Light in History

The Rev. Joseph Winston

December 3, 2006

Sermon

Grace and peace are gifts for you from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.1
Some people may say that the biggest single item that distinguishes us from
our great-grandparents is the automobile. They point out that we no longer walk
to work but instead we take our car. They tell us that we now drive to the grocery
store. They remind us that we have become taxi drivers for our children. We take
them to school in the morning, pick them up when it is over, and then we move
them on to their next activity. It seems as if the car has become our favorite way
of moving people from one point to another. The problem with this argument is
that people have always used devices for travel. Before the automobile, there was
the train. Earlier still was the carriage, the horse predated the buggy, and people
have always had feet which could take them from one place to another. It does
1
Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians
1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 1:3

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not seem as if the automobile makes our society very different from what our
great-grandparents knew.
Others might hold the opinion that the computer is the one device that sepa-
rates us from our ancestors. Automation has come to mundane tasks. What seemed
impossible now has become possible. They show us the bridges that span huge
distances and the buildings that reach into the skies. They proudly inform us that
our inexpensive home machines are only possible because computers now de-
sign other computers. What these people are forgetting is that we have always
processed data. In fact, the name “computer” was originally given to the women
and the men who performed mathematical calculations. The only change between
computers today and those of yesterday is speed. Look at the Colosseum in Rome,
the aqueducts that cross Italy, and the great pyramids. Every one of these famous
structures was built without the aid of modern electronics. It seems safe to say that
the computer is not the item that makes us different from our ancestors.
Yet, other individuals would state that the telephone has completely changed
our world from the one our parents knew. Rather than only catching up with a few
friends and family, we now have the ability to pick up the phone and call just about
anyone. They proudly point to the fact that we can be contacted at any time and
any place. People now have wireless earpieces and their conversations often seem
strange because we do not see them with a phone in their hands. It would be hard to
disagree with the profound changes in availability. However, several fundamental
questions still remain. Is anyone so important that they have to continue to talk on
the phone while they are in a public restroom? What happened to taking the time

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for reflection? Must the world be understood in thirty-second sound bites? One
would have to agree that cell phones make contact easier. It remains to be seen if
this can be translated into anything more useful than a corporation’s bottom line.
It seems to me that the one invention that has radically transformed our lifestyle
from those people who lived almost one hundred and twenty fives years ago is the
electric light, which are found everywhere. Not only do we have lights inside our
houses but also during this holiday season tiny little “Christmass” lights are on
our trees and our houses. Of course, lights are not limited to the area around our
houses. We light up our streets. We pour lumens onto the sides of our buildings.
We send spotlights into the air so that we can find the used car lots. These uses
are possible only because we can cheaply control light. Nevertheless, the change
in our society is not due to the low cost of light. Our shift is subtler than that.
We have become deathly afraid of the dark that surrounds us. Go outside some
night and look around. You will be able to see someone’s light. It might be a
“security” light in someone’s yard or it could be a light on in someone’s room.
We tell ourselves that we keep these lights on for our “safety.” But think back to
the time of our great-grandparents. These lights would never be turned on. First
of all, they could not afford this extravagance. Lights back then came from either
candles or oil in some form. To keep a light on all night required work. Someone
had to watch the fire. Secondly, our instinct is correct. We are not as safe today as
our great-grandparents were. We are about five times as likely to be a victim of
crime in 1998 as in 1933. The murder rate is not much better. We are more than
three times more likely to be murdered today than in 1900. It seems clear that the

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change in our society is that we keep our lights on because we are scared of the
dark.
Our fear of the dark is just one symptom of our deeper illness.
Another characteristic of our common disease is our concern for ourselves.
When we hear today’s Gospel Lesson, many people, including pastors, will focus
in on the death and destruction that occurs at the end of time. We want to know
when the people will be killed (Luke 21:26.). We want to know how the world
will end (Luke 21:25.). We do these sorts of things out of a morbid curiosity and
out of a concern for our own hide. If we know what to expect, we can see what is
happening and maybe stay out of the way.
If we make today’s Gospel Lesson into a story about the end of the world, we
will miss the big bright spotlight that shines through all of history: Jesus.
The author of Luke writes in the style of a historian. His goal in both Luke and
Acts is to tell us the what, when, where, and why of Jesus. Throughout the church
year, we will return to these basics of reporting history and we will look at these
questions in more detail. Today our concern lies with the underlying reason why
anyone can recount what has happened in the past. We want to know if it is even
possible to write a history. If we answer no, then we say that history and time itself
have no purpose or goal. Our negative response indicates that no one is in control
of our destiny. Those who believe this think we are drifting from one random event
to another. On the other hand, if we say that one can learn from history then we
can say that the past has some sort of trajectory. The author of Luke-Acts is the
first one who clearly tells us of history’s ultimate aim: our salvation. God is the

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One who is controlling history to achieve this final goal.
The Scripture Lessons during this season of Advent show us that Jesus is the
Light of the world. During the next four weeks, we will look at this topic in more
detail. Today’s Gospel Lesson tells us Jesus is in control at all times. The end of
the world is no different. Jesus provides signs for everyone to see. If we would stop
looking away from the light, we would be able to understand what is happening.
Our response to the Good News that Jesus lights the way for all to see is either
one of denial or transferal. Even though God provides us with many different
opportunities to see Christ, sometimes we pretend that the Light of the World
does not exist. Today we have heard how God controls history so that we might
be saved. You would think that this clear sign in the heavens and on the trees
would be enough for anyone. Unfortunately, it is not. Othertimes we pretend that
we are the Light. We shout at others, “Look at me. See what I have done. Trust me
and I’ll save you.” The reality is that we cannot even save ourselves. If we follow
these people, we will die with them.
The Gospel Lessons this year give us the only remedy to our terminal disease:
Jesus. He comes into the world to bring those who are hurt the Good News, which
is telling us that our sins are already forgiven (Luke 4:18; 1:77.). If this was all
Jesus did, it indeed would be enough. We could end our story right here and be
content that God has wiped the slate clean. But Jesus’ love for us does not stop
at the forgiveness of our sins. God’s amazing love for each of us continues every
day of our existence. In the upcoming year, the author of Luke-Acts will tell us
many more of Christ’s mighty deeds. Jesus the great Physician comes into our

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lives and heals our broken hearts (Luke 4:18.). He brings freedom to all who are
held in bondage (Luke 4:18.). Jesus shines His Light into the shadows of this life
so we no longer have to be afraid of the dark (Luke 4:18.). He frees all who are
held against their will (Luke 4:18.). And at that last day, He will give us eternal
life with Him and the rest of the believers.
Many of us keep our lights on at night because we do not know what hides in
the dark. We use our nightlights as a way of keeping watch on the things that go
bump in the night. Today’s Gospel lesson reminds us that we have nothing to fear.
We are not in the dark. We know that the world is ending and Christ is coming.
When the world finally ends, we are not to hide our head as those with no hope.
We are to keep our head up and look for Jesus (Luke 21:27-28.).
This Sunday we have given every young person in our Affirmation of Baptism
program a copy of our Lutheran Confessions and a Bible. We give them these
books because we as a church promised at their baptism to “teach them the Lord’s
Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments, . . . (to) place in their hands the
Holy Scriptures and (to) provide for their instruction in the Christian faith.” It is
our prayer that they, by the power of the Holy Spirit, use these resources to bring
God’s Light into the world.
The youth in our Affirmation of Baptism program are not the only ones who
should be lifting high the Light of Christ. Every one of us should be following
their example.
“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and

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minds through Christ Jesus.”2

2
Philippians 4:7.