The Advent Calendar - Pt. 10

 

[Jesus said] “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:25-27 ESV).

 

Yesterday I used a scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas to illustrate a wonderful truth for this Advent season. As some of you may remember at the end of the scene Linus picks the blanket back up. After the epic, blanket-dropping recitation of Scripture given by Linus in response to Charlie Brown's quest for meaning, he picks the blanket back up. It would be interesting to deeply explore this with the original creator of Peanuts, Charles Shultz. In the absence of that, let me make a suggestion from my own experience.

 

We first must realize that we all carry that same blanket. Just like Linus, we may stand tall in a moment of faith and conviction, a moment when Scripture hidden in our heart comes to life, and all else is replaced as we experience and proclaim the true freedom and security that only Jesus can give. However, some point, out of habit, we reach down and pick that thing right back up. Faith, while powerful, is also delicate. Linus clearly knows the truth, and clearly proclaims the truth. The knowledge is there and the wisdom is there and the passion is there. So why does he pick it back up?

 

I think we see the answer at the end of the show. It ends with the Peanuts gang not just singing, but clearly and unquestionably singing in worship. Even the musical style at this point is different from anything else heard previously. The obvious song choice here could have been "O Christmas Tree," the notes of which have already been playing gently in the background. But the focus is no longer the tree. The focus has become bigger than the tree. The focus is Jesus. With this new focus, the kids instead slide effortlessly into "Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the Newborn King," and what we are now witnessing is essentially an impromptu worship service. But before any of this happens, Linus parts with that blanket yet again, and lays it down for good at the base of that beautiful Christmas tree, just as we should strive to not just lay our blanket down just anywhere, but leave it forever behind us at the foot of that cross, for our own good and the good of others.

 

Linus and friends had moved from speaking truth and hearing truth into a deeper place of worship, where they finally respond to that truth, much like those shepherds who were instructed to "fear not" so very long ago. So can we!