Epiphany 3 / Year A
“Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
the
people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light,
and
for those who sat
in the region and
shadow of death
light has dawned.”
Scientists
call it bioluminescence. It is the ability some creatures have to
produce light. A firefly, for instance, mixes
three internal chemicals with oxygen in a special cavity of its abdomen and the
reaction generates a light shining through its body to enchant children of all
ages on warm, summer nights. Creatures
and organisms capable of bioluminescence are found in such diverse environments
as ocean depths, damp caves, and forest floors.
Some use their ability to attract either mates or prey, others use it as
a defense mechanism, and still others purely for illumination.
Unlike
natural light, which has its source from the sun, bioluminescent light is often
found in unexpected places. In this
regard, it is more like spiritual light, which also manifests itself often in
unexpected ways. Writing in the 8th
Century B.C., when the prophet Isaiah proclaims the people of Zebulun and Naphtali
will see a great light, he is speaking of spiritual light. And its manifestation in the land is surely
unexpected by the people who live there.
Zebulun
and Naphtali are two of Jacob’s twelve sons.
Their descendant tribes settle in the northern region of Israel around the
Sea of Galilee. In Isaiah’s day
Israel is threaten by the Assyrians and the people of this area are the first
to be taken captive. Isaiah’s is a
hopeful message: God will cause this great darkness to pass and God’s light
will shine on them once again.
In
Jesus’ day the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali are under Roman occupation and,
again, a darkness shrouds the region.
Matthew proclaims Jesus is God’s Light come to set the people free; to
help the people to see and sense God’s never-failing presence and love.
It must have struck Matthew’s initial
readers as odd that God’s Light shines first in Zebulun and Naphtali, rather
than Jerusalem. Why would God’s Son go
first to outliers and outcast? Why not
appear first to those with means, the well-educated, and the highly positioned? As an example, if you wanted to change our
Commonwealth, it would seem wise to start in Richmond, or maybe Suffolk, but
not in Wise, VA. It seems we often find
God’s light in unexpected places. I have
seen this bear out time and again over the course of my ministry.
Elizabeth was a sweet elderly lady who
lived with her daughter Sarah. Sarah
managed her own successful and demanding business and needed someone to stay
with her mother during the day. Enter
Velna, another sweet, wonderful retiree from the church who, although up in
years, was still able to drive and get around on her own. She began to stay with Elizabeth while Sarah
worked. And even though the two attended
the same church, they never really knew each other all that well. But now, in their old age, the two became
fast friends.
I visited them each month to take communion
to Elizabeth. They were always talking
and laughing as Velna tended to some tatting and Elizabeth worked a cross-word
puzzle. They were simply a joy to be
with. One time, on my birthday, I
decided to stop by for my regular visit because I knew being with them would be
the most special part of my special day… and it was. It warmed my heart to see God’s light shine
through a new friendship established at the sunset of two people’s days.
In time, Elizabeth passed and Velna
aged. She had to stop driving and I
began to visit her each month. I
remember one visit on a cold winter day.
It was late in the afternoon and Velna (like many elderly people) kept
her house warm. We sat on her couch as
she did her tatting. The conversation
was soft and slow and I began to feel the heaviness of my eyelids. Then I succumbed. Perhaps it was five minutes, maybe it was
twenty. When I opened my eyes Velna was
sitting quietly tatting away. I
apologized, but she waved it off. “You
must have needed to rest,” she said.
There was something in her voice hinting she believed she had given me a
wonderful gift – a few moments of peaceful rest – and being able to do this
meant the world to her.
That was maybe twenty years ago now, but I
still remember it like yesterday.
Why? Why is something so
seemingly insignificant so memorable?
Because Elizabeth and Velna’s friendship was infused with God’s light as
was Velna’s graciousness during our visits.
And we often find God’s light in unexpected places.
Matthew tells his readers God’s light is
manifested through a person you would not suspect in a place you would expect –
through Jesus in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. But he reminds us this is how God always
seems to work, going all the way back to the prophet Isaiah.
There is a part of me that would love to
end this sermon by asking each of you to pair up with someone near you and have
each of you share a time you found God’s light in an unexpected place or
moment. I suppose this is neither
practical nor Episcopal. But here is
what I want you to do. Do not let go of
today’s sermon until you can finish this statement with a story:
One time, when I
did not expect it, God’s light shined on me when…
Finish this statement with one of your own stories
and then share it with another person.
One of the great privileges of being a preacher is I get to tell my
stories to you all the time and you have to listen. It is a real gift because each week I have to
identify how the day’s readings have been manifested in my experience or I will
have nothing of value to say. Let me
invite you to turn the table. Why don’t
you come up with your own story and tell it to me. Then I will be the one who listens and
learns.
