“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light”. The last time we heard these words was at our Christmas Eve service when we celebrated the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. He is the light that shines on all who live in darkness. Why have we returned to these words today? Because a month after Christmas when all the lights and decorations have been put away, Matthew’s Gospel refers to this wonderful passage, and we are reminded that Jesus is the great light that the prophet Isaiah foretold. 

 In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah by bringing light and hope to people in darkness, and calling ordinary people (in this case, fishermen) to become “fishers of people”. It emphasizes themes of repentance, radical discipleship, and the transformative power of the Kingdom of Heaven, urging us to reflect on Jesus’ light in our own lives. It invites us to recognize Jesus as the promised light and respond to his call by leaving behind old ways and opening ourselves to transformation as the Light of Christ in the world. 

 The baby in the manger has grown up and has made his home in Capernaum by the Jordan river. He is going throughout Galilee, proclaiming that the Kingdom of Heaven is very near, and inviting us to follow him. As we hear the passage from Isaiah this time, we are not just hearing the story, we are being invited into the story. We are not only witnesses to the Light, but we are invited to reflect the light. 

Jesus is our light and when we follow him, we never walk in darkness.  But we might wonder sometimes, where the light is to be found in our world today. There is so much darkness in our world. It is scary these days to turn the news on with all that is going on. There is still darkness in the world and yes, in our own lives, and we have to acknowledge this. Darkness has many shapes and shades, and it affects us all one way or another, both individually and collectively.  

The prophet Isaiah was not afraid to acknowledge that he was living in a time of deep darkness. A time when Israel was split in two by civil war. A time when his own country of Judah was strong and wealthy but had grown complacent. They weren’t concerned about the poor in their midst. In their arrogance, they didn’t fear the countries threatening their borders. And they didn’t think they needed God’s help to face their challenges. Today’s passage from Isaiah is one of promise and hope, but it’s important to remember that much of Isaiah is also about judgment and warning. There was darkness in the world and much of it was due to selfish ambition and a craving for power. Does this sound at all familiar? 

800 or so years after Isaiah, Jesus came into a world that was still filled with darkness. Our Gospel reading today begins with the news that John the Baptist has been arrested. He will stay in jail until he is beheaded. John will be just one of the many thousands killed by the leaders of the day. We learn that when John is arrested, Jesus withdraws to Galilee and begins to proclaim exactly what John has been proclaiming: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”. Jesus must have known that this message would get him in trouble too for the rulers of the day did not want to hear about another kingdom that they saw as a threat to their power. 

Darkness filled Jesus’ world, just as it filled Isaiah’s and just as it fills ours. But the darkness is just why the light matters. If there is no darkness, then we don’t need light.  

We who walk in darkness have seen a great light: his name is Jesus, God’s son. The light of the world has come into our darkness; into our turmoil and conflict and chaos and despair, and he shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome his light. Jesus’ time on earth gave us a glimpse of this light. He taught us that his presence on earth meant that the Kingdom of Heaven is very near, and he promised that when he returns, the light will shine fully and completely. 

But in the meantime, Jesus gave us some clues about how to find the light, and even how to help reflect the light. He shows us where the light is to be found. After Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom of God has come near, he goes throughout Galilee doing three things:teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing disease. That is what it means that the light has come. The Kingdom of heaven comes near when Jesus teaches, proclaims and heals, and it comes near when we, his followers, do the same. 

Let’s start with the good news of the Kingdom being proclaimed. There is a lot of bad news these days and that is why it is so important that good news is proclaimed. When you turn on almost any news channel these days we are immediately pointed to the sensational, the dramatic, and the negative. Breaking news is usually bad news rights? So, what is the good news? The good news is that God loves the world, that God loves you! That Jesus was sent to be the light of the world, to redeem us and to offer us hope and healing. 

And hearing the good news proclaimed is just the beginning. It sets us on the journey and it keeps us moving. When we follow Jesus, the real learning begins. A disciple is one who learns from a master. We are disciples, learning what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Learning God’s purpose for our lives. But it takes time. It takes a lifetime really, of patience, and persistence and the willingness to keep learning, about God and ourselves, and when we do, the Kingdom of heaven is very near. 

And finally, this Gospel reminds us that the Kingdom of heaven is very near when Jesus heals, and when the church heals and when we heal. Not just physical healing, but the healing of our relationships, the healing of our communities, the healing of our world, and our world is in great need of healing. When we offer hope, when we offer help, when we forgive, when we seek to understand, we are participating in the healing work of Jesus. It may seem sometimes that we don’t make much progress, and it may help us to remember that in worldly terms, Jesus wasn’t successful. We are called to be successful, we are called to be faithful, and that’s what makes us counter-cultural. 

Jesus invites us today to step into his light and to follow him. And when we do that, we are told something amazing by Jesus, he tells us that if we follow him, we will be part of his light. We will reflect his light. 

Too many people in our world are dwelling in darkness. Too many are still without hope. Too many are consumed by bad news. And it is up to us to show them the light, to be the light of the world, to let our faith and our love for Jesus shine brightly. 

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light”. We have a seen a great light. At Christmas we celebrated this light who was laid in a manager. Today we give thanks for this light who went around Galilee, teaching and proclaiming and healing, and inviting others to follow. We give thanks for all those who have brought us into relationship with Jesus Christ by letting their own light shine so brightly, including those is our parish of St. Matthias. To quote the monk, Thomas Merton: “Most people have no idea that they are walking around shining like the sun!”.  Amen.

Ministries
Faith in Formation