O Dayspring
Malachi 4:1-3
December 12, 2021 anno Domini
O Dayspring, splendor of light everlasting: Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Amen.
I am a member of the Royal Order of 21sters. If you belong to the Royal Order of 21sters then your life is governed by two days on the calendar. December 21 and June 21. December 21 marks the last day of winter since the days start getting longer. An optimistic 21ster looks on December 22 as the beginning of summer. Sadly, June 21 marks the end of summer as Winter begins on June 22 when the days get shorter. But beginning winter in June is a lot easier because it’s 78 degrees outside.
The seven O antiphons were originally sung on the seven days leading up to Christmas Eve, beginning on December 17. That puts “O Dayspring” on December 21. On the darkest day of the year, the Church longs for the end of the darkness, the Dayspring from on High, the Bright Morning Star that signals the dawn of a new and eternal day.
God’s first creation was light because man cannot live without light. The further north you go the higher that rate of alcoholism. Canadians outdrink Americans because they spend more time in the dark. Mental illness is worse in the winter. There’s even a diagnostic name for the winter blues – S.A.D. – seasonal affective disorder. One of the treatments for S.A.D. is light therapy. Sometimes a trip to Florida or Arizona is all it takes to make the darkness more tolerable.
Scripture uses darkness as a metaphor of life without Christ, apart from Christ. The darkness is unbelief. The darkness is living in sin without knowing it or wanting to know it. Imagine walking around your house, in complete darkness, but not believing it was dark, going full speed about your tasks. It wouldn’t be long before you would step on a lego, ram your shin into the coffee table or fall down a flight of stairs. And if you were stubborn in your unbelief and sin, and most of us are, you would insist everything is fine. This is why we hesitate to confess our sins, to say we need help. This is why the world is so eager to call evil good and darkness light. To confess our sin as sin is admission of our blindness, of our sin, and of our inability to help ourselves.
As if the darkness wasn’t dangerous enough, we have an enemy who loves the darkness. When does the Devil do his best work to create anxiety, fear, and despair in God’s people? During a sleepless night. In a dark time in life, during an illness, a family trial, or the darkness may just come on us unaware. If you’ve ever suffered depression or anxiety sometimes you can identify the trigger. And other times you’re in the dark about your dark and fearful mood. The Devil just picked you as a random target of his terrorism.
In the darkness we need the Light, the Dayspring from on High, the Christ, so we pray for the Dayspring from on High to come.
During Lent we use the Service of Evening Prayer which begins in this way.
Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
The light no darkness can overcome.
Stay with us Lord for it is evening
and the day is almost over.
Let your light scatter the darkness.
And illumine your church
The Son of God became man to lighten your darkness. The Light of the world went into the darkness of your sin and death. Jesus knows darkness better than you do. He has been in darker places than you will ever be. He was tempted by Satan continuously for 30 years, especially in the darkest times – in the garden of Gethsemane and as He hung on the cross. He suffered eternal separation from God on the cross. God has never turned His back on you, and because Christ died for your sins, God will never turn His back on you.
In Christ you are enlightened to see what God is up, to understand why you are here, and to know what the future holds.
Who is God? What is He up to? What does He think of you? Let Christ enlighten you. God is holy and merciful at the same time. He demands righteousness. He doesn’t grade the commandments on a curve. He doesn’t overlook ignorance. Good people don’t get into heaven because good doesn’t cut it. His law demands perfect obedience. His love for you supplies that obedience and holiness in one place – Jesus Christ who lived without sin and died with all sin. What is God up to? He is up to your salvation. He has governed the whole of human history so that He might bring His light to the Gentiles – that would be you. He has done all things to call you out of your darkness into His marvelous light.
Christ also tells you why you are here. You are not here for yourself. You are not here to be happy or satisfied. You are here to receive gifts from God – your body, soul, and all you have. You are here to live receiving life and salvation from Him in Christ. You are here to enjoy what God has given you be it much or little because you have all you need in Christ. You are here to live in this dark world as a light on a hill, a Christian, a little Christ to your neighbor. Your love, your mercy, your kindness, your speaking the truth shines light into the darkness and rest assured the darkness cannot and will not overcome the light of Christ.
You are not in the dark about the future. You hold, in the hands of your faith, Christ. More importantly He holds you. On the first day of the week Christ walked out of His tomb into the light of a new day – never to die again. That’s your future in His light and by His light.
There is a Christmas hymn, the most famous Lutheran Chorale, entitled “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright.” Let me tell you about its author. Pastor Philip Nicolai as a Lutheran pastor in the generation following Luther. In 1598 the Bubonic plague hit Germany. Pastor Nicolai lost two sisters. He buried over 1000 of his members in a single year. One day alone there were 30 graves dug in the church cemetery. We have no idea of the darkness he endured. I’m guessing Pastor Nicholai would laugh at our fear of COVID. Listen to a couple of stanzas of his Christmas hymn.
O Morning Star, how fair and bright!
You shine with God’s own truth and light,
Aglow with grace and mercy!
Of Jacob’s race, King David’s son,
Our Lord and Master, You have won
Our hearts to serve you only!
Come, heavenly bridegroom, Light divine,
And deep within our hearrts now shine;
there light a flame undying!
In your one body let us be
As living branches of a tree,
Your life our lives supplying.
O Dayspring, Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Come and enlighten us. In the name of Jesus. Amen.