Life Light: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 - Sunday of the Transfiguration

 ³Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (NRSV)

daylight by kutsi on flickr. CC BY-NC 2.0

On my way home from church last Sunday, Elizabeth sent me a text. “We need a lightbulb,” she wrote.

Our daughter is raising two crested geckos—like the cute little creature on the Geico Commercials; only ours are red and orange, and even more charming.

They live inside of terrariums that are topped with lights that use a special bulb. On the packaging, it says “artificial daylight,” because that’s what’s what it’s for: to provide extra daylight that they otherwise wouldn’t get through our windows. They need daylight as much as we do.

Life cannot persist in darkness—and yet darkness is what so many of God’s children are living in right now. Surely you know someone, if it’s not you yourself—who is either in a darkness of tragic circumstance; or perhaps even a darkness of your own making, brought on your sins and mistakes. We call the worst spiritual struggles “dark nights of the soul.” The effect upon you is little different than what happens when a live plant is deprived of sunlight.

As living beings, we crave light. This is what makes the bright lights of this world so appealing. Is your life dull and meaningless? You can brighten it up with a luxury home or a dream vacation. Drive this luxury car; dress in these designer labels and you’ll shine like a movie star. Work hard and do whatever it takes to succeed, and people will envy you and wish they could be you.

Trouble is, the bright lights of this world are like lightbulbs. They are artificial light. What will you do when those lights burn out? What happens to you then?

Artificial light is no substitute for the real thing. The real and true light that gives life to the world is “the gospel of the glory of Christ” that the Apostle Paul describes in our short second reading for today.

Jesus is light because he went straight into the darkness of the grave, but the grave could not contain him. Death and darkness could not prevail against Jesus. Jesus is light because his love is unconditional. Human sin cannot block it out. The devil cannot blow it out.

As awe-inspiring as it was for Jesus’s disciples to be present for the revealing of his glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus goes right back down into the world to reveal the light of his glory to those in darkness. He doesn’t do this merely by talking at people with pithy slogans or cliches. Jesus shines his light by loving people. The cross is ironclad assurance that Jesus does not avoid the suffering of humanity, but that he takes it upon his own self. Jesus goes straight into the darkness of the grave, yet the grave cannot contain the light of his eternal love.

This is good news—because you don’t need to look long or hard for darkness. It’s all around us. Perhaps it’s all around you. It is so pervasive and so daunting as to make our gospel appear as hopeless fantasy. And yet, the light of Jesus has shined upon you since the moment of your baptism. Jesus lives in your heart by faith. To live in light is to trust that you matter to God. To be in the light is to hear his word, trust in his promise, and follow in his footsteps. You are the light of the world. You are the city on a hill. We are church together.

Suddenly, our mission becomes as clear as the noonday sun—for we who live in the light of Jesus’s mighty love are also stewards of the light of his glory. We are people of the light who gives life to the world. Christian love is like the stars that illuminate the night sky: together, we light up the world with our love and good deeds. Together, we show the way to the true light that is Jesus Christ. Together, despite our own brokenness and limitations, God’s glory shines in our hearts to transfigure this dark and fallen world to a world where God’s goodness, peace, and justice prevail. We cannot keep this all to ourselves, especially now.

And I know the darkness of the world is daunting. What do you say to someone who’s entire world has fallen apart? You say to that child of God, “you will not go through this alone. We will go through this darkness together, until the very end.” What can you do in a world where chaos and evil run amok? Whatever you can. You may not be able to cure diseases, lift someone out of poverty or raise the dead. But you can love people. You can forgive. You can share a minute of mercy.

Can the light coming from your television, or from your devices, give you the light of life? What about the bright lights shining upon the high-priced goods we’re told that make life good; or the spotlights we long to have shine upon ourselves?

Jesus shines brighter than all of these—and his light shines in you and in us to banish darkness away.

To live in light is to trust that you matter to God. To be in the light is to hear his word, trust in his promise, and follow in his footsteps. The bright lights of this world cannot give what Jesus is eager to give.