Sermon: December 8, 2024

Readings: Malachi 3:1-4 / Luke 3:1-6

In order to experience the transformation of repentant life that John proclaimed, we must radically reorientate our lives toward God, experiencing a profound moral and spiritual transformation as our lives become more aligned with God’s love and we become more like Jesus.

Preparing for Jesus’ coming can be difficult, stressful, and uncomfortable because it requires self-examination to better orient our lives toward God’s love. But we do the work of preparation with joy and excitement because, in the end, the love, peace, and salvation offered through God’s all-inclusive love outshines all the work of our preparation.

In our gospel reading, we hear about God once again sending his messenger, his prophet, to tell us of the coming of his Son, Jesus Christ. But will we listen? The savior we delight in is coming, and we must prepare by asking ourselves: What in our lives must change so that the valleys are filled, the mountains and hills are brought low, and the crooked path is made straight?

We are called to examine our lives to see where we might fall short and repent so we may be like Jesus and better demonstrate his love by living right now as if everyone we encounter is not only a child of God for whom Christ gave his life but is Christ himself standing before us.