Sermon | A Light to the Nations | Rev. Ann Mann | Barnesville First UMC | January 18, 2026 скачать в хорошем качестве

Sermon | A Light to the Nations | Rev. Ann Mann | Barnesville First UMC | January 18, 2026

Sermon | A Light to the Nations | Rev. Ann Mann | Barnesville First UMC | January 18, 2026 The book of Isaiah demonstrates an unwavering confidence in God, regardless of circumstances, and directs us to be God’s light in the world. Our faith gives us confidence to be who God calls us to be. Scripture portrays faith as an identity-forming spiritual quality that acts and speaks. We don’t simply believe, we act on what we believe. Isaiah 49:1-7 feels as though it is spoken not just to ancient Israel, but directly to our longing to make a difference. (Please read the scripture on your own). The voice that opens this chapter is intimate and bold: “The Lord called me before I was born, while I was still in my mother’s womb he named me.” Before this servant has done anything impressive, God has already spoken a name over him. Identity comes before accomplishment. Calling comes before achievement. In a world that constantly tells us we must prove our worth, this word from God is the very definition of grace. Isaiah is writing to a people who feel forgotten. Weary, scattered, and discouraged, their world has fallen apart through exile, and their faith is hanging by a thread. Into that brokenness God speaks through this mysterious figure called the servant. Christians hear echoes of Christ here. Isaiah writes, “The Lord made my mouth like a sharp sword… he made me a polished arrow.” In Hebrew, the word for sword, “cherev,” carries the sense of something that cuts through illusion and falsehood and lies. This is not violence; it is truth that pierces. God's servant speaks words that cut through despair, injustice, and lies. The servant’s voice is an instrument of healing truth. The speaker admits something deeply human. “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity.” Faithful people do not always feel successful. Sometimes you pour your heart into loving, serving, praying, showing up, and you still feel like it didn’t make a difference. The servant continues, “Yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.” That is a statement of trust. Even when we cannot see results, God is still at work. Then comes the heart of the passage. God says, “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” In Hebrew, the word for light is “ohr”, and it means illumination that brings life. Light in Scripture is never just about brightness; it is about bringing order out of chaos, revealing truth, restoring hope, and making a way forward. God’s healing love spills outward, crossing borders and breaking barriers. That is what Epiphany is really about, remembering God’s light was not meant to be kept inside the walls of a single stable, church, or nation. The star that led the Magi was a sign that God’s grace reaches beyond Israel to the whole world. Our mission is to participate in that global healing and hope. …not as owners of the light, but as bearers of it. In the United Methodist tradition, we speak of grace that goes before us, walks with us, and transforms us. God names the servant before birth, strengthens the servant in discouragement, and sends the servant out for the sake of the world. Grace is always moving us from being loved to becoming love for others. Toward the end of this passage, God speaks to those who feel forgotten. Several years ago, a woman in the church I was pastoring began writing cards to people who were grieving. No fanfare. No public recognition. Just handwritten notes sent to hospital rooms, nursing homes, and mailboxes. One day, she received a letter back from a man she had never met. He wrote that he was on the verge of giving up after losing his wife, and her simple card made him feel seen for the first time in months. He said it felt like a light had turned on in a very dark room. She was not trying to change the world. She was simply being faithful, bringing God’s light to one more soul. That is what it means to be a light to the nations. Not grand gestures, but faithful ones. Not our own brilliance, but God’s love shining through us. In a world aching for healing and hope, God still calls servants, naming us, sending us out to shine. By grace, we get to be part of that beautiful, holy work.