FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY, YEAR A

February 8, 2026

Saints Matthew and Mark, Barrington, R. I.

(by Zoom)

 

Isaiah 58:1-9a

Psalm 112

I Corinthians 2:1-12

Matthew 5:13-20

 

The theme running through the readings, prayers, and hymns during this season after the Epiphany is the manifestation of God’s glory. In biblical language, the word Epiphany means showing forth, manifestation, or revelation. The English word "glory" translates the Greek doxa, meaning "splendor" or "brightness". 

 

And so, during this season after Epiphany, we consider a series of episodes in the Lord’s earthly life and ministry that manifest his glory as the incarnate Son of God: the magi led by a star to bring him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh; the baptism in the River Jordan; changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana; his many miracles of healing and deliverance; his preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. A week from today, on the last Sunday after the Epiphany, all these epiphanies are summed up in the Transfiguration, where Jesus shines with resplendent light on the mountaintop in the presence of his disciples Peter, James, and John, along with cameo appearances by Moses and Elijah.

 

But that is to get ahead of ourselves. Today, the readings for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany ask us to consider our role, as members of the Church, in showing forth to the world the light of Christ’s glory.

 

In the Old Testament reading, the Prophet Isaiah calls the people to turn away from their hypocritical devotional practices, such as fasting while they oppress their workers and quarrel and fight among themselves. When they liberate the oppressed, share bread with the hungry, shelter the homeless, and clothe the naked, “then,” the prophet proclaims, “your light shall break forth like the dawn … The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” 

 

Similarly, in today’s psalm, the psalmist sings, “Light shines in the darkness for the upright; the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.” In other words, the divine light shining in the darkness shows us the way of mercy and compassion, reflecting God’s glory to the world.

 

But the Scriptures also make clear that the divine glory sometimes remains hidden. Thus, Saint Paul writes in today’s reading from First Corinthians, “we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Here, Paul is saying that those who crucified Jesus did so because they couldn’t see his glory. It remained veiled from their sight. But alongside the other apostles, Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel aims to reveal Christ’s light and glory to all who have the eyes to see it.

 

So, we have a contrast between, on one hand, the showing forth of God’s glory, and, on the other, its veiling or darkening. Writers on the Christian spiritual life often describe an alternation between periods of light and periods of darkness as we progress in the way of prayer. It can be unsettling to move from the light into the darkness, though it may be necessary for our continued growth in faith, hope, and love. And sometimes, just sometimes, this dark night of the soul is our only pathway into realms of light more glorious than we ever could imagine.

 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus points to the contrast between light and darkness through the image of a lighted lamp, which can either be hidden under a basket, which obscures its light, or set on a stand, so that it gives light to all in the house. He then tells us that it’s our unique calling as his disciples, members of his Body, the Church, to manifest his glory to the world. “You are the light of the world … Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

 

In precisely the times when God seems to have gone into hiding, when the light of his glory seems veiled from sight so that the world lies in darkness, then our Christian vocation is to become that lamp set on a stand and giving light to all in the house—precisely by means of our good works, such as caring for the sick and dying, feeding the hungry, and sheltering the homeless. 

 

Whatever the Church’s crimes and sins have been down through the centuries, and there have been many, it’s also indisputable that from the beginning the Church has also been a chief purveyor of hospitals, clinics, schools, orphanages, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters—especially in places where no-one else was willing to care for society’s weakest and most vulnerable members. In all these ways, the Church has fulfilled its vocation, however imperfectly, of being the light of the world.

 

If that seems like a tall order, well, that’s because it is. The good news here, however, is that we’re not in this alone. The good works that will move people to give glory to our Father in heaven are those that we perform not in our own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

 

But most of all, Jesus’ exhortations in today’s Gospel take the form not of telling us to become something that we’re not, but rather of telling us to live more fully into the reality of who we already are. He doesn’t say, “Strive to become salt,” or “Strive to become light,” but rather, “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world…” The challenge is to realize our true identity by letting that light shine for all to see, rather than hiding it away. 

 

In this way, solely by God’s grace, we become ever more fully the people that God has created us to be. Our righteousness will exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees (which, contrary to centuries of anti-Jewish preaching, is a very high bar indeed). Christ is the light of the world, and when his light fills our hearts, then those who see our good works will give glory to our Father in heaven.