January 5, 2003
Epiphany
"Shine On"
(Isaiah 60:1-6)
Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn
[1] Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
[2] For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
[3] Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
[4] Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.
[5] Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
[6] A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
NRSV
Have you seen those personality tests that tell you what kind of candy bar you are? Or what kind of dog you are? Or even what color you are? There have to be a couple of dozen of those floating around on the internet. There's even a site where you can find out such things as: Which Star Wars character you are. And which TV Mom you're most like. I even found a site that told which Wizard of Oz character I was like.
I found out that I'm an analytical Chihuahua; trustworthy Labrador Retriever, a self-assured Cowardly Lion, a Snickers Bar and a Yoda. Plus, a spiritual types test told me that I'm a Lamplighter Mystic.
Now what does all of that have to do with today's readings from Matthew and Isaiah. Well, today is Epiphany Sunday, the day we celebrate the arrival and visit of the Magi. It's a day we remember that because Christ came, because the Light of the World entered our lives, we're called to "Arise; shine, for [our] light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon [us]."
If we're called to "Arise and Shine" then we have to know what kind of light we are. You see, because we've accepted Christ, we're all some form of light. And we're called to be a conduit for the true light of Christ. We're called to spread the light.
There's an old story that says that at age twelve, Robert Louis Stevenson was looking out into the dark from his upstairs window watching a man light the old gas street lanterns. Stevenson's governess came into the room and asked what he was doing. He replied, "I am watching a man punch holes in the darkness."
I like that analogy. I like that imagery, because that's what we're called to do. We're called to punch holes in the darkness of this world. We're called to bring light into the dark places of the world.
Now that doesn't mean that we're supposed to shine the light into the eyes of others. That's interrogation not sharing the good news. That's judgment. We're not called to expose all their faults, foibles and frailties. Most of the time, that's why their in the dark. They're well aware. And they're not so much hiding from God or others as they are from themselves.
We're called to simple shine the light we have received on the Path of Life, the path that leads to the one who IS the Light. It's His job to expose that which is not worthy of God. Our job is simply to live in His light and point the way by letting our light shine.
So that brings us to the question: "What Kind of Light are You?" There are lots of kinds of light. But let's look at a few and figure out what kind of a light your are.
A. FIRST THERE'S THE CANDLE:
1. SINGLE CANDLE: Remember what we said in our call to worship? The light a single candle can push back the darkness. Or as Robert Louis Stevenson would have said. The light a a single candle can "Punch a hole in the darkness." The Message records in John 1:4-5 "What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out." [Msg]
2. BIRTHDAY CANDLE: Not only that, but a single candle added to a bunch of other candles on top of a cake, can bring lots of joy as a birthday cake.
We can be candles. Those of us with small flames or a small intensity of light can be simply candles that push back the darkness and bring joy.
In John 15:11 Jesus says: "I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete." [NRSV]
Remember the song we sang. This Little Light of Mine. We can all be the light. We all have this little light that God has given us. And it's our choice whether we light it or blow it out. Or whether we hide it under that bushel and let it totally disappear. The darkness can't put it out but we can let it die out.
B. SECOND, YOU MIGHT BE A FLASH LIGHT:
Maybe the intensity of your light is a little brighter than a candle.
1. Maybe you're great in emergency situations. That's what a good flashlight is for isn't it? Isn't that why we keep them around, in case the lights go out? There are times when we need the emergency light of a FLASHLIGHT.
A FLASHLIGHT person is one who brings comfort or help in time of need. One like is described in Psalm 86:7 "In the day of my trouble I call on you, for you will answer me." [NRSV]
2. A FLASHLIGHT is also used for work. It's a tool. It helps you see better in the tight places and helps facilitate the completion of the job. It helps makes the task easier. Just like all the volunteers who serve God in our Church.
C. SUNRISE
Maybe you're not a CANDLE or a FLASHLIGHT. Maybe you're a SUNRISE. Have you ever thought about being a SUNRISE. In 1 Thessalonians 5:5 Paul says, "for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness." [NRSV]
A SUNRISE sets the mood of the day. There's not much that's more beautiful than a SUNRISE. If you see a beautiful SUNRISE it sort of sets the mood for the day. The warmth spreads. And that's what SUNRISE people do. They are children of light who spread the warmth of their faith around. They set the mood of the day. And brighten everyone's spirits.
D. SUNSET
Sometimes, SUNRISE people are also SUNSET people. But not necessarily. SUNSET people are those people who leave an afterglow.
SUNSET people are those people who can walk into a room and make a difference. They are the people who make you feel good about yourself. And who leave a warm glow when they leave. You feel like you've been bathed in the warmth of a glorious SUNSET.
In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says: "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill." [Msg]
A SUNSET person is one who "brings out the God-colors in the world."
E. STREET LIGHT OR LANTERN
Or you could be a STREET LIGHT OR LANTERN:
That's what John the Baptist was. The Gospel of John 1:8 says: "John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light." [Msg].
That's what a STREET LIGHT OR LANTERN does. They aren't the light, they simply lead others to the Light. They light the pathway which leads to the Light, Christ Jesus. Psalm 119:105 describes what being a STREET LIGHT OR LANTERN is like. "By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path." [Msg] Maybe you're a STREET LIGHT OR LANTERN.
F. TRAFFIC LIGHT
But then again, you could be a TRAFFIC LIGHT. If you work with youth or children, if you teach or lead Bible Studies, you could very definitely be a TRAFFIC LIGHT. If you're a counselor or a lay speaker, you could very definitely be a TRAFFIC LIGHT. A TRAFFIC LIGHT assists in the flow of ideas and in pointing out what's right or wrong or even cautionary.
Most parents practice being TRAFFIC LIGHTS at some point in time. If not, then they get run over. Ephesians 5:9 says: "the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true." [NRSV] TRAFFIC LIGHTS help point us to "all that is good and right and true."
G. READING LAMP
You could be a TRAFFIC LIGHT but you could also be a READING LAMP. Most teachers are both. A public school teacher is probably more of a TRAFFIC LIGHT but a Sunday School teacher is very definitely a READING LAMP.
You see, a READING LAMP reads the Scripture and finds ways to share it with others. It's their passion. It's not just a job which they took because someone asked them to teach Sunday School. Or because no one else is doing it. No, a READING LAMP truly believes what is recorded in 2 Samuel 22:29 "Indeed, you are my lamp, O Lord, the Lord lightens my darkness." [NRSV]
And the person who is a READING LAMP helps lighten the darkness of others by sharing little pieces of the light. (USE D-LITE) They take it out of Scripture. They take it out of their hearts where it's buried deep. They take it everywhere they go and continue to pass it on to everyone they meet because it lives in them. Maybe you're a READING LAMP.
H. LIGHTHOUSE
Some folks, are LIGHTHOUSES. They stand firm for God. They've bloomed where they've been planted. And they stand as a beacon for Goodness and what is Godly. Isaiah 21:8 describes a LIGHTHOUSE person; "Then the watcher called out: "Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed throughout the night." [NRSV]
We don't think much about these folks because they, and others like them, have been around for so long. But if we didn't have lighthouses, if we didn't have that beacon in the night, folks like Dr. Billy Graham, there would be a whole lot more lives lost on the rocks. We need lighthouses.
I. SEARCHLIGHT
Just like we need SEARCHLIGHTS. Maybe that's what you are. Maybe you're a SEARCHLIGHT. A searchlight is exactly what it describes. Someone like Mark Winter. Someone who seeks out the lost. Someone who seeks out others to help the discover a relationship with Jesus. Like our LRE teams. That's what Lifestyle Relationship Evangelism is all about. Being the Light for someone else. Searching for those who are in need of the Light of Christ.
SEARCHLIGHTS play an important part in the life and growth of the Church. And we can't have too many SEARCHLIGHTS. God understood the need for SEARCHLIGHTS. In Matthew 22:9 Jesus was telling a parable and said: "Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet." [Msg] We're called to do the same thing, to be SEARCHLIGHTS looking for anyone we can find to invite to this Banquet of Grace we've found in Jesus. Everyone of us can be a SEARCHLIGHT in some form or fashion.
So, WHAT KIND OF LIGHT ARE YOU? Where do you fit in to the scheme of things? Where do you fit in to the ministry of God's Kingdom and the Church?
It doesn't really matter what kind of light you are. What matters is that you acknowledge you are a child of the light. In Ephesians 5:8 Paul says: "For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light." [NRSV] Children of light pass the light on, no matter what kind of light they are.
Erma Bombeck once wrote: "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'"
I think that's a great quote. I think that's how we're supposed to share the light. We've been given the Light of Christ, yes, for our own illumination but also so that we could pass it on. So, we could spread it to others. I'm afraid that if we come to the end of our time with too much oil in our lamps or with our batteries almost fully charged from lack of use, God will want to know why we didn't spend ourselves more completely in sharing the Light of His Son.
It is what Jesus told us to do. In Matthew 5:16 it's recorded that He said: "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." [NRSV]
God has given each of us a share of the Light, each according to our abilities. We're simply called to SHINE ON.
WHAT KIND OF LIGHT ARE YOU? It doesn't really matter, just so you let your light shine. And just so you let others know WHY you let your Light Shine. Because of what God has done for you through Jesus Christ.
This child of light whose birthday we just celebrated.
This child of light which the Wise Men traveled so far to see and whom Herod tried to murder.
This child of Light who grew to be a man who took on the darkness of our sin so we could know the fullness of the Light He had to offer.
It doesn't make any difference What Kind Of Light you are, remember that it all comes from Christ. And then let your light shine.
"Arise; shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you." SHINE ON.
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