Christmas Retrospective: Sunday After Holy Theophany—Christ is a Light That Shines From Within

A GREAT LIGHT: THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

Brothers and sisters in Christ—

    Yesterday, we considered the way that the Mystery of Baptism is a new Great Flood that destroys the old world of sin and gives us a new life in Christ. Today, in the Gospel reading, we see the Lord beginning His public ministry, accompanied by yet another important image of that new life: the image of light. The areas that the Lord Jesus is seen preaching the Gospel in this passage are described as "sitting in darkness." This phrase is a quote from the Prophecy of Isaiah, who foretold that the people of Zebulon and Naphtali, a people sitting in darkness, would see a great light. He concludes, "Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shone."

    The imagery of light is very important in our faith, as it is also in the Holy Scriptures. In the beginning, light was the first of God's creations. The Book of Genesis tells us: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while the Spirit of God swept over the waters. God said, "let there be light!" And there was light. And there was evening, and there was morning: one day." Light has ever been the image of choice for the knowledge of God. Those who know God are said to "walk in light," while those who do not know God are said to "dwell in darkness."

    The Old Testament scriptures put the emphasis on this light of God—the knowledge of God—as a creative force. When this light shines upon Israel, the nation flourishes and is redeemed from the consequences of their sins. In the Prophecy of Isaiah, the prophet exultantly greets the exiles of Israel as they return after seventy years. He says, "Rejoice, O Jerusalem, for your light is come." When this same light shines upon an individual, that person is strengthened and redeemed. In the 26^th Psalm, the Prophet King David says: "The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?"

    The New Testament inherits the great tradition of light as the image of the knowledge of God, but, at the same time, this knowledge is changed, deepened and expanded. It is in the pages of the Gospels that we see for the first time the concept of the light that comes from within. The Lord Jesus refers many times to His disciples as the bearers of a light that they hold in themselves. He says to them, "You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men." Further, He tells them, "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, then your body will be filled with light."

    So, what is this new knowledge of God that shines from within by the action of the Holy Spirit? The knowledge of God in the Old Testament was reflected in observance of the Law, but when the Lord God became incarnate, for the first time, God could be imitated. We are now able to pattern our lives on the life of the Lord Jesus, and this imitation of our Lord becomes the light that shines forth from us to the whole of the creation. All of us, who are baptized into Christ, have received this light. All of us have the obligation to follow Jesus Christ in our lives. We bring reproach upon Christ and the Church when we fail to live up to the calling, which we have received. What calling? The one that the Holy Apostle refers to: "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." When we fail to become people of prayer, we bring reproach on the Lord and the Church. When we fail to love, we bring reproach on Christ and the Church. A great light has shone on us, but that light must shine from us, if it is to shine on others.