Year A - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, February 5, 2023
You Are the Light of the World
To honor the Gracious Trinity: God, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We are the light of the world: Christians and their congregations can illuminate salvation and peace and sanctuary and love for the globe. Jesus is empowering! Like a city on a hill or a beacon on the shore, Trinity exists to be a powerful witness that God’s reign on earth has already begun. Jesus, in this passage, is telling his disciples to act flagrantly; display to the world the peace God has granted; be on fire with caring for the poor and outcast, “so that [people outside our faith] may see [our] good works and give glory to [our] Father in heaven (Matt 5:16).”
Unfortunately, this passage is abused to bludgeon people with scripture. “You are the light of the world” is turned into “only our brand of religion is the light and everyone else is evil.” When Jesus begins to discuss the Law the bludgeon becomes a battle axe destroying the gospel. Scripture abusers pick a few choice rules from Deuteronomy or Leviticus, declare some of us eternally damned, then quote Matthew 5:18 and 20: “…until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished...unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The crux to determine the truth in Jesus’ sermon is defining righteousness and God’s law.
Righteousness, meaning what God expects of us is detailed in Isaiah (58:6-7): God speaks, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?” The preachers and Christians who beat our neighbors with judgment from Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are scrapping for a smiting. They believe they can pick which rule must be followed and which one can be adjusted or abandoned. The Law of God is marked by justice and mercy. God ferociously wants us to love one another, to strive for equity, to lift up the disadvantaged from poverty, to have compassion for the prisoners and to rescue the afflicted from misery.
Any time Jesus or one of the apostles preaches on the Torah and Prophets, it’s a good idea to study the passages referenced. Read your bible like a follower of Christ, not an American or a woman or a man or a parent or a business owner or an Episcopalian. Seek Christ in the details of his own words. Write this down on your bulletin: read the Gospels, Psalms, Isaiah, Amos and Micah chapter 6. These get at the heart of what God asks of the upright follower.
This is what God, Christ, the Holy Spirit demand of congregations. The institution of church sometimes exempts itself from what we teach and preach the followers of Jesus. Trinity has enough because the Lord provides it. Trinity exists in joy because we are faithful. This parish must be generous in giving alms. This parish must feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and care for the sick. This parish must conduct our business with honesty and mercy. Every parish must have righteousness that exceeds the letter of biblical guidance or it will descend into a social club with religious tendencies.
The whole purpose of our building, our organ, books of common prayer, hymnals, robes, windows, acolytes, choir and clergy are to place us on the threshold of God’s kingdom so we become Jesus to those around us. When we act generously we glorify God. When we are prodigal in selfless love for the poor we glorify God. When our radical hospitality, offered at great cost to our own care, draws the rich, poor, gay, straight, Republican, Socialist, Democrat, immigrant, citizen, brown-skinned and peachy-skinned folks from “every nation, tribe, language and people” to worship God, we live as Christ’s church. Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world.” I dare you to burn brightly. Amen.
Dean Vanessa Clark+