Light and Delight

Jesus' sign gave light to the disciples. They saw a glimpse of his coming glory. In his actions, Jesus proclaimed his message, the kingdom has come, it is near, and it provides where the old system ran out. It provides a better and abundant mercy.

The psalmist declares, "They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light."

Isaiah says,

"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give.... you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married."

I am reminded of the Westminster Catechism: Man’s chief end is to glorify God,[1] and to enjoy him forever.[2] We shine his light as we delight in him as he delights in us, lavishing his gifts upon us like the over abundance of wine. We show his glory in using his gifts for the good of the body.

Common thread

Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee:

Today’s readings speak of the revelation of hidden glory breaking through and inviting celebration. Isaiah announces the coming glory of God’s vindicated people when they return to rebuild their shattered homeland. Paul describes the amazing results of spiritual gifts, given to all God’s people “for the common good.” Today’s gospel, the story of the wedding feast at Cana, relates the first “sign” of Jesus’ identity and ministry that “revealed his glory.”

Paul doesn't specifically speak of glory, but rather of the common Good. In function the Spirit brings glory to Christ.

The symbolic refreshment of the Christian wine is glorified in the Psalm. "...you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light."

Sign in Cana

“Plainly he records the miracle because he believes that it happened. But for him the Miracles are all ‘signs’: they point beyond themselves. This particular miracle signifies that there is a transforming power associated with Jesus. He changes the water of Judaism into the wine of Christianity, the water of Christlessness into the wine of the richness and the fullness of eternal life in Christ, the water of the law into the wine of the gospel.”

I’ve never thought before that this passage makes a partial parallel to the wine and wineskins of Luke. John’s use of signs, explaining the truth allegorically, like a live action parable is a little new to me. I guess I owe that to my fundamentalist background. Reading the church fathers, most recently Augustine, I begin to appreciate more the ancient exegesis of texts. I am less likely to see the significance of the miracle in that it happened, as a bit of historical information about the life of Christ. Rather I see the significance in the mystical and spiritual realities they present, these are completely independent of their historicity. Not that I believe them to not have happened (i.e. attempts to de-mystify Jesus) but rather I think it really doesn’t matter at all to the reading.

Happened-in-reality or not – not skin off our collective noses. It is real and true regardless. So I choose to believe it happened. Why not? What is far more important is: what is the reality and significance? What does it really tell us about Jesus?

Here we see the first glimpse of his glory in John. His time has not yet come to be glorified, but we see a sign (first of many) of what will culminate on the cross of glory.

Light in the context of the church.

Father John was saying this week that in order to understand the story of the wise men, it must be seen in the context of the Matthean community. The early church makes a big deal of the nations coming to the Light of Christ. Theirs is the pentecostal experience, theirs the mission to the gentiles. They would have seen great significance to the theme in Isaiah and the narrative of foreign kings coming to worship Jesus. While John's words were still working in my head, I read this from Augustine (this time in Chadwick's Translation).

It is as if God says 'Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven', and 'suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as if a vehement wind blew, and tongues were seen split, like fire which sat on each of them' (Acts 2:2-3). And lights, made in the firmament of heaven, have the word of life (Phil. 2:15-16). Run everywhere, holy fires, fires of beauty. Do not be under a bushel (Matt. 5:14-15). He to whom you have adhered is exalted, and he has exalted you. Run and make it known to all nations (Ps. 78:10).

Light

Augustine's treatment of the creation of light illuminates epiphany to me.

13.8.9
Angels fell away, man's soul fell away, and thereby pointed the
abyss in that dark depth, ready for the whole spiritual creation,
hadst not Thou said from the beginning, Let there be light, and there
had been light, and every obedient intelligence of Thy heavenly City
had cleaved to Thee, and rested in Thy Spirit, Which is borne unchangeably
over every thing changeable. Otherwise, had even the heaven of heavens
been in itself a darksome deep; but now it is light in the Lord. For
even in that miserable restlessness of the spirits, who fell away
and discovered their own darkness, when bared of the clothing of Thy
light, dost Thou sufficiently reveal how noble Thou madest the reasonable
creature; to which nothing will suffice to yield a happy rest, less
than Thee; and so not even herself. For Thou, O our God, shalt lighten
our darkness: from Thee riseth our garment of light; and then shall
our darkness be as the noon day. Give Thyself unto me, O my God, restore
Thyself unto me: behold I love, and if it be too little, I would love
more strongly. I cannot measure so as to know, how much love there
yet lacketh to me, ere my life may run into Thy embracements, nor
turn away, until it be hidden in the hidden place of Thy Presence.
This only I know, that woe is me except in Thee: not only without
but within myself also; and all abundance, which is not my God, is
emptiness to me....

13.12.13
Proceed in thy confession, say to the Lord thy God, O my faith,
Holy, Holy, Holy, O Lord my God, in Thy Name have we been baptised,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; in Thy Name do we baptise, Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost, because among us also, in His Christ did God make
heaven and earth, namely, the spiritual and carnal people of His Church.
Yea and our earth, before it received the form of doctrine, was invisible
and without form; and we were covered with the darkness of ignorance.
For Thou chastenedst man for iniquity, and Thy judgments were like
the great deep unto him. But because Thy Spirit was borne above the
waters, Thy mercy forsook not our misery, and Thou saidst, Let there
be light, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent
ye, let there be light. And because our soul was troubled within us,
we remembered Thee, O Lord, from the land of Jordan, and that mountain
equal unto Thyself, but little for our sakes: and our darkness displeased
us, we turned unto Thee and there was light. And, behold, we were
sometimes darkness, but now light in the Lord.

Have we grown with Christ this year?

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over over
If you want it
War is over
Now...

Growing in favor and stature

The young Samuel was consecrated to God. He outgrew his white linen ephod and each year his parents would come to see him and clothe him in a new garment.

Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and with the people.

Samuel's growth echoes that of the young Jesus. The psalmist said, "He has raised up a horn for his people." Jesus grew in understanding. When he was at the temple he discoursed with the teachers. The evangelist shows how Jesus was growing in wisdom, I don't know that he meant anything by his treating his parents poorly. At any rate when he went home he "was obedient to them.... And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor."

We are invited to grow up with Jesus as his chosen beloved. We are to clothe ourselves with the new linen garments of his character.

Colossians 3:12-17

As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.