Last Sunday, we gathered around John 9:1–41 and heard a call not just to think differently, but to live differently, as children of the light. The sermon opened with the witness of Bishop Vilmos Apor, who gave his life protecting vulnerable women and children during World War II. His story framed the central question: what does it mean to stand in the doorway when love demands courage?
In John 9, Jesus confronts a deeply rooted assumption, that suffering must be someone’s fault. Rejecting ableist theology, Jesus declares that the man’s blindness is not a result of sin. Instead, he reveals a deeper truth, The problem is not the man, but a society shaped by exclusion and misunderstanding. Through an act of new creation, Jesus restores not just sight, but dignity and belonging for the man born blind.
Yet the religious leaders miss it. Bound by rules and appearances, they choose order than justice, caring more about appearance than love, more about rules than people. However, Jesus embodies a liberating light that exposes injustice and restores community.
The call to the church is clear: to live as children of the light means resisting systems that devalue people and choosing love even when it costs us. Like Bishop Apor, and ultimately like Christ, we are invited to stand in the doorway, protecting life, embodying courage, and making room for all to belong. Amen.
To listen to Sunday’s sermon, click here.
Pastor Mat (he/him) came to Bethel in the Fall of 2003 to serve as the youth pastor. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Eastern Nazarene College in 2005 and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from Northwest Nazarene University in 2010. Currently, Mat is a Doctor of Ministry candidate at Nazarene Theological Seminary in the Black Leadership and Ministry track. Mat married the love of his life, I’Esha, on July 11, 2009. They have three wonderful children. Mat is ordained as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene.
Mat has been serving as Bethel Church of the Nazarene’s lead pastor since 2015. Mat served as an instructor of philosophical ethics, church history, and theology in the Religion and Culture program at Eastern Nazarene College for over ten years prior to the school’s closing. Currently, Mat teaches religious studies as an adjunct at Regis College in Weston, MA and theology as an adjunct at Northwest Nazarene University. In addition, Mat volunteers on several non-profit boards and is a co-leader for Quincy4Justice, Quincy Interfaith Network, and Quincy for Transformative Change. He enjoys reading, riding his bicycle, traveling, swimming, stimulating theological discussions, and cold brew coffee. Mat is passionate about the intersections of theology and justice. He is committed to dismantling white supremacy and patriarchy in the church and society.
Mat’s specific areas of ministry at Bethel include church leadership, worship coordination, staff development, and pastoral care.
