Pastor Jonah Sage preached from Mark 9:30-37. He said that the smallest light can pierce the deepest darkness. Lector: Meg Shaffer
Pastor Jonah Sage preached from Mark 9:30-37. He said that the smallest light can pierce the deepest darkness.
Lector: Meg Shaffer
Our stories all begin in the darkness. Certainly the darkness of a mother's womb, but there's a darkness before even all of that.
"Darkness was upon the face of the deep," Genesis tells us.
Try to imagine what that must have been like...darkness over the face of the deep.
Have you ever experienced a darkness you can feel?
A darkness that is so dark it has weight, brings your shoulders low, maybe you wrap your arms around yourself.
And into that darkness so deep God said "let there be light." That's all it took.
A few words, and light pierced the darkness over the face of the deep.
And so it is that from the very beginning God tells us that the smallest light can pierce the deepest darkness.
Isn't this a fascinating thought? A pin light can pierce caverns of darkness.
A candle flame can push back the midnight of a sleepy house on Christmas Eve
The smallest light can pierce the deepest darkness.
So, when it comes to the darkness in our lives and world, we cannot conclude that the light is not shining, or cannot shine, or that the light cannot win.
Light always wins when it's pointed at the darkness.
Remember the last two weeks: Jesus promised he would suffer and die, and then he was revealed in his glory on the mount of transfiguration.
The image of Jesus in the transfiguration is a depiction of John's words from his gospel:
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
-John 1:4-5
Jesus, the light of the world, has been revealed. His light pushes back the darkness...
So why do things so often still feel so dark? Let's try to see ourselves for a moment...
Jesus continues teaching the disciples all alone after the transfiguration.
Again, he tells them:
The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.
-Mark 9:31
Let's be generous to the disciples here. The story is familiar to us, but it was shocking to them.
The last time Jesus said this, Peter rebuked him, then Jesus called Peter Satan.
They don't understand. He was supposed to push back the darkness, not be overcome by it.
So...
They didn't understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.
-Mark 9:32
One reason the darkness lingers is because those with light refuse to face it.
Are we not so like the disciples, afraid and confused?
Can you think of something you were afraid of as a child?
Isn't it interesting that, almost universally, little ones are afraid of the dark.
And how do we handle that fear? We sleep with mom and dad, we hide under a blanket, turn on a show...we find a way to act like the dark is not there.
Can you think of something you are afraid of today?
And can you think of all the ways you try to act like that darkness is not there?
The disciples don't want to talk about Jesus' death, because they don't want to imagine a life without Jesus.
They couldn't even hear the bits about resurrection...all they could hear was death.
Sadness. Darkness. Perhaps you've noticed what happens when we avoid the darkness...it only creates more darkness.
Like that child afraid of the dark hiding under the dark covers.
Ignoring the places of fear, confusion, and pain in our lives will not make it go away.
Instead of facing their fears...the disciples begin arguing.
Jesus asks them what they're talking about on a walk...
But they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.
-Mark 9:34
Instead of talking about Jesus' promised death...let's talk about which one of us gets to be in charge.
Instead of facing the darkness, let's just hide under the covers.
Jesus' two responses to this are fascinating:
Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.
-Mark 9:35
It's not wrong to want to be great. Isn't it interesting Jesus' doesn't rebuke them.
Doesn't call them Satan. What they want is not bad.
Going a little deeper, wanting to avoid the pain of his imminent death is not bad either.
He likely understand their fear, and he doesn't rebuke them for it here.
He's just saying the way to get what they want is not what they expect.
Greatness in his kingdom is not what they expect.
Breaking through the darkness in his kingdom is not what they would expect.
In fact, it's just the opposite of what they're thinking.
What does it look like?
Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me."
-Mark 9:37
If you want to be great, you need to become a servant.
If you want to face your fears, you need to become like a child.
And you need to welcome those who come to you like children.
What might that mean?
When a child is afraid of the dark, they take the hand of their father and face the darkness.
They know that with their father, they are safe. And what does dad bring with him?
A night light. Maybe a little star projector. Maybe a little handheld flashlight LIKE THIS.
Because dad knows that even the smallest light can pierce the darkness.
The darkness is not overcome by hiding from it, turning away from it, or pretending like it does not exist.
The darkness is overcome by facing it with the light.
The smallest light can pierce the deepest darkness.
Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, has broken into our darkness
He came to us not just like a little child, but as a child. Helpless and vulnerable.
He came, born into the darkness, to become the light of the world.
He came, absorbed our darkness as he became the servant of everyone else, even to the point of death on a cross.
He came, the smallest of lights, born of a teenager in a small middle eastern dessert, and he has not only pierced the darkness, he has overcome it.
The smallest light can pierce the deepest darkness.
So, receive the light of christ so you can face your darkness.
Cling to the light of Christ and watch him overcome your darkness.
The smallest light can pierce the deepest darkness.