Be Reminded of the Light to Guide the Journey
This past spring I went on a camping trip with my youngest son to an underground lake called the Lost Sea in Sweetwater, TN. The Lost Sea is the largest underground lake in the Western Hemisphere and is connected to a series of underground caverns and caves that stretch hundreds of miles below ground. Rumor has it that a saber tooth tiger’s remains were even found there. Apparently, it found its way inside the cave but got lost and perished in the darkness. I’ve been in dark places before, but I don’t recall any camping trip or night in the woods that compares to the darkness of this experience. Being in complete darkness is scary and during the expedition I wondered, would my fate be the same as the saber tooth tiger if my batteries went dead, or if I got cut off from the group? Fortunately, I had spare batteries and a great guide.
It’s been said that life is a journey, and perhaps you can also equate life to one big camping trip like my experience at the Lost Sea. Trips are a lot of fun, but to make the most of them you need to make preparations. For example, it helps having a map or guide to show the way, food to eat along the journey, and plans of what you want to do. My son and I certainly had these in mind when we went to the Lost Sea. Unfortunately, most people in their journey through life wander aimlessly. They have no final destination in mind, they lose their direction, they wander, they panic, and they ironically find themselves at the end of their lives at the same place where they began. The whole world passes them by because they get sidetracked into spending too much time in the same dead end. Wandering souls are like a lost camper in a series of underground caves; without a flashlight; without a map; and without a guide. Rather than finding a guide or light to illumine the way, they stay put and eventually die spiritually. Fortunately, for us Christians, our Lord rescues all who come to Him as He affirms in today’s passage that He is our guide; He is the “lamp shining in a dark place.” Jesus Christ is the light that will guide us on our journey to our eternal home, however, we must remember to turn to the Light.
Today’s reading from 2 Peter 1:10-19 is all about reminders. As Christians we’re naturally focused on the future, but need to remember the roots of our faith. These remembrances help see us through tough times, give us answers when we question our faith, they guide us when we are challenged, and give us direction when we are lost. St. Peter is hoping that we will be aroused or stirred up to action and remember four items that I will speak about today.
Remember Your Call and Election
The first thing we are to remember is our call and election. Our Lord God calls all people to salvation and in the gospels we read, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). This scripture explains that while God issues an invitation to all people, few people actually respond. St. Peter wants us to remember that God invites special people like us to His Kingdom through Jesus Christ. Second, we are chosen by our election to trust in Jesus Christ and live our life for Him. God rejects no one. Ironically, it is people who reject God by their actions. St. Peter instructs the congregation that we accept our Lord through a virtuous lifestyle and virtuous people will gain entrance into the Kingdom. This is something that believers can bank on. It’s interesting to note that the Greek word for “assure” is a legal term that indicates a warranty that protects a buyer. We are told, therefore, that if we respond to God’s calling by a lifestyle that pursues holiness we have a warranty or guarantee that we will enter into God’s Kingdom. Remember your call and election.
Remember the Truths
Second, St. Peter wants us to remember the truths concerning the faith. St. Peter lived with our Lord for three years and he is one of the original twelve disciples. St. Peter’s was instructed in the truths of the faith and wants believers to remember these truths and be firmly fixed in the truth. St. Peter’s was concerned that if believers forgot the truths of faith they would fall into sin and sacrifice their salvation. What are the truths that I’m speaking about? According to St. Maximos the Confessor, “truth is the simple, undivided knowledge of all the qualities that appertain to God.” How do we learn about God’s qualities, and how do we acquire truth? First we obtain truth through scripture. Holy Scripture is the foundation of our faith and through it God is revealed. Our gospels attest that Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of the Father came down from heaven to save sinners like us. Holy scripture is filled with descriptions of God, His actions, and His interaction with humankind. Through scripture, we learn the truths about God. Our doctrine is also truth and doctrine helps us know God. For example, our doctrine instructs us about the two natures of Jesus Christ (God and man), the three persons of the Holy Trinity, about some things that we that we affirm in the saying of the Nicene Creed, and about volumes of dogmatic material that seminary students are tested on in their theology exams. God’s truths can also be directly revealed to us. Our Lord is revealed to us when we come to know Him through prayer, meditation, and through a life of service and virtue. God responds to our active faith by pulling our soul towards Him. As we attempt to unite our will to God’s will a loving bond develops and His truths and direction for our lives are revealed. Remember these truths the next time you are troubled or are under spiritual attack.
Remember the Power of the Lord
The third item we need to remember is the power of the Lord. St. Peter was near the end of his life when he wrote this pastoral letter. He knew that false teachers would later come trying to refute Jesus’ miracles and teachings. He wanted people to have a written account of his teachings to guide them long after he passed from this life. St. Peter recounts his credentials as a disciple, an apostle, a teacher, and as an eyewitness to Jesus’ many miracles. No other disciple witnessed more miracles. St. Peter affirms that all the miracles are real, not myths. These miracles are a testament to God’s power where He was able to alter the laws of nature. We should remember the Lord’s power and might in times of despair. There is no situation God cannot remedy, there is no illness that God cannot heal, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome, and there is nothing else that God would rather do than lead His people to salvation. Remember that we are never without hope. Our merciful and loving God is powerful and mighty and can deliver sinners like us from the darkest of situations.
Remember the Light Shining in Dark Places
St. Peter finally wants us to turn to Jesus Christ, when we are experiencing tough times. Often times we find ourselves in uncertainty. We can be intimidated by new situations beyond our understanding. During these times we need to look for the light of Christ. Where can we find the light of Christ, and where does it lead? St. Peter saw the light of our Savior at the Transfiguration. St. Peter writes that he experienced the power, honor, glory, of the Lord when he saw our Lord’s face shining like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light. The light of the Transfiguration is one of our guides because it was here that God affirmed Jesus is His beloved Son. The light of Jesus Christ guides us to God, the Father. Second, the Transfiguration guides us because it shows us the glory and majesty of the Lord. The brilliance of our Lord’s body is a foreshadowing of the heavenly bodies we will receive when we are united with God in His Kingdom.
The light of Christ can also guide us through prophecy. St. Peter speaks about the Second Coming when heaven and earth join and all believers are united with God in a bond of fellowship and love. In this instance the light of Christ points to the coming Kingdom of God where all people will come to experience God’s power, splendor, majesty, and glory. Finally, the light of Christ is something that we can experience each day. It is not something just reserved for the Transfiguration or the Parousia. We can see the light of Christ when we allow our Lord to guide us in both our small and our large decisions. When we unite our will to God’s amazing things happen. First, we affirm that Jesus is our true guide. Second, it allows us to attain personal holiness that manifests itself in a life of virtue. Ultimately, through virtuous living and submitting our lives to Christ, we become true sons of the Living God. Letting Jesus be our guide is not easy. Most people cannot let go of controlling their own lives. Let me explain.
Many people claim that they want Jesus to be the Lord of their lives, but I think that their expectations can often be misguided. These folks assume that our Lord will guide them along a path of material prosperity, fame and fortune, a life free from worry and temptation, and that everything will be merry as they skip down the Yellow Brick Road singing. The easy road is the worldly road and it doesn’t lead to salvation. My friends, when we ask our Lord to be our light and our guide, the road He places us on is the salvation road – it is the road of the Cross. There is an important distinction between the two. The road of salvation is filled with trials and tribulations. These obstacles are put there to give us the opportunity to strengthen our faith and drive us closer to God. Sometimes the road of the Cross means that we are persecuted for our faith, or become sick, or loose our jobs, or experience personal pain, or are confronted with tragedy. While all of these things are painful they have the potential to greatly strengthen our faith and make us completely dependent on God. Isn’t trusting God and being completely dependent on Him the foundation of our faith? So, when we’re having troubles remember Jesus is our guide, He is in control, and His path leads to the Kingdom. Trials are for the education and maturity of the soul. Remember the light of salvation.
As I close my sermon today, I want to reflect that St. Peter made it a point in his universal letter for people to remember our call and election, to remember the truths of the faith, to call upon the Lord’s power, and to seek the Light of Christ in our struggles. How do we remember these things? Certainly we can put a string around our wrist and be reminded each time we look at the string, however, I’ve got a better way and it involves repetition. Each week in seminary I was forced to memorize several Greek vocabulary words for my tests in Hellenistic and Modern Greek. I found that the most effective way to remember the words was by constantly writing the words down on a sheet of paper. I wrote each word dozens of times until they were committed to memory. In other words, I learned the words by writing them again and again. Practice was the most effective way to study. In a similar manner, the best way to remember our faith is to practice it. Amen.
