Where is the light?

This reading from Matthew begins by saying why Jesus has moved from Nazareth to Capernaum,  and I have a map  here and trying show you whereabouts on the map this is talking about. Capernaum, in the area of the tribe of Naphtali, is on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. This area in general is known as Galilee, and it was on the crossroads of international trade routes. In 723 BC the population were deported to Assyria. Matthew is writing for a Jewish audience, and therefore linking the Ministry of Jesus with Zebulun and Naphtali is very important.

Given the distance from Jerusalem, the place of the temple; the intermixing of Jews and Gentiles, and the fact that this place had been under foreign occupation for so much of the time, we can see why the people are referred to as being people who sat in darkness. The darkness was not only in the history of the area. Even though in theory Phillip was in charge of this area, Herod was one who had arrested John and later had him killed. This was a place that had seen much darkness in its time, but was still a place where the shadow of death was very close.

After Matthew has set the scene for Jesus being in Capernaum. There is a single sentence that says from that time Jesus began to proclaim, “ repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Then there is the call to discipleship of the two sets of brothers. Jesus calls them in the midst of their daily activity. All immediately left what they were doing. In both cases leaving their families meant leaving their nets, leaving the boat, leaving behind their tools of trade because they belonged to the family, not to the individual. Following Jesus was a very risky thing to do. In these days family was the social network, the place where you worked, the people who looked after you if you were ill, family was everything. And people didn't judge you by where you worked or what you wore, but by which family you were from.

Then the passage ends with a single sentence about the Ministry of Jesus. How Jesus went teaching in synagogues, proclaiming the good news, curing disease.

This is the season of epiphany, a season of light, of seeing Jesus manifest in the world. We have seen Jesus present in the birth story, as a child eager to learn in the synagogue, baptised by John in the Jordan, and here we have a reading that talks about the beginning of Jesus’ Ministry. A ministry that is about bringing light into dark places, a ministry of calling, the ministry of proclaiming good news, a ministry of healing, the ministry that demands a decision from each one of us.

Matthew quotes from the book of Isaiah and says for those who sat in the region of darkness and shadow of death, light has dawned. And I wonder when we are people sitting in darkness, when we feel the shadow of death in our lives, where do we look for the light?

There are  number of ways we can think about the darkness.  For many of the people effected by flooding in eastern Australia, this is a time of darkness for them. There are people living in poverty, people living under oppressive regimes, people living in areas of war, people living on the wrong side of the tracks, the no-go zones of our towns and cities. Each of these communities is also living in darkness, darkness  that continues because of ignorance and prejudice and apathy.

Many of us will be able to remember times when we have struggled for hope and faith, times of illness or grief or stress. And Jesus shines light in those spaces of our lives. Jesus also shines light into those dark spaces within us, those places we would rather hide from ourselves and each other, and from God. We all have those dark places within us, anger, fear, self-centredness, greed, the list could go on. Jesus shines a light on the darkness within us, as well as the darkness around us.

In first century Palestine, rabbis or teachers had people coming to them asking if they could be the disciples; students chose their teacher. Jesus chose those who would be disciples, who would travel with him and work with him. And working with Jesus, following the call, is proclaiming good news, offering healing, the light for people in darkness.

Following Jesus isn't just about our own salvation, in fact when Jesus called the two sets of brothers he doesn't offer eternal life, he says follow me. If the places that Jesus was found, was with people who were in darkness, people aching for good news, people who needed healing and hope, where are the places that we are following Jesus, where are the places where we are with people in their darkness, telling the good news, being beacons of hope.

Thinking about this reading reminded me of an image that came to me when I was having conversations with the JNC before I came here. I can't remember what I'd been asked, but I was aware that there were two different images of how we could work together as a congregation. The first image was that as  the Minister I could look after the bonfire, and you could all be busy finding pieces of wood to keep the fire going, and finding people who needed light and warmth and bringing them to the fire. The other image is of a much smaller bonfire, and while each of you were bringing wood to keep the fire going, each of you was taking lighted torches of wood from the fire, and taking that and offering the light and warmth of the gospel to people where they are, building lots of small fires.

This week as a Church Council we looked at the celebrations and hopes that people wrote down at breakfast church last November. There were some great ideas and suggestions, but as we looked at the suggestions of things that could happen, we were mindful of how busy many people already are. Because there are people in this congregation who are already active in the community in a number of different ways. As volunteers at schools, driving community buses, leading community organisations, offering care in a variety of ways.

We are a church that has embraced the small bonfire picture, where each of you take the light of the gospel with you into this community. It means as a congregation we don’t run as many programs as some churches do, but as a church we support and encourage each other, keeping the flame of discipleship alive, as we each answer God’s call.

We are challenged to take seriously the call of Jesus to follow him, to be  the good news, to take the light that shines in the darkness, to follow Jesus to those place where light and hope are needed.

Where do we recognise the light of Jesus shining in our lives?

Where do we bring the light of Jesus into the community that we live in?