GOSPEL MESSAGE & RECORDING
In the Gospel reading today we hear that a “great light” has shone in the darkness in the land of Nebulun and Naphtali. Nebulun and Naphtali were two of the twelve sons of Jacob (Jacob is also known as Israel). It was out of the twelve sons that the history of the Jewish people begins to unfold. The twelve sons are also known as the twelve tribes of Israel.
Nebulun and Naphtali settled in the land in northern Israel. During the time of Christ, this area was known as Galilee. No longer did Jewish people populate it, but rather it was heavily populated and influenced by Gentiles. For this reason the region had a bad reputation, because Jewish people considered Gentiles to be second-class to them. Hence, the reason why the Gospel writer refers to this region as being in darkness and Christ bring forth the light of the kingdom of God to the region through his preaching, teaching and healing ministry. (Matthew 4: 15-16)
Christ refers to himself as the light, “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.” (John 8:12) The gospel writer (as well as Christ himself) is referring to the very nature of Christ being light. Light is not only an “output” of Christ. But Christ is the light.
Wherever Christ is there can be no darkness. It is like turning on the light at home. Once the switch is pressed the light comes on and the darkness is gone. This is what Christ did in his earthly ministry, which is, breaking down the strongholds of darkness—casting out demons and healing the oppressed.
We who are in Christ are called to be the light of the world: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) These are the words of our Lord. Are you the light of the world? Allow me to put some context to this question.
Where the light comes from.
At baptism all Orthodox Christians receive the light, because we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When we receive the Holy Spirit we receive this “light.” The light that begins to shine in us is the “light of Christ.”
How the light becomes dimmer.
As we grow older and the heaviness of sin begins to weigh down on us, that light begins to lessen. Or, we begin to “lose heart,” that is, become complacent in our prayer and fasting. Sure, the routine of church, fellowship, and participation are present in our lives, but our personal relationship with Christ is suffering. All of these reasons can be a cause for the “light” that is within us to be less bright.
How we lose perspective.
Imagine you walked into a darkened room. No light means you can’t see anything. Then imagine that a light shines right on you, sort of like a spot light. What can be seen at this point is yourself and the area immediately around you. Then again imagine if the light becomes brighter and brighter, slowly illuminating the surrounding area, until the whole room becomes a well-lit place. What has occurred as the light became brighter and brighter is that our perspective of what was around us become more and more visible. This is exactly the difference between the one whose light shines and the one whose light is dim/less bright. The one who is the light of the world is illumined—shining bright!
When your light shines you don’t just see the challenges in front of you, but the light brings to our vision the greater purpose that God is planning through that challenge. Disease and illness, rather than punishment, become a means to reach holiness.
When we are disappointed with someone because of the way they treated us and become bitter and resentful, this is because our light is not shining as bright as it should. If our light were shining bright it would have illumined our eyes beyond the actions of the other person and shown us the he or she is a child of God.
If we are the light of the world, then what will be visible is not the faults of others, but our own.
When we shine that light casts out the darkness of sin. For example, the sin becomes goes from being “personal” to “corporate.” Our light shines on the broader perspective of how our sin will affect the lives of our family and friends.