify to the light. He came to tell about the light, to draw attention to the light.

But you know, and I know, that when we take light from light, (as when lighting a candle from another candle) the source does not grow smaller, but the light becomes brighter. And you know, as well as I, that the best teaching is not only about words. It’s the example of how a person lives that is the real testimony about their convictions.

You can’t just talk about God’s light and love. You have to live them. You have to become them.

Colleen Watson can recite this poem by memory – it’s called “Sermons we see,” by Edgar Guest. Here’s an excerpt:

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.
The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear;
And the best of all the preachers are the ones who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.
… … … …
When I see a deed of kindness, I am eager to be kind.
When a weaker brother stumbles and a strong man stays behind
Just to see if he can help him, then the wish grows strong in me
To become as big and thoughtful as I know that friend to be.
And all travelers can witness that the best of guides today
Is not the one who tells them, but the one who shows the way.


Yesterday afternoon about 40 people gathered in this sanctuary to pray for Amy and Warren and Isabella and Arbor. We lit candles and we prayed and we read scripture and poetry and we mostly sat in silence.

We did this for the Taylor family, and we also did it for ourselves and each other. Because we need to remind ourselves and each other: The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it. Rejoice. Even in sorrow, give thanks. God’s goodness and love are over all and in all, and goodness will triumph. Love will have the last word. The Light will never be extinguished.

Let us be lights that shine and point to the Divine Light that has come into our world.


- Lydia Huttar Brown

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