Never Dark

The Sermon Study Guide is here.

John 8:12; Revelation 22:1-5

January 13, 2015 • Portage First UMC

Spring is just around the corner—or so they say! Sometimes, it’s hard to convince those of us who live in Northwest Indiana that it will ever arrive. But meteorological spring has already come, and in just 12 days, astronomical spring, or the spring equinox, will show up. So spring has come and is coming, and that’s good news for all of us, but especially for those who become very “SAD” during the winter months. SAD is an acronym for “seasonal affective disorder,” and it’s a real thing that shows up during the darker, winter months. Symptoms include difficulty waking up in the morning, nausea, a tendency to oversleep and overeat, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating on or completing tasks, and feelings of hopelessness. Many researchers today link “SAD” to a variety of factors, but the largest factor seems to be simply the darkness this time of year. A lack of light leads some to depression, general sadness or even feelings somewhere in between, and it reminds us how much we rely on that ball of light in the sky. We need sunlight. We need light. All living things need light to survive and thrive.

This Lenten season, we are looking at the “I am” statements of Jesus in an effort to draw near to “The God We Can Know.” And so, the first week, we considered what it means that Jesus claims God’s name, “I Am” (Yahweh), that he is the God who wants us to come near. And then last week, we looked at his claim to be the bread of life. He is our only source of satisfaction. As we continue on in John’s narrative, we come to this radical statement in the midst of a discussion (argument?) with the religious leaders. In fact, we’re told at the beginning of John 7 (where this story really begins) that the religious leaders are already looking for a way to kill Jesus (7:1). They’ve been meeting in secret, making plans, though Jesus knows what they are up to. At first, Jesus plans not to go to Jerusalem for the big festival (7:8), and when he does go, she shows up “fashionably late,” halfway through the festivities (7:14). Once there, he makes this announcement: “I am the light of the world” (8:12). And so, as we are doing for each of these “I am” statements, we want to ask three questions: what did the crowd gathered there hear? What did Jesus mean? And what does it mean for us today?

So, first, we have to understand the setting. Jesus is, of course, in Jerusalem, but he’s there at one of the high moments of the Jewish year. It is, John tells us, the Feast (or Festival) of Tabernacles, or Sukkoth as it is sometimes called. Tabernacles was one of seven feasts that God, in the Old Testament, had commanded the people to observe, and this one in particular was to help them remember their forty years of wandering in the wilderness after leaving Egyptian slavery behind. To celebrate, each person was to build a “sukkah,” a small hut with leafy branches for the roof, and your meals were to be eaten in the sukkah throughout the eight days of the festival. So the hut had to be big enough to sit in with a small, low table, and you had to be able to see the stars through the branches of the roof. Not everyone had to celebrate this festival in Jerusalem, but to celebrate it there did bring another layer of celebration, and one of those moments, a spectacular event, was called the Illumination of the Temple or the Grand Illumination.

Some say this event took place on the first day of the Festival, others say it was on the last day and another source says it was every evening during the festival. We know Jesus came midway through the festival, so what John describes had to have happened during the latter part of the celebration. So, just about dusk, the Torah scrolls (or the scrolls containing the Scriptures) were removed and in their place was set a huge menorah. We were able to see a modern version of this menorah that has been reconstructed and today stands in a case just outside the Temple compound. But in Jesus’ day, the menorahs (some accounts say as many as four) would be lit and this prayer would be said: “Oh Lord of the universe, you commanded us to light the lamps to you, yet you are the light of the world.” The menorahs would be so bright they would light up the entire courtyard of the Temple grounds, and some claimed that all of Jerusalem would be illuminated by those candles. Certainly, the light was in stark contrast to the sorts of lamps most people used in those days. These small oil lamps were what most houses, certainly in Galilee and probably also in Jerusalem, were lit with. Many remnants of these lamps have been found, and while they provided light, it was barely adequate. Certainly nothing like we are used to, and certainly a dim light in comparison with what would happen at this Grand Illumination. Once the menorahs were lit and the prayers were said, a huge party would begin. The Levites (assistants to the priests) would sing songs of joy and the priests would dance from dusk until dawn (cf. Card, John: The Gospel of Wisdom, pg. 108; Barclay, The Gospel of John, Volume 2, pg. 11; Fuquay, The God We Can Know, pg. 45).

In that context, then, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (8:12). It isn’t hard to imagine what the people would have heard in that setting. I wonder if Jesus interrupted the prayers? Or if he said what he said right after the prayers. When the people hear him claim to be the light of the world, right after or during when the priests are praying to the one who is the light of the world, there had to be some questions about who Jesus is claiming to be. He is, in essence, claiming to be God himself. Or he is at least claiming to take God’s place. In addition to that, associating himself with this festival, with this night of celebration, could cause the people to hear Jesus claiming to be the source of joy, for light is a symbol of joy throughout the Scriptures. At the very least, those who had been listening to his ongoing argument with the religious leaders must have had a sense that he is, in some way, telling them who he is, showing them a piece of his identity. If they didn’t understand his comments about being the bread of life, maybe they can understand him being the light of the world.

So if the crowd heard all of these things, we also have to ask what Jesus intended to say in this “I am” statement. Certainly, he did not say this randomly; he chose the time and place to declare himself as the light. Jesus is always so good at taking what is around him and using it to tell us something more about who he is, and this is no exception. So to get at what he meant, we need to think about the way light works and what light does.

First of all, John has told us in the very beginning of his Gospel, in a passage we love to read on Christmas Eve, one very important thing light does. Do you remember the passage? John 1:5: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Light overcomes darkness, always. Even the smallest candle can punch a hole in the darkness around you, which is why we always keep candles handy for those times when the power goes out. I heard a story years ago from our pastor while we were in seminary that I’ve never forgotten; I’ve probably told it here once or twice. There was a family touring a large cave, perhaps Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, and they got down to the lowest part, where the guide typically turns the light off to show you how dark it is underground. When this happened, the little girl began to cry, and very quickly, the voice of her brother was heard saying, “Don’t worry, sis, someone here knows how to turn the lights on.” The same thing is true for our world. Sometimes we get very focused on the darkness, and how bad it is. Watch the news, read Facebook or just look around and it’s pretty easy to become discouraged. There is a lot of darkness in our world, and to many people’s perceptions, it seems to be getting worse. We need to hear that still, small voice whispering to us, “Don’t worry, there is someone who is the light and who will overcome the darkness.” That’s what John has been emphasizing and, in part, what Jesus wants us to know. He is the light. He is the one who can and will overcome whatever darkness we find ourselves in.

Near the end of his life, this same John received a vision while in exile on the island of Patmos, and near the end of the book he wrote, a book we know as the Revelation, he tries to describe what eternity looks like, what heaven looks like. And, as in most situations with that book, words fail him. He tries to describe a tree that grows on both sides of the river. He says the leaves of that tree will heal the nations, and that the “curse” will be gone. No more sin, in other words, and no more brokenness that comes from sin. And then, I think he’s reflecting back on this particular saying, when he heard Jesus proclaim himself as the “light of the world,” because John describes heaven as a place where there is no more night, no more darkness, where the light that comes from Jesus is enough to banish darkness forever. He says, “They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light” (22:5). He will overcome the darkness once and for all. Light banishes darkness.

Light also guides our steps. You know how it is when the street light is out on your block, or when the lights go out in your house. I remember one of the first times I went to camp with the kids, and even though “flashlight” was on the list of the things to bring, I either forgot it or was stubborn enough to think that I didn’t need it. Probably the latter. But anyway, I remember after the first campfire trying to find our way back to our cabin. It gets dark and it gets dark early in the woods. So we stumbled and tripped and tried to find the right pathway. And I made a silent vow never to forget the flashlight again. In the Bible, God who is the light gives direction and guidance, but do you know something I notice about that “light” that God gives? It’s never the whole plan. When he called Abraham to walk with him, God didn’t tell Abraham that he and Sarah would deal with infertility and adoption and a miraculous birth. God didn’t mention that Abraham would end up wandering from place to place all of his life and have to referee a squabble between his wife and her slave, a squabble that is still going on between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael, the Jews and the Arabs. No, God didn’t tell Abraham any of that. He just told him to go, leave his home and head toward—get this—the land God would show him (cf. Genesis 12:1). He didn’t even give Abraham a map or GPS coordinates. Just go, and I’ll show you where to end up. That story recurs over and over again. Why do you think the prophets often took God to task for calling them into such a difficult life? Jeremiah accuses God of tricking him. The prophet’s life was a hard one, and Jeremiah at one point says, “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed” (Jeremiah 20:7). When the angel Gabriel comes to tell Mary she’s found favor with God, and that she will give birth to the Son of God, he doesn’t tell her all the things that will happen, how hard it will be, how she will have to watch as her son is murdered on a cross. She only gets enough light for the next few steps (cf. Luke 1).

And so do we. Several years ago, Stormie Omartian wrote a book called Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On. I’ve not read it, but the title describes the way God acts a lot of the time, at least in my experience. Especially our experience right now. This move is not what we expected, and there have been so many details that have surprised us, that it’s led to some tense and frustrating times in our family and in our home, not to mention here in this church. I don’t know if you know or not, but I sometimes have control issues, and this whole thing has largely been out of my control. I want to know what’s going to happen here, how God will lead you as a church in the years to come. I want to know what lays ahead for us, and what it is God is calling us to. But God has only given all of us enough light for a few steps. We know where we’re going, and we know who God has called to come and serve here. And as for the rest of it, we have to trust in the one who is the light of the world and who can see it all so much better than we can. Light banishes darkness and guides our steps.

Thirdly, light reveals. Biblically speaking, light reveals truth. Light reveals what is really there, again by pushing the shadows away. I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but it seems like printers are using smaller and smaller fonts these days to print things. I’m certain it’s their fault and it has nothing to do with my 47-year-old eyes. But because “they” are printing things so small, I keep a small flashlight by my chair in order to be able to make out that tiny printing that “they” put on things. The light from my little flashlight helps my eyes see what is there. The light reveals. Throughout the Bible, light is used as an image for the revelation of God’s truth. Psalm 119 compares the Scriptures to a lamp, a light for the path, and a source of truth that the psalmist wants to obey and follow. Standing in the light, the psalmist says, “My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end” (119:112). John, earlier in the Gospel, reminds us that Jesus came to bring truth (1:14) and to bring us eternal life (3:16). But he also says that Jesus came not “to condemn the world, but to save the world” (3:17). He is the light that came so we could see the truth rather than wander in the darkness all of our lives.

So when Jesus says he is the light of the world, he’s reminding those who listen and those of us who read it centuries later that he has come to overcome the darkness, he has come to give guidance for our lives and he has come to reveal the truth. He is the light of the world. But do you realize this is the only “I am” statement Jesus not only applies to himself but also to us? In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus does not say he is the light of the world. Rather, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Jesus calls us specifically to do what he does and to live as he would. He calls us to be the light.

So if the light overcomes darkness, how do we live that out? We engage in specific actions that fight against or push against the darkness in our world. We have been, for the last several years, a church focused on the darkness in our community that comes from hunger, and so we’ve engaged that particular darkness in a number of ways. We make monthly donations to both the food pantry and the Trustee’s office pantry. We started and continue to support the “Feed My Lambs” or backpack program, which provides a weekend box of food for kids in the Portage Township Schools who live in “food insufficient households.” We’ve done annual food drives for the last several years to help stock the food pantry for a month—or at least that’s the goal each time. So we’ve taken some very specific and concrete steps to push back the darkness of hunger in our community because Jesus calls us to. I don’t know how we can claim to love the savior who cared for the least, the last and the lost, who told us that when we do things to the least of these, we do it to him (cf. Matthew 25:40), and not seek to overcome the darkness with the light we have been given.

There are other areas of darkness in our world. Our United Methodist Women and our youth groups have, at various times, supported the ministry of Destiny Rescue, a group that works against the sex trafficking industry by rescuing girls who have been trapped in that horrible lifestyle. Sometimes the issues in our life and in our world seem so big it’s hard to know what to do, which is why we need to partner with other churches or with organizations who are in a position to do something. I mean, think about the places of darkness we see every night on the news or read about online. ISIS kidnapping and murdering our brothers and sisters in Christ. Racism that hides in plain sight. Sexism, ageism. Lack of clean water. Political corruption—is the answer really to not vote? Or is the way we can shine the light to exercise our freedom and make the very best choice we can? Injustices here and around the world. Bullying. Drug abuse. Marital abuse. The list could go on and on. There is darkness around us. The question we have to ask as individual believers, and as a community of faith, is this: where, God, are you calling me? Where are you calling us to shine our light? What passion have you put within me, and within this church, and what gifts have you given us to be able to overcome the darkness in your strength and power? You are the light, Jesus. Shine through us.

Light provides guidance along the path, and there are many ways we can live that out in our own neighborhoods—practices like mentoring or tutoring. Right now, we have a Confirmation class meeting and each student has their own mentor. Many of you have mentored confirmands in the past years. You give of your time and your energy to provide guidance and direction along the way. But what about being there for a family you know? Statistics indicate that single-parent households are one of the fastest growing demographic groups in our community today. That means there are many families where kids are without a dad or a mom present. Not only do those single parents need relief from time to time, but the kids also need mentors who can show them how a Christian man or woman lives out their faith, who can encourage them along the way. Mentors are needed in so many areas of life these days.

As a congregation, we have also sought to shine the light of guidance though our Congregational Care Ministry. This ministry is just a little over a year old now, having sprung out of our Stephen Ministry one-on-one caregiving. Congregational Care Ministers, or CCMs, are trained and able to be there for folks who are in the hospital, or going through a time of mourning a death, or needing prayer and encouragement, or who are cut off from friends and family by being a shut-in. And in many other ways CCMs come alongside people and help them know and sense the love of God. They guide people toward the light, to help them see the path ahead of them. Just as an aside, if this might be a way you sense God calling you to shine the light, we will be having a training event in mid-May, and you are invited to participate in that. Even if you’re just wondering whether or not this might be your place or your calling, plan on coming to the training and getting some answers. Use the time there to discern if this is where God is calling you to shine. I still believe CCM is one way this church can shine Christ’s light ever more into our community, one more way we can say—You are the light, Jesus. Shine through us.

The third thing light does is reveal truth, and Scriptures are clear that the truth to be revealed is found in Jesus. In a few weeks, we’re going to look at that more closely when we consider his saying, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:1-7). Jesus himself claims to be the truth, others ask if he is the truth, and even the Roman governor Pilate contemplates truth when Jesus stands before him, on trial. Jesus tells Pilate, “The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” And then Pilate asks, “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38). There are a lot of people today who are asking Pilate’s question. Truth has been redefined to mean “whatever you think.” People talk on news shows and post online as if their opinion is the only truth, and they will often become ridiculously angry if you disagree with them. Truth has become relative. But, church, our job is not to persuade people of the truth. That’s the job of the Holy Spirit. Our job as the light of the world is to point to the truth, to reveal truth, and we can do that simply by doing what many of the disciples did: bring people to Jesus. Bring them to a place where they can encounter Jesus. If only there were such a place that we knew of, a place where they would experience the love, grace and mercy of Christ!

That begs the question, then, that I’ve asked in several settings over the last few years. Anytime someone tells me we “need to get more people in church,” my standard response is this: when was the last time you invited someone to come to church with you? The research over many years continues to bear out this reality: the best way to get someone to come to church is to invite them. It doesn’t generally happen through a mass mailing or a Facebook page or an email invitation. It happens and people respond when someone they know and trust invites them to come with them to worship. So when was the last time you invited someone? When was the last time you allowed your light to point toward the truth of Jesus? For that matter, when was the last time you talked to someone about Jesus? Light reveals truth. You are the light, Jesus. Shine through us.

And so, Jesus says, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (5:16). It’s not so that our church will grow or so that others will honor you. The whole point in letting our light shine is so that they can see Jesus, the one who is ultimately the light of the world. But, I can hear some of you saying, I don’t know if I can shine my light. I don’t know that I feel worthy enough or good enough or whatever enough to shine my light. Well, let me show you something. (Reveal the lamp) What words come to mind to describe this lamp? [Get a few responses] This lamp was a gift to me. It’s sat in my office for several years now, after being rescued from the rummage sale, and I’m told it’s not to stay here, that it is going to make the move to Terre Haute with us. Even Bishop Coyner, when he was here, noticed the lamp and asked about it. And there are a lot of words you could use to describe this lamp. Weathered. Been around the block. Some might say it’s beautiful, others might not. Some notice the hangy-things, others notice the lampshade that has seen better days, but no matter how you might choose to describe this lamp, it still has one purpose: to shine light. And you know what? [Turn the lamp on] It still does! No matter what you might think of it, it’s still doing what it was created to do. And this lamp reminds me that, even on days when I feel unworthy or beat up or weathered or like I just can’t shine my light—Jesus still says to me, “You are the light of the world. Shine my light, the light that I have given you.” And he calls you to do the same.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world—and so are you.” We do not have to walk in darkness, nor does our world. Darkness is a choice (cf. Fuquay 41) because Jesus has already come to share and shine the light. In fact, Jesus says that whoever follows him will never walk in darkness, they will walk in the light. And because he is the light of the world, we must let our light shine so that those around us no longer have to walk in darkness.

This little light of mine

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine

I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Hide it under a bushel, no!

I’m gonna let it shine

Hide it under a bushel, no!

I’m gonna let it shine Hide it under a bushel, no!

I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

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.” Let’s pray.