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Our hearts are just like these candles. When our hearts are
lit on fire, they provide light and heat. The light is the words and actions of
our Christian faith. The heat is our love for others, which warms even the
coldest heart. A heart aflame, is a heart that is properly waiting for God.
The book of Malachi was the last word in the Old Testament,
and those who were waiting for Jesus were holding on to that prophecy. Malachi
essentially warns against the temptation to put our relationship with God in a
low priority. Mary and Joseph, the wise men, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon and
Anna, were all waiting for the coming of the Christ by closely guarding the
flame of their hearts. If we put it in terms of candles, holding a candle in
your hand should never be mistaken for having a lit candle in your hand. We too are supposed to wait by closely guarding
the flame of our heart, ensuring that it is brightly burning in anticipation of
the arrival of Jesus.
Our hearts are just like these candles. They cannot light
themselves. They must be lit by another flame.
On that first Christmas, 2017 years ago, a flame entered our
world. Jesus was the light that was sent by God. We heard the story tonight,
and hear it each year in our celebration of Christmas. But, the Christmas story
is not just about Jesus. He was not alone. Did you notice that half the
Christmas story in the book of Luke is about John the Baptist? Isn’t that
interesting? Most people skip right over the part about John the Baptist,
because they don’t want his interruption in the Christmas story.
But, John the Baptist isn’t misplaced. He belongs right in
the middle of the Jesus birth story. Let me explain why.
Before God is finished speaking in the book of Malachi, He
promises that before Jesus the Christ comes, He would send Elijah. This
messenger would have the duty of preparing the way for the Christ. But how
would the Elijah character make the waiting people ready for Jesus?
God says, “he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their
children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” In other words, the
forerunner of the Messiah would have the old flame of love. The people would be
challenged to love one another like God the Father loved them. The old flame would point to the new one,
because, in the end, they are the same kind of light. They are both shining
God’s love.
By seeing John the Baptist as a lit candle, the people would
see that they had let their own candles burn out. They would want to be lit,
once again. The people would yearn for God’s love once again. They would
understand their need for Jesus to rekindle the flame.
The Christmas story found in the fourth Gospel says that
Jesus was the Word made flesh, and John the Baptist was the witness. God chose
to include the human story with the Divine story. This is why John the Baptist
in in the middle of the miraculous Christmas story.
We are just like John the Baptist: our own story is written
in the middle of the Jesus story, because God is using us to be witnesses of
Jesus. Our role as regular human beings is elevated by God, and placed into the
very ministry of Jesus Christ. We ought to have hearts that are lit, witnessing
to the true Light, just like John the Baptist did. People will then see our hearts on fire as we wait, and will
notice that their hearts are not glowing with God’s love; and they will be
prepared to meet Jesus, and have their hearts filled with His love too.
In our time, people have grown weary of waiting for Jesus to
come again. We have been born at the last of the old waiting period. People are
even forgetting what Christmas is for, and do not remember that Jesus came as a
little baby, in fulfillment of prophecy, in order to bring His kingdom. They
forget that He is at the right hand of God the Father, and is ready to come
back at any moment.
We are different. We remember. We celebrate the bright light
that Jesus brought into the world. He is why we give gifts to one another, and
sing Christmas songs, and have a holiday of loving one another. And, like John
the Baptist, we are also the witnesses that come right before Jesus comes
again. We have the sacred task of turning the hearts of the fathers to their
children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. We are witnesses to
the coming light, by being lights ourselves.
Only Jesus can light our hearts in a flame of love. Only
love can ready people to meet Jesus. Tonight, we finish lighting the Advent
candle as a symbol of what God has called us to do: to keep our hearts burning
until Jesus comes again. And, He is coming again very soon.
So as we spread the light from one another, ask the question
of God, “How do you want me to shine the light of Your love to those around me?
How do you want me to be your witness?” In the silence, as our candlelight
grows and grows, listen for His answer in your heart, and join us as we sing.
Finally, when all our candles are lit, we will light the last candle on the Advent
wreath, to symbolize Jesus coming again.
