Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent
The Children Who Are Comprised of Light
In today's Epistle, St. Paul speaks in a way that is really quite
uncustomary for us to think and to speak. It is not standard American
English for someone to say, for example, "When a man goes home, he is his
house" We would rather say, "When a man goes home, he is in his house." Or
again, if a woman turns on a lamp and sits next to it, we would say that she
is sitting in the light. We would not say that the woman is the light. But
notice the strange way that St. Paul speaks here: "At one time you were
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord." It would make much more sense
to us if the apostle were to have said, "At one time you were in darkness,
but now you are in light in the Lord." The phrases "in darkness" and "in
light" would make much more sense to our brains. The other prophets have
also spoken to us in this way as well. Isaiah, for example, spoke about "the
people who walked in darkness [who] have seen a great light" (Isaiah 9:3).
In a similar way, St. Peter wrote, "[God] called you out of the darkness
into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
That is not the way St. Paul wishes to speak in today's Epistle. He does not
want you to think of yourself as being merely in the light. St. Paul chooses
a rather strange way of speaking to you and he does so deliberately: "At one
time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord."
Darkness Describes What You Once Were
By saying to you, "you were darkness," St. Paul wants you to think
seriously about what you once were, before the bright, eternal light of
Christ's forgiveness and light came to you. It is not that you were in
darkness, says the apostle, but you were darkness itself. That is to say,
you were once part of one loaf or one fabric with everything that has to do
with the darkness. Throughout the Scriptures, God uses darkness as an image
of sin (Romans 13:12), unbelief (John 9:40-41), lack of understanding (John
1:4), rebellion (1 John 1:6) and even hatred for God. Darkness describes
Satan's domain of evil and his demonic forces (Ephesians 6:12, Colossians
1:13). Darkness describes Hell (2 Peter 2:17, Jude 6) and all who belong
there because of their rebellion against God (Jude 13). Darkness is
described as a power (Luke 22:53) shared by the devil, the world, and our
own flesh-a power that sets itself the light of God in Christ Jesus.
"At one time you were darkness." It is not enough for St. Paul to
say to us, "At one time you were in darkness," because then we would have
someone else to blame for our condition. Think of it this way: If a man is
in darkness, and he falls down in the darkness, the fall is not really his
fault. He fell because he was in the darkness. The darkness caused his fall.
That is why St. Paul does not want to say to us in this Epistle, "At one
time you were in darkness." He does not want to give us an excuse. St. Paul
does not want us to blame our sin, rebellion, or love of evil on someone or
something else, like a man in darkness could blame the darkness for his fall
and injury. "No," says the apostle. "At one time you were darkness.
Everything that characterizes darkness-sin, rebellion, unbelief, aversion
for the light-these very things were at one time your own characteristics
and attributes."
But that was before. That darkness has to do with that time when
you were once "far off" (Ephesians 2:17), separated from the Light. "But now
in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the
blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13). Although once "you were darkness," God
has since then baptized you, adopting you to be His own beloved child. "At
one time you were darkness," but now God caused His light to shine for you,
bringing to you the very Light of the world, incorporating you into one loaf
and weaving you into one fabric with the Light.
In [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in
the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
[This is] the true light, which enlightens everyone (John 1:1-5, 9).
Light Describes What You Now ARE
Just as St. Paul deliberately declares to you that you once were
darkness and not merely in darkness, so also does he find it insufficient
and unsatisfactory to say to you, "Now you are in light." But what does the
apostle say to you? "Now you are light in the Lord."
We should not let these words escape us, dear saints! Throughout
His Scriptures, God continually uses the word light to speak about
everything that is good and beneficial (Romans 13:12) and divine (Revelation
21:22). Light is the opposite of darkness, and there is no fellowship or
interaction between the two (2 Corinthians 6:14). Light forces the darkness
to flee (1 John 1:5). Light is that which God creates out of the darkness,
by the miraculous power of His life-giving Word (Genesis 1:3). Light is the
very essence of God's Son, Jesus Christ, who declared, "I am the Light of
the World" (John 8:12). Light is the kingdom into which God has placed you
through His miracle of your Baptism (Colossian 1:12). Light is our abiding
hope for the future, when "night will be no more. They will need no light of
lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign
forever and ever" (Revelation 22:5).
This Epistle declares, not that you are merely in light of Christ,
but that "now you are light in the Lord." That is to say, Jesus' forgiveness
of sins and His gift of eternal life are so complete for you, so firmly
established within you, so certain for you, that it doesn't quite go far
enough to say, "You are in the light." Rather, you have been united
miraculously to the Light itself, that is, to Christ Himself. "You are
light." This strange and uncustomary way that St. Paul speaks in this
Epistle is not a lot different than the way St. Peter also speaks when he
states that you are "partakers [or participants or fellowshippers] in the
divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4).
Walk As Children Who Are Comprised of Light
Using this non-standard, uncustomary way of speaking in today's
Epistle, St. Paul carefully avoided saying to you, "at one time you were in
darkness, but now you are in light in the Lord." It is not that St. Paul
would say it is untrue to state things in that manner. He simply finds those
words insufficient and unsatisfactory for making his point to you. St. Paul
deliberately chose his words, saying that "you were darkness, but now you
are light." Then, in order to be certain that you do not miss his point that
"you are light in the Lord," St. Paul reinforces this idea by saying to you,
"Walk as children of the light."
This is a very important phrase for us to hear and take to heart,
that we would be called "children of the light." Here again, St. Paul has
deliberately crafted his words to make his point, and in so doing, he speaks
in a way that we would not commonly speak. In our way of thinking, when we
say something like "the front tires of the car," we speak in this way to
show ownership, as in "the front tires belonging to the car." However, St.
Paul does not speak in this way, as if he wants us to think that "children
of the light" means "children belonging to the light." The phrase "children
of the light" means actually "children comprised of the light," or "children
who made of the light" or "children who are now light in the Lord."
The point is this, dear saints: Our God-the Light of the World-has
come much closer to us and dwells more profoundly with us that we can
possibly comprehend with human words. St. Paul scrambles in this Epistle to
move beyond our customary way of speaking so that he may draw you into a
deeper understanding of the great forgiveness and life you have in Christ
Jesus. St. Paul does not want you to think that you are merely in the light,
as if this light is something out side of you, or something that you can
move in and out of, as if passing through shadows. St. Paul wants you to
know that the light of Christ permeates every aspect of your being, every
moment of your family life and your daily labors, every word you speak and
every thought you entertain. Because "now you are light in the Lord.
children comprised of the light," God your heavenly Father regards you as
having no darkness at all.
Knowing the miraculous gift of God that is ours in Christ, that
now we are light in the Lord, it seems obvious, does it not, that we would
want to walk as though we were children comprise of the light.
The peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.
___________________________________________________________________________
'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise
noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such
gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_
_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author, as well as
for quoting or use in a congregational setting
_with_or_without_attribution_.
Note: This list's default reply is to the *poster*, NOT the list.
Do *not* reply to the list with your comments, but to the poster.
Subscribe? Send ANY note to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe? Send ANY note to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Archive? <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/>
For more information on this or other lists offered by Confess And Teach
For Unity, you can contact the CAT 41 list administrator at:
Rev. Fr. Eric J. Stefanski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
