Let There Be Light

John 1: 6-8, 19-28

Jim Gilman

Introduction

            So, “there was a man sent from God whose name was John,” says our gospel lesson. “He came as a witness to testify to the light…. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.”  Perhaps the most important comment of this entire Gospel passage is when it says:  John himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light; he came to be a witness to the light. In fact, during the time of John & Jesus there were some prophets claiming to be the light; Jesus made such a claim. But John did not; he knew who he was and who he was to be.

            Check out the stained glass windows this morning. What’s your favorite one? Mine is….. Without the sun shining light through them, the windows can be somewhat dull and dim looking; not what they could and should be. They are menat to have light shining through them. When it does, they are brilliant, spectacular.

That’s pretty much the sermon today: that we should like John, let the light of the Lord shine through us and not on us. We are meant to be like stained glass windows, transparent, letting the light of the Lord shine through us. If we don’t then we are rather dull and dim Christians. John’s greatness is that he did not mistake himself for the light, as some do; rather, he was transparent to the light; he was willing to let the light of God shine through him--through his words, voice, actions, and life. His message of repentance and forgiveness was like light bursting through a stained glass window, brilliant and spectacular.

Transparent

            Question: How do we k now when we are transparent and not opaque to God’s light?How do we know when the light of the Lord shines through us and not on us? Or, as our lesson from Isaiah says it, how do we know when the spirit of the Lord is upon us??

            Isaiah’s answer is straightforward: The spirit of the Lord is upon us, the light of the Lord shines through us, when we: bring good news to the poor, bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captive, release to the prisoner; when we proclaim the year of the Lord’s facor and the day of God’s vengeance; when we comfort those who more. This is how we know that the spirit and l;ight of the Lord shines through us, when by God’s grace we are empowered to do these things. In fact, you may know that when Jesus began his ministry he claimed these words of Isaiah as his own: as if to say this is my spirit, this is my good news; as if to say, this is my light that is to shine through you as if through stained glass. When we are transparent, in other words, we are empowered to do all these things that Isaiah and Jesus mention; when we are transparent we practice what we preach; we are willing to sacrifice something of ourselves for the welfare of others.

Opaque

            How is it, then, that we Christians often are opaque instead of transparent? How and why is it that sometimes we absorb light instead of transmitting it to others?

            Preparing this sermon compelled me to self-examination; to consider the ways in which I tend to absorb the light of Christ instead of transmitting it? All of the ways I thought of condensed into a single word: EXCUSES! What is my, what is your excuse for being opaque?

            *too busy, or afraind of being too busy;

            *already overcommitted; To what??

            *don’t know what my gifts are;

            *don’t know where my gifts fit in at Trinity;

            *Too little energy; too tired all the time; Too lazy??

            *Failure of nerve, afraid of what transparency will demand of me?

Excuses are light black holes! The light of Christ may enter our hearts, but excuses keep it from shining through us to the benefit of others. For example, think of the ways you receive the light of Christ here at Trinity: worship, music, Sunday school, youth events, bible studies, holy communion, social events. How many of us absorb the light of these good things, but fail to pass that light on; fail to transmit it to others?

Let Light Shine

            The good news Isaiah talks about is the same as the good news that John testifies to. The light that shone through John was the gospel of repentance and forgiveness and baptism.. Ask yourself, How can I be transparent? How can I testify to the light of Christ? How can let the light of Christ shine through my life this week?

            The opportunities are endless, really. Isaiah says we are to:

1.      Bring good news to the oppressed: There are plenty of opportunities for justice, for bringing good news to the oppressed here in the Valley;

*there are many organizations that work to protect the rights and liberties of the vulnerable:

*the Augusta Center for Peace and Justice, for example; NAACP, New Directions, and many other organizations.           

*We can help those who are bullied at school, those who are excluded, kids who are abused or neglected; elderly who are abused or neglected;

*those who suffer domestic abuse and violence; The poor, needy; those without decent housing;

*those who have no power or voice to claim their rights.

For all of these the light of Christ is justice and freedom.

2.      Bind up the heartbroken: There are sooo many people in our community who are heartbroken, who need healing and comfort:

*there are those who grieve the death of a loved one need comfort; those who are divorcing, who suffer illnesses; those who are ostracized;

*all who are lonely; who have no one special to be with, no one who takes the time and energy to pay attention to them, to make them feel worth the air they breathe; those who eat alone at work or feel isolated and abandoned in their homes at night, with no one to call them to say they care.

For them the light of Christ is comfort and care and friendship.

3.      Proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners:

*There are of course opportunities to work for the release of political prisoners and those falsely imprisoned in our own criminal justice system.

*But there is another prison in which many are trapped: the prison of addiction to alcohol, prescription drugs, to food and pornography and TV and sports;

*there are those imprisoned in the solitude of their own egos, who are so imprisoned by their own self- interests that they cannot meet the needs of those in their own household.

*There are those who are trapped by feelings of guilt, that a word of forgiveness or mercy would heal;

For them the light of Christ is liberty and freedom.

Conclusion

To be transparent like John, to be light to those in need is, according to Isaiah, like giving *a garland instead of ashes; *the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.” Indeed, those who are transparent to the light will be called “Oaks of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord.” It is light and good news that Isaiah says will “build up the ancient ruins,” “raise up the former devastations,” and “repair the ruined cities” of our lives. 

            This is John’s message to us. Like John we are not the light but are to be transparent to the the light, so that all might believe; so that the way of the Lord is made straight.