Read Mark 1:1-8
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| Image Courtesy of Hermanoleon.com |
There’s a great story
about an architect who was hired to build a massive and beautiful library. So
he goes to his drawing board and sketches up this huge beautiful library with
amazing marble columns for the entryway. Inside there was marble flooring, and
a beautiful balcony made of wood with intricate carvings all throughout it.
When this brilliant architect finished this library it was something to be
marveled. This library was a grand testament to the brilliance and creativity
of the architect. As the building was opened and began to actually be used as a
library, it was discovered that there was one fatal flaw with the architect’s
design; he forgot to account for the weight of all of the books. Now this each
year this library slowing sinks into the ground under the weight of the books.
Here we have a trained architect, someone who went to
school to learn his trade, someone who obviously had previously done great work
since he was able to land such a prestigious job, someone who spent a lot of
time and energy into the preparation of this library; but despite all of this
brilliance and preparation he forgot about the weight of the books. He forgot
about books, in a library. Think about that, the very purpose of a library is
for books, and still he forgot about the books. This seems like a careless
mistake that none of us would make, but I am afraid that we too in the busyness
of our lives, in all of our preparations, sometimes forget what it is that we
are preparing for.
Our Scripture for today is all about preparation. John
the Baptist is out in the wilderness baptizing people and proclaiming a message
of repentance and forgiveness of sins. His message is greater than this though,
for John tells all who will listen that one greater than he is coming soon. The
Messiah is coming. His message therefore is simple. “Prepare
the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” The Messiah is coming,
and we need to prepare.
Preparation is something that we are really good at in
our culture. In boy scouts one of the first things that I was taught was the
motto, “Be Prepared.” In school we had fire drills and tornado drills preparing
us for emergency. Whenever the tiniest chance of snow is forecasting it seems
like the whole nation is down at the grocery store preparing for the greatest
blizzard to ever hit Virginia. Even in our own lives and in the life of the
Church we are good at preparing. We plan out events at our Council meetings, we
practice for our Christmas plays, and we order materials in advance for what we
might need for Worship or Sunday School.
In this time of preparation for Christmas, we are masters
of preparing. We clean our house and deck them out with greens, and lights,
mistletoe. We have made our lists and checked them twice, and we’re so prepared
that many of our gifts may not only be already bought, but are nicely wrapped
under that Christmas tree. As Christmas gets closer we will be preparing ham
with all the fixings and with so many desserts we are destined to have tummy
aches. But in all of our preparation for
Christmas, have we forgotten what it is that we are preparing for?
There are so many in our area who seem to be trying to
remind us of the reason for the season as it is often put. There seems to be an
uprising when we see something say Merry Xmas. to Christ back in Christmas. ( Just so you all
know the X refers to the Greek letter Chi, standing for the first letter of
Christ.) And I pray for the poor soul of
anyone who wishes these people Happy Holidays for a wrath like no other is
unleashed upon as they snap back, “It’s Merry Christmas.” The saddest thing of
it all is that so often it is these very people who claim we need to put the
Christ back in Christmas, are the ones who claim that they are too busy with
family traditions at the holidays to attend something like a Christmas Eve
service. Have we forgotten what it is that we are preparing for? Have we forgotten the good news of the angels
Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy! Does all of our
preparation, does our retaliation to this so called “War on Christmas” spread
this good tidings of great joy? Have we lost our way? A few years ago when Christmas fell on a
Sunday, I remember a pastor being asked whether or not they would have Worship
that day. Pastor I don’t think we should have Worship today, no one is going to
come because you know it’s Christmas day.
Have we become like the architect, have we become so good at our work
and at our preparation that we have forgotten what it is that we are preparing
for? Have we set up a nice dinner table in preparation for the coming of the
Messiah, but left to chair open for Jesus to actually join us?
This morning we prepare another type of table. There will
be no ham, no green bean casserole, no chocolate pie, and no egg nog. This
table consists only of the bread and cup, Christ’s body and blood given for us.
We prepare a table that reminds us that the Messiah has come, has lived among
us, and has died for our sins. We prepare a table this morning in which all are
welcome, a feast of love offered to all the world, that we may be able to come
together and be in Christ’s company. And we prepare this table as a chance for
us to get a foretaste of that heavenly banquet when Christ comes again in final
victory. This is the table that we prepare, and it is the table that prepares
us, to go back into this world during this time of Advent not to be distracted
by our own desires, but focused on the desires of God. It prepares us to go
into the world not to chastise and belittle those who are not like us, but to
tell the world, Do not fear for we bring good tidings of great joy. This table
prepares us to celebrate this season of Advent with true hope and anticipation,
and with joy for Christ has come, and Christ will come again. Let us today be
those who truly prepare for Christ’s place amongst this feast.
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