Where Death Casts its Shadow - December 23rd, 2012 Sermon

By Pastor Greg

It will be a difficult Christmas for our nation. It will be an even more difficult Christmas for the families and friends of those killed at the school in Connecticut. Not only will people be mourning the loss of loved ones, but many will find it difficult to think of Jesus, let alone celebrate His birth. Some wonder how it could have happened. Many wonder why. Some will even ask “where was God” during this time of terrible loss. And with such bitter resentment filling their hearts, there is no room for celebrating the birth of His Son.

What took place in Newton, Connecticut is not one of a long list of problems. It is merely a symptom of a far deeper problem; a problem those investigating the crime may quite possibly overlook. They will spend a great deal of time trying to figure out why it happened. They will investigate the killer’s childhood, his mental health, his emotional health, and his home life. They will investigate the gun manufacturer. Our Government will talk about what measures should be taken to keep a tragedy like this from happening again. Legislators will promote laws. But the problem is not access to guns or lack of funding for mental health. The problem is that darkness lurks within the heart of Man, and we have witnessed once again just how dark and evil and wicked the people of this world can truly be. And no amount of legislation or gun control; no law or restriction is ever going to change the heart of wicked men. If those investigating this crime would research the cause and not the symptoms, they would find that this crime, and others like it, happened because of the depravity of Mankind.

[On a side note, I do appreciate the sadness and grief demonstrated by our government over the death of these innocent children. I just wish they were as deeply troubled by the other innocent babies that are brutally murdered each day.]

Truthfully, wickedness and evil have haunted humanity almost since the dawn of time. We read story after story in the history books not of wars but of genocide; where innocent people have been killed for no apparent reason; stories where it seems that all which is right and good and noble and just in this world was overpowered by the darkness. Darkness even raised its ugly head during the birth of Jesus; a story of a heartless, senseless murder somewhat similar to last week’s tragedy in Connecticut (Read Matthew 2:13-18).

Such wicked deeds were not unusual. And it wasn’t just a random act of violence from some wicked, evil person. The event Matthew mentions came from the king; the ruler of the land. Years later, Pilate will murder Jews from Galilee who were offering sacrifices at the Temple (Luke 13:1), while countless Christians are brutally slaughtered by the Roman Empire simply because of their belief.

Darkness filled the land. Evil roamed to and fro in search of a heart dark enough to do its dirty deed. And nothing, it seemed, could turn the hearts of men away from evil and wickedness. "So there is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living. We look for light but find only darkness. We look for bright skies but walk in gloom" (Isaiah 59:9). But into this darkness God sent His Son in the form of a tiny babe lying in a manger. In Isaiah 60 God says "Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you" (Isaiah 60:2). Matthew says “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined” (Matthew 4:16). God’s solution to the problem of evil in this world was found lying in a manger in Bethlehem. And for the person who believes that Jesus is the Messiah and surrenders to Him as Savior, the darkness in their heart is taken captive. The solution to a land filled with darkness was to change the hearts of Men; to turn them away from evil and wickedness, and toward peace and love and compassion. Paul says, “For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

The solution to evil today is the same. We are a nation full of people needing a heart transformed by Christ. I believe the Church knows this. I suspect Christians everywhere know that this world needs Jesus to bind the darkness in Mankind’s heart. And so we pray. We pray that the Lord might work in the hearts of the people today who are still living in darkness. We pray that God might step in and prevent such wicked deeds. But there is a particular command given by Jesus that leads me to believe He expects Christians to play a major role in piercing that darkness.

In Matthew 5:16 Jesus command, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). And there is something about that command that makes me wonder if Jesus expects His Church to be actively involved in piercing the darkness of this world. Oh, we are not the ones who transform the heart, but we should be the ones living in such a way that those still living in darkness might see the light and might even desire the light. I get the impression that Jesus expects His Church to be testifying through word and deed that freedom from darkness can be found in Christ alone.

Let me be straightforward with this. We’ve all heard the question, “Where was God during this tragedy”, but maybe we should be asking, “Where was the Church?” Where was the Church when this murderer was young and impressionable? Was the Church busy arguing over music or carpet or predestination instead of being out among the young people who are in darkness and without hope? If it is the Church’s responsibility to introduce people to Jesus so that He may bind the darkness in their heart, is it possible that this tragedy, and the many like it, are the result of the Church not doing what it was called to do? I know not everyone will be saved, and I know wickedness will always be among us. But has the darkness been allowed to grow because the Church has been preoccupied with other things instead of bringing the people living in darkness to the light?

I don’t know the answer to that question. I could only speculate. But I do know this; when we see such dark and sinister deeds, the church needs to be reminded of the task set before us, and get cracking. This is a call to action for the church. This is a wake-up call that says there’s still work to be done. Oh I know it seems like an impossible task; to fight against darkness with the light of Christ. But Jesus isn’t asking you or me to win the war against evil. He is asking us to touch a person here or there with kindness, grace, and love; to let the light of Christ penetrate a person’s heart so they might turn to Him, instead of being held prisoner in a land where death casts its shadow.

In the movie The Hobbit, the character Gandalf says, “Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love”. And I believe there is a great deal of truth in that statement because Jesus apparently feels the Church has a stronger influence in this world than it may realize. He compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32), insinuating that though the work may seem small and insignificant, it has the potential to grow and overtake the entire garden. He says that even a simple cup of cold water given in His name is a significant gesture in His Kingdom (Matthew 10:42).

This Christmas season we’ve caught a glimpse into the darkness that lurks within our land. And at times the darkness looms large and menacing; a great giant against tiny insignificant people like you and me. But can you imagine how much different this world might be if each one of us would let our light shine for all to see. Oh, the work you and I do in the Lord’s name may seem simple and insignificant, but we need to remember that the small seed we plant may one day change an entire life. No deed done in the name of Jesus is too small or too insignificant. We are called not to judge the size of the deed or the simplicity of the message we shared. We are called to be faithful, and let God do the mysterious work within that person’s heart.