Ephesians 5:8-14
Darkness and Light are two of the most important and most universal pictures in Holy Scripture. They are experiences common to us all. So much of what God’s Word teaches us uses familiar and everyday examples – things like family, food, water, and agriculture. They are conditions so much a part of our everyday life that we hardly think much of them. And yet, even with all our modern science, there are many things about light that are still mysterious. The speed of light is a barrier that physics says cannot be broken. Light acts as a wave or as particles, depending on whether it’s being observed. There’s a host of puzzling properties and questions that quantum physics has raised concerning light – that still remain to be unraveled. Still, light is something so common and everyday that we all basically understand how it works, and why it’s important.
Darkness is, in a way, the default. We could see nothing without light. In the darkness, we’d be lost. We’d be fumbling around without information about our surroundings. We couldn’t make use of our eyes, our vision. Without light, we would be effectively blind – like the man Jesus healed in our Gospel reading.
For us, especially as children, darkness is a place of fear. It represents the unknown, and the place where unsavory and fearful things lurk. Many of us, even lately, have used darkness as a metaphor for the unusual times we are living through – and at least for now, the near future seems a bit clouded in darkness. How much longer before we can get back to normal? Just how bad will the disease turn out to be? Dark times, indeed. Lord, have mercy.
Darkness and light take us back to the beginning, the very beginning, when in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void. It was dark. And God said, “Let there be light”. The very first words God spoke are words of creation – and words that created light. God then went on, during that week to both separate the light and the darkness, and to create great lights to govern the day and the night, and also the stars. And by the way, what a testament to God’s almighty power, that the creation of the stars – in all their countless numbers and unfathomable variety and order – all God created, and Genesis mentions it with but 4 words – “and also the stars”.
Light continues to be an important gift from God throughout the Scriptures. Think about the pillar of fire by night – in which God made his presence known among the people. The golden lampstands of the tabernacle. The Sun standing still to extend the daylight so the Israelite army could defeat their enemies. Or in the New Testament – the light from the Star of Bethlehem, or the light that shone from Jesus at the Transfiguration. We could go on and on.
But more than that, light stands as a symbol and reminder of the true light that God bestows through his Holy Spirit. The One who calls, gathers and en-LIGHT-ens. The one who shines the spotlight on Jesus, by setting before us the Gospel light.
Here we pick up St. Paul in the Epistle reading today – who works these metaphors some more. He says, “at one time you were darkness”.
Not you were sitting in the darkness (though we could say that too). Not you were under the cloud of darkness. Not you were alone in the dark of your sins. You WERE darkness. It’s emphatic language. In this one little phrase Paul expresses just how deep our condition of sin really is, or was, rather, before Christ saved us. Each of us is conceived and born into that darkness, and just as much a part of it as the rest of the sinful fallen world. Each of us can do no good, claim no righteousness or merit. Of our own devices we don’t have a glimmer of hope or a ray of light to offer.
But in the same breath Paul throws open the sash on the gospel. You were once darkness, but you now are light in the Lord. The same strong metaphor holds. If you are in the Lord. If you are in Christ Jesus. You are light. You’re not just en-light-ened. You’re not just able to see, eyes-wide open. You’re actually light – so closely identified with the Lord himself who is the source of that light. And for sure, that’s how God sees you – in Christ.
That light dawns on the world in the Son of God made flesh and born in Bethlehem. The light shines in the darkness, though the darkness has not understood it, John’s Gospel puts it. But then, on those who sat in darkness, a light dawned. In the land of darkness, the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, a light has dawned. That’s the region of Galilee. Jesus made his public appearance, and was hailed by John the Baptist.
He preached and taught for three years until the time was right, until the hour of the power of darkness, until he was betrayed, arrested, mocked, beaten, tried, convicted, condemned, and crucified. That dark day was the darkest of them all, as even the sun’s light failed and darkness reigned for a time. God’s own Son died in bitter agony at the hands of wicked men, alone but for the helpless few onlookers and the criminals condemned beside him. And Jesus gave up his Spirit.
They hastily buried him in a borrowed tomb and sealed it shut – leaving his cold clay in the darkness of the grave, thinking they’d seen the last of him. It seemed the darkness had won.
But then the bright beams of Easter dawn burst forth. Then the Jesus who died broke the bonds of death, as easily as light scatters darkness. He brought life and immortality to light – for you and me and for all who are in him. Now our future is bright. Now our destiny is in glory. And one day, when we join him in that heavenly kingdom, we will no longer need a lamp or sun, for there will be no night there, and God himself will be in our midst and be our light.
We were darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. And we have the gospel of Jesus to enlighten us to faith and life in him. Paul also encourages the Ephesians, and all Christians thereby, to bear the fruit of light. That is, all that is good and right and true. Stay away from the darkness – don’t return to it. That’s the place where sin lurks and hides. But rather, live in the light, be of the light. Let the dark deeds of sin be exposed by your confession of it, and God’s absolution will scatter them all away. Let your fear of death and grave be blasted away by the light of the Gospel which bathes even the darkest corners of fear in the love of Christ Jesus.
And then this last little encouragement from Paul:
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
We don’t know exactly what he’s quoting here, but it has been suggested it’s perhaps from an early baptismal hymn. Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead! That’s just what has happened to us in our baptism. God rouses us from the sleepy death of sinfulness to the bright morning of faith – even brought to new life in those blessed waters. This is the first resurrection. And those same words will apply again, when on the last day, the trumpet call of God and the shout of the archangel accompany Christ’s own command for us to rise from our graves, and join him in life eternal. This is the second resurrection. This is the shining of Christ on you.
Dear friends, I encourage you again, to fear not in these times of darkness. Do not fear this disease, for even if the pestilence takes you and your loved ones, we have a hope beyond death. Do not fear the darkness of uncertainty, for we have all the certainty we need in Jesus Christ. Do not fear the wrath of God as punishment for your sins, for though he allows troubles to come, he also promises to see us through them and be with us every step of the way. No matter how dark the days get, the dawn is promised. The light will come, for it already has, in Christ our Lord. Now be the light he has made you to be, and bear the fruit of light, in all that is good and right and true.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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