Matthew 4:12-23
Third Sunday after the Epiphanyย -ย 22 January 2017
Rev. John Derme
It was my last chance to see the sight that I'd been waiting for days to see. It was the last chance for all of us to see the sun come over the hills on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. During my final year as a student at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, a large group of seminarians visited Israel as part of an elective course that we were taking. On our last day in Galilee about 15 of us were gathered on a dock that jutted into the famous lake. We had woken up early enough to witness this event the previous two mornings as well, because we wanted to see one of the sights that Jesus so often had seen: the Sea of Galilee at sunrise. But each of those mornings had been too cloudy. It was another cloudy morning, although not quite as bad. Dawn came, and soon the sky was bright.
After what seemed to be too long of a wait, most of my classmates went off to eat breakfast. It seemed that the clouds had thwarted our plans again. There were a few of us, though, who didn't give up. It wasn't quite late enough for the sun to be visible. As we waited with our cameras ready and our eyes on the horizon, those minutes seemed to pass like hours. You know the old saying that a watched pot never boils. It applies to the sunrise, too. But when the right time came, the clouds moved out of the way, and a blazing light peeked over the top of those hills. Slowly it rose. And soon that orange ball's red reflection was shining on the lake. The Lord rewarded our patience. A few of us didn't miss the sunrise.
That sunrise was a beautiful sight. But I'm not going to kid myself. That's not the most impressive sunrise that the Sea of Galilee has seen. The sun has been rising over that lake for thousands of years. But even if I did see the most picturesque morning in Galilee's history, it still wasn't the most beautiful "sun." About two thousand years ago a much more important, more impressive Son appeared at the Sea of Galilee. I'm talking about the Son of God. This morning you and I gather to witness the Son of God at work on the shore of this lake and all over the region of Galilee. We witness as he helps people who are in need. We watch him as he breaks the darkness in people's hearts. Don't miss the Sonrise.
The Hymn of the Day that we just finished singing illustrates well the way that, as the sun slowly climbs into the morning sky, so the Son of God was slowly revealed to his people. Over the course of Old Testament history, God sent his prophets to foretell the Messiah's coming. With each prophecy, his people gradually learned more about him. When he finally arrived in this world, he was revealed more fully to a greater number of people. Throughout his ministry many others heard his words and saw his actions. At the end of his ministry, his true glory and purpose were revealed in his death and resurrection. Finally, one day in the future, when he returns to this world with his full glory, his identity will be revealed to all people.
Over the course of that gradual process, one of the greatest revelations of his identity and glory happened when he burst over the horizon into Galilee. St. Matthew tells us in the Gospel of the Day that Jesus headed to Galilee when John the Baptist was put into prison. Last week we saw how eager John the Baptist was to diminish himself in the eyes of others in order to promote Jesus. Here we see the Baptist's desire fulfilled in a very stark way, as his fame greatly decreased in order that the Son of God's glory might increase.
Jesus was certainly familiar with Galilee. Although he had been born down south in Bethlehem, he grew up in Nazareth. But Jesus wanted to use a different location in Galilee as the home base of his ministry, so he moved once again to Capernaum. Not only was Capernaum a better location from which to operate, but it was also in the region of Zebulon and Naphtali, the place that the Old Testament prophecy, which Isaiah wrote over 700 years prior, had said that he would appear. "Land of Zebulon and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles." This wasn't just Galilee. This was Galilee of the Gentiles. This was in the northern reaches of Jewish territory, where the course of history had brought in Gentiles to mingle with the Jews. There, in the area around the Sea of Galilee, Jews gathered in their synagogues, but Romans and Greeks also worshiped their pagan gods. The Bible describes it as a place of spiritual darkness, and this darkness showed itself in the sadness and sickness and pain under which people whom Jesus met were suffering. Galilee of the Gentiles was a place that needed the Son of God to rise and bring light to its residents' hearts.ย
Into this darkness, the Son of God arose. Isaiah's prophecy continues: "The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Jesus came to Galilee to shine his light on Jews and Gentiles who lived in the darkness of unbelief and paganism and self-righteousness. He shone his light on people who had never heard of him, and on people who already knew him. For example, we heard last week about how John the Baptist pointed his disciples Andrew and John to Jesus. That day they met the Messiah, and they introduced their brothers to him, as well. Today we hear that he found all four of these men working as fishermen on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and there he called them to be his full-time disciples.
The Son of God shone his "sonlight" wherever he went, which over the course of that summer included that famous lakeshore and all of Galilee. He traveled throughout the region teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Jesus, the Light of the world, was traveling to every dark corner of the land and attacking the darkness head on, so that he could bring his light to the hearts of its people and rescue them from the consequences of the darkness.
You and I know that darkness, too. We know the same darkness that filled Galilee โ yes, that filled the world โ at the time of Jesus' ministry, because our world is in the same darkness. Think of all the people that you know who are sick and sad and suffering. Think of all the people everywhere who are in trouble and need help. This world is a dark place.
We know that darkness, because you and I have lived in the darkness, too. The sickness and sadness and suffering that we experience are simply evidence of the darkness that is in our nature. We don't like to think of our own hearts as filled with darkness, but they were. Our natural religion was little different than the paganism of the Greeks and Romans or the self-righteousness of many Jews. We were born in the darkness of unbelief. And our spiritual darkness would have led us to eternal darkness in hell.
But for us, who were living in darkness, the Son of God has appeared. He has come to scatter our darkness with his shining light. The Son has risen over our hearts to show us his glory. We may not have the privilege of seeing Jesus teach and preach and heal. His glory is revealed to us on the pages of Holy Scripture, which tells us that he has lived and died in our place. He has brought us into the light through Holy Baptism, which tells us that our dark deeds are gone and his holy deeds are ours. Where he has shone his light, he has also come to save us from the consequences of spiritual darkness. He has rescued us from the terror of living in hell's eternal darkness. He helps us with the trouble and pain and disease that we face during our lives on earth, as well. Although he may not always take them away, because sin's consequences will always be with us on this side of heaven, he is with is to help us with those difficulties. He does bless us with healing and relief. He gives us Christian brothers and sisters who are willing to help us with our troubles, who are eager to warm our hearts with the comfort that comes from his Word. Wherever the good news of Jesus is shared, there the Son of God is shining his bright rays into our lives.
It may be January, and you may not be getting a whole lot of warmth from the sun in the sky. But no matter what time of year it is, you can bask in the Sonshine of Jesus' glory. Enjoy the glory that he has shone on you. Continue to hear his Holy Word and receive Holy Communion, because when you do, you are living in the light of Jesus Christ. And continue to speak his healing words to your fellow Christians when they need to be reminded not to miss Jesus' Sonrise.
This Light isn't only for you and me to enjoy. As we witness Jesus taking his light into darkest Galilee this morning, he teaches us to bring his light to people whom we know are living in darkness. You know who they are. The sadness and sorrow they endure in their lives are dead giveaways that they need to see the Sonshine of God's love. Take God's love to them by telling them about what Jesus did to destroy darkness in this world: that he lived as the perfect shining light in our place; that he climbed that dark cross and died carrying our dark deeds; that he pierced the gloomy night with his glorious resurrection. Shine the light of God's good news on their hearts so that they may see who he is and what he has done for them.
Just as it takes some patience to wait for the sun to rise above the morning horizon, so also it will usually take some patience before you see the Son of God's light remove the darkness from a person's heart. And that is no surprise when you think about Jesus' own disciples โ that even though they'd met him when John the Baptist pointed Jesus out to them, and though Jesus called them to be his full-time companions on the shores of the lake that day, they didn't immediately understand all that it meant to follow him. The full realization of who Jesus was and what he was doing gradually became more visible to them, and they didn't totally understand until he'd ascended back into heaven.
It may take some time and patience for the people whom you know are in the darkness before they see the light. But as the sky slowly lightens in the morning and the sun finally shows itself over the horizon, so also Christ works on people's hearts through his Word at his own pace as it is pleasing to him. Sometimes, from our perspective, it seems like Jesus isn't working at all, and that the person with whom we've shared his light is making no progress, when Jesus finally bursts through the darkness of his or her heart. When that finally happens, we see that it is worth the effort and worth the patience of working to shine the light on the hearts of other people. Even if we never see the results in a person's life, realize that Jesus can and will bring about those results later and break through the darkness in the future. With that in mind, remember that every opportunity to shine his light is a good opportunity to point out Jesus' Sonrise.
Yes, it seems like a long wait when you're waiting for the sun to rise, but when it appears it is worth the wait. Before Jesus was born, it seemed like he was a long time in coming too, but he was definitely worth the wait. Don't fall for the misunderstanding that makes it seem like he is taking too long to make a difference in our lives, because he is at work. He is at work in the heart of every person who hears his gospel. He is helping people who are in need. He is breaking the darkness in people's hearts. Look to Jesus. Don't miss the Sonrise!