Reflections of Light in the Desert

Gospel

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'" Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

MATTHEW 3:1-12

Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor

(response to the John the Baptist script, courtesy of Illustrated Ministry's 2025 Advent Liturgy, https://www.illustratedministry.com/thewilltodream)

You see, this work has never been about me. Like the bright desert moon, I’m simply here to reflect the source of light and peace.

This phrase stood out in what we just heard from John the Baptist. He points us to something truly important about his role and, subsequently, our role in the larger Christian narrative. The work of calling people to Christ was not about him…the work of calling people to Christ is not about us. His role, our role, is simply to be reflections of Christ — to reflect the light and peace of God and shine it into the world, like the moon shining into the dark, barren desert.

Sometimes we forget that this is our primary call. The church, as a whole, has a history of placing its attention on things that do not always reflect Christ’s light into the world — when we get hung up on whose theology is right or wrong, on the details that divide instead of heal.

Churches can become places where power is claimed by individuals at the detriment of others, where petty gossip and gatekeeping sow seeds of division, where some are left out because they don’t think or act as others believe they should.

Today John is telling us that we must be alert to those moments when our individual or collective actions, thoughts, and desires become so focused on us that they are completely void of light. When we lose sight of the one and only reason we exist as a church, then there is a problem. God’s work of bringing the kingdom, God’s work of bringing light, is meant to move through us — and when we fail to live that out, the witness of the church is diminished.

Our Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Christmas project is a good example. We do this not because we have to as Christians, not to make ourselves feel good, and not to show the world how good we are at being the church. We do it for one simple reason: to reflect Christ’s light and love to children whose parents are incarcerated. The gifts are not even from us, even though we buy them — they are from their parent. We are simply the ones who make that connection possible. The project is not about us at all; it is about letting God’s light move through us in a very real, very quiet way.

C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, writes that “Every Christian is to become a little Christ.” For Lewis, echoing John the Baptist, the purpose of Christianity is to be drawn into Christ and transformed to reflect his character. That’s it. It is not about anything else.

So this Advent, take up John’s call. Be a little Christ. Remember that what we are here for — today and always — isn’t about us. It’s about something much bigger than ourselves. Like the bright desert moon, we are simply here to reflect the source of light and peace. Amen.