Impulse for the last Sunday after Epiphany | St. Catherine’s Parish

Dr. Gita leber
Pfarrerin an St. Katharinen

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Predigttext: 2. Petr 1, 16-19
16 For we did not follow sophisticated fables when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; but we have seen his glory with our own eyes.
17 For he received honor and praise from God the Father by a voice that came to him from great glory: This is my dear Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18 And we heard this voice coming from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 All the more firmly do we have the prophetic word, and you do well to pay attention to it than to a light that shines in a dark place until day breaks and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Dear Congregation,

how are you with memories? Do you have a good memory? Or do you sometimes just don’t want to remember past events? We don’t even want to remember some things. Other things are engraved so deeply in our memories. We have talked about it many times and repeated it over and over, so that it now seems like it happened yesterday. And it’s nice to remember that way. Because the wonderful event enriched our life, brought us forward, it illuminated. Like a light in the dark.

Peter also speaks of a light in dark times. For him it is vital to remember an event that must not be forgotten, that should be imprinted on everyone’s memory, that should be planted in all hearts because there is consolation and hope, all over the world.

Peter speaks of Christ. That Christ is the light of the world. That Christ, who can no longer be found visibly and tangibly as a human being among us humans, is now THERE as light, as light, as hope, as confidence and love among people who meet one another in love. That Christ IS THERE as a light where peace is made, where benefits are practiced. That Christ is there where, in the midst of suffering and sadness, people are raised up and a way is illuminated for them. Peter speaks of it because this message of the light of Christ comforts him, carries him, encourages him to act, and honors him as a person under unworthy living conditions. Peter realizes that this Christ message, this light should be an affair of the heart for people. He compares Christ with the bright morning star and he wants to see this rise in people’s hearts. He believes that Christ will come again with power and might and glory. In the meantime, it is we, the Christians, who carry the light into the world, spread light and love anew every day and live from the power of God.

Peter lives in a time when the memory of Christians is fading, memories of the time with Jesus the Christ are gradually fading. Therefore he writes down what is important to him and he calls himself “Peter”, giving his words the authority of the apostle Peter, the rock, as Jesus called his disciple. Our letter writer himself has long been living in another century. But he borrows the name Petri to give weight to his words. Peter helps Christians to remember Jesus. And he also makes it clear that he and the others have by no means succumbed to any “fairy tale”.

“We did not follow elaborate fables in making known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Peter must defend the gospel from critical and doubtful inquiries. He says our belief has a historical basis. What we believe in goes back to eyewitnesses – like Peter – and their experiences with Jesus, whom God has identified as his Son: “This is my dear son”.

Jesus once explained the word of God to them and they recognized God’s glory and power.

Peter praises God. Peter praises God’s Son. He praises God as we do in every Our Father prayer: He praises the light, the power, the glory, the bright morning star; we praise God with the words: “For yours is the power and the glory.”

This praise gives an outlook on the goal that God holds in front of us, an outlook on eternity in his presence. In eternity there is no longer any separation from God, there is no reason to complain or despair, but finally only reason to be happy and to praise. This glimpse of the ground, this foresight into the future is done symbolically in the worship service, in the Lord’s Supper, in the singing and praying of our Father. Whatever will happen in eternity, whatever it may look like, the Church, in her various denominations, is already doing on earth now. – Regardless of the perversions that denominations are able to distort religion. For a moment you can taste and see how glorious God will prove to be. In the service we feel for a few moments as if eternity has already arrived. But not only here – there are the moments when we – like Peter on Mount Tabor, want to speak: “It is good to be here!” Glory and power mysteriously strengthen us and heal us inwardly – also in the face of human suffering and human guilt.

Our memory lives from the repetition of events and sentences that shape us, that carry and strengthen us, strengthen us for good and hope. That is why we repeat over and over again the praise of God: “Your is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever”. We are saying: God owns the power. The ultimate and true power that we acknowledge – and we acknowledge it when we pray like this. God’s power of love transcends all political and economic power, all power over life and death; God’s power and glory is greater than any force that threatens us.

In confessing to God and his Christ, the bright morning star, we build a deep relationship with God, a deep relationship with his power of love and grace. From him we get new strength – for today and for what we have planned for the new year 2021 and also for what will fate over us. New strength that can carry us through ups and downs. Power that does not want to destroy, but builds up, that can and will heal and help. From the bright morning star we get the strength we need for life. Power that is different from the daily play of forces. Strength, praise and honor for our life, vitality (given by God) for ourselves and to share with others; Light that shines in the darkest places.
Amen.

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