83. Saturday after Third Sunday after Epiphany.
Lord, convert us; and in thy light
let us see light. Amen.
Matthew 4, 12-17. Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee: And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light: and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
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The Galileans were despised by the other Jews; but Jesus makes his home among them, and there reveals his glory with preaching and miracles. For the Galileans were more ready than were the others to receive the grace of God. It is a blessed change when a man comes out of darkness into the light, and when the sun of righteousness, Jesus Christ, rises on them which sat in the night of death. If you are unconverted, dear reader, it is dark in your heart. For sin then reigns in you; and sin is darkness. In our land the light is shining; thank God! The sun of righteousness is risen over our people. The gospel is preached; Jesus is here; out of his name proceed knowledge of God, forgiveness of sin, charity, and peace; and it has a ray for each and all of us, like the sun in the sky. However, its purpose is to shine into our heart. What does the light of the sun profit the blind man? He walks in darkness nevertheless. Thus it is in your case also, as long as you continue with unconverted heart in the service of sin. You neither see your unhappy condition, nor do you see the great love and grace of God. Life is here, and you do not know it; the pearl lies before you, and you tread it under foot. The table is laid which satisfies the wants of the soul, and the fountain flows which forever slakes our thirst; you go by, and grope about after the allurements of sensual pleasure, and allow the devil to lead you to the poisoned waters of death. And what a dark brood it is that lives within you! Yet you dream in the sleep of sin. O, that you might give ear to this, which the Spirit of God speaks to you: “Repent; awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Verily, he is here, and preaches to us. This is his voice: “Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And by the power which is in the word it is possible for you to repent and believe. For what purpose has he given us the light, do you think, but that we may see? The sun rises over our hills, in order that we may walk by its light. The kingdom of heaven is come to us, in order that we may repent and believe. If we regard not this time of our visitation, the verdict will be: “Thou, Capernaum, wast exalted to heaven, but thou shalt be thrust down to hell.”
O, dear, tender God; turn thou us, and we shall be turned; save thou us, and we shall be saved. Show us our sin, and reveal to us thy grace. Take away from us all self-righteousness and every manner of dead faith; give us humility in our heart, and a true, living, saving faith in thee. Amen.*
Forever with the Lord!
Amen! so let it be!
Life from the dead is in that word,
And immortality.
Here in the body pent,
Absent from him I roam,
Yet nightly pitch my moving tent
A day’s march nearer home.
[TLH 616, listen here; or ELH 552, listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.