Clothed in the Light of the World

The season is Advent so we should not be surprised that metaphors of coming and going and traveling are used. Isaiah exhorts, let us go up to the house of the Lord, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. It is this latter way of walking that I want to address today: walking in the light—the light of the Lord.

Let us pray… Robe us, Father, in your Son. Holy Spirit, move through your Word this morning, to kindle in us a spirit of readiness, that we might at all times and in all places be prepared and properly dressed for the coming of the Christ, walking in the light of he who is the Savior of the World. Amen.

When I was a police chaplain, the Chief used to talk about his “zacklies.” Maybe some of our officers here this morning know what the Chief was referring to when he said that every morning, he’d get up and put on his “zacklies”—exactly what he wore the day before, his police uniform.

Christians should be wearing their “zacklies” too. Each new day, we should put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, Paul is talking about taking off the works of darkness, the easy deeds of a sinful nature, and instead, wearing the armor of light.

This is exchanging one flesh for another, the flesh of the old man, our sinful, human nature, for the new man, Christ Jesus. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. The skin of Jesus is our “zacklies.” Paul talks about this another way in Galatians 3:27

Galatians 3:27 ESV

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

In this case, putting on your “zacklies” could be as simple as reminding yourself that you have been baptized into Christ. You are in him, covered by him, clothed in him.

So, tomorrow, what are you going to wear? Will you be careless and not take care to put on the Lord, leaving yourself open to putting on some dark deed, or will you remember your baptism and put on the same Christ you should be wearing every day.

I, like many of you here this morning, can remember countless Sunday mornings when Mom would make me put that washcloth behind my ears too, comb my hair, and put on nice pants, shirt, tie, and jacket. The night before I shined my Dad’s shoes and my own. Then, before heading off to St. Luke’s, I had to meet Mom’s inspection. This always—and I mean always—included her dipping a comb in that jar of Dippity Do. Yes, it’s still available, folks. Dippity Do has been making waves and curls since 1965. I truly hated that stuff but, now properly dressed and coiffed, we could go to church.

That’s the way we dressed for Sunday morning back then. Didn’t dress that way in the afternoon or any other day of the week. Sunday mornings weren’t for our “zacklies”; Sunday morning was for our not-exactlies.

But we understand this morning that our metaphysical covering in Christ should be—must be—worn every day, all day. And night. Covered in Christ, we walk in the light as he is in the light, even at night, even in this dark world. This armor of light is our new nature. Christ is our new and fundamental being. Paul speaks of this in Colossians 3:9–10

Colossians 3:9–10 ESV

...seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

We have put off the covering of our old nature for our new nature, our new self which is Christ. Christians cannot walk around improperly clothed. They wouldn’t look like the Lord or that they are the Lord’s.

The psalmist says he is glad whenever anyone says, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Paul calls us to walk properly as those who are clothed in Christ which is nothing less than being outfitted in the armor of light. It is as though we are always walking into the temple of God, always going to church, being in the presence of God 24-7.

I am reminded of the parable of the wedding feast two chapters earlier than our Gospel Reading today. In Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus tells us about a king who hosts a wedding feast for his son. When the king discovers a guest is not wearing a wedding garment, he has the man thrown out. This parable illustrates that we are to be seen by God as wearing the proper clothing. In the parable, the garment represents the righteousness and salvation provided by God through faith in Jesus Christ,. Those who reject this gifted garment and try to enter the kingdom feast on their own terms will be cast out.  

You must be properly attired, Christian.

Picture it, the great communion of saints in the latter days who nation by nation stream to the holy mountain of the Lord. In the meanwhile, we are called by Isaiah to walk in the light of the Lord. I take the prophet’s exhortation to mean that we are to walk in an illumination provided by God. Elsewhere in the Psalms, we are shown exactly how to do so.

Psalm 119:105 ESV

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

However, in the context of our other readings for the First Sunday in Advent, walking in his light means more than walking along an illuminated path. It means we are indeed doing just that but the illumination comes from what covers us. It is the difference between walking with a flashlight and being clothed in brilliant light.

Every morning about 5:00, Wyclif and I go out for his morning constitutional. For the past month, I carry a flashlight with us because about four weeks ago, Wyclif startled a skunk. Now, I can guarantee you that the skunk wasn’t as startled as I was. Every day since, I turn on the back lights and carry a flashlight with me. My dog and I aren’t getting sprayed if my flashlight can help it. But I don’t know if my high-powered flashlight is good enough. I wish I fairly glowed in the morning darkness and sent those stinky agents of the devil scurrying away.

Even at five AM, It is time to walk in the light. Night is nearly over. It is exactly the same way with life itself. We must daily prepare to wake up to the light, leaving the darkness behind us. There is no way to do this but to dress in the bright armor that is Jesus. To put on the Lord Jesus Christ is to be ready to walk in the shining light of day. There is no better time for you to do this than Advent. This is a time for us to remember to get dressed up in the Lord, to conscientiously clothe ourselves with the Light of the World.

I think this happens best in prayer. But I caution you again that prayer is more than most Christians normally think it is. Prayer is more than talk; it is listening. It is mostly listening. Prayer happens in the Word. Read the Bible with an ear to what God is saying to you, then respond. Talk to him about what you read; ask the Holy Spirit to assist you in what the Word has to say. If you want to learn how to do this, join us for Morning Prayer in the chapel 8:30 on weekdays.

Now, to this latest point of prayerfully being in the light of God’s Word, Julie Smith, our LCMC Service Coordinator, has come to your aid. Julie has written a devotional for us again, like she did this past Lent. These Advent devotionals are for Mondays through Saturdays in Advent, beginning tomorrow. She has written nothing for Sundays because she expects you to get the Word in worship on the Lord’s Day. So, on the way out today, pick up a copy. They are on the tables in the Narthex and education wing entrance.

Also, Brian and I are recording short videos for these three weeks of Mondays through Saturdays. During those videos, we will read and discuss Julie’s devotions. Get a copy and follow along with us on our website, YouTube, or Facebook.

I think this will be an excellent method for us to prepare for Christmas. It is a great way to adopt a new dress code, to walk together in our “zacklies.” For who knows if this will be our last Advent or our last Christmas? We may be called home or the Lord could return. As Matthew and Mark both say, who knows (Mark 13:32) when the end (Matt 24:13) will come and the Son of Man appear, "coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matt 24:30b)? Whenever the end arrives, it will be a surprise. So, because we do not know when he will appear—because it is promised be at an unexpected time—we simply must be ready at all times. Advent is a time of making ready for the unexpected arrival of the Great King. Being ready means we are rightly clothed, properly attired, clothed in the Light of the World. Then we may exult with the prophet Isaiah...

Isaiah 61:10 ESV

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.

Zackly.