“Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Welcome:
I, like many others, have always had a fear of the dark. Whether navigating a dark house in the middle of the night, or forgetting to leave those outside lights on for my arrival back home, there is something about total darkness that makes me uneasy. Then, when light is made available, whether through a phone flashlight or lamp, my anxious thoughts are eased.
Scripture and Christian literature are replete with light imagery and understandably so. God, the creator of light, has given us this powerful living metaphor as we reflect on the implications on Jesus’ birth. This week’s scripture follows suit, comparing Christ’s coming to a rising sun. As I reflected on these verses, I was struck by the beauty of the sequence of events.
God is tender in mercy
God sends Jesus, the rising sun
Because of Jesus we can walk the path of peace
God is tender in mercy. He did not have to make a way for us, but He chose to anyway. Jesus’ coming is like the rising sun. Light has broken through and this light will continue to shine as prophecies are fulfilled, and His work is completed on the cross. Only then, because of this Marvelous Light, can we have access to a life of true peace.
User Update:
Because of the familiarity of this sun metaphor, I felt pretty confident about these questions. However… when I started talking with my children, I realized that the metaphor was over their heads. My hope was to help them understand why Jesus is referred to as the rising sun. That objective was not met… It was humbling to realize my kids just weren’t going to make said connection that night. One child did break out a spontaneous rendition of “This Little Light of Mine” and we talked about how God is the light (1 John 1:5). We talked about how they can remember this truth when we drive around and see all the Christmas lights. As they get older, I pray that this light imagery would grow and take root in their hearts. I pray that they would know Jesus’ birth is likened to the rising sun because His presence broke through the darkness and made a way for us to walk with Him, providing peace and joy that could be attained by no other means.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2
Merry Christmas!
Anne and the Rector clan
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