The Fourth Candle of Advent

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12 ESV).

        

At the end of this week we will light the fourth advent candle, marking the last phase of the advent season. It has perhaps the most sentimental meaning of all the advent candles, a meaning that is often seen as just a cliché. However, that candle’s meaning is unexpectedly powerful. It is known by many who observe the tradition as “the Candle of Love”; however, others prefer to use the symbolism of the angels announcement to the shepherds.

  

The night that Jesus was born, angels appeared to shepherds outside Bethlehem, announcing the Messiah’s birth and telling them where to find him (cf. Luke 2:8-20). Several years later, after the Magi had visited Mary and Joseph with gifts for Jesus, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. This time, he got a warning that Herod’s soldiers were coming to kill the infants of Bethlehem and to escape. The small family fled for Egypt and didn’t return until another angel appeared and told Joseph that Herod had died, so it was safe to return to Israel (cf. Matthew 2:13-23). Thus, within the Christmas story, angels function as messengers of love.

 

More so than perhaps any of the other advent candle themes, love is easily misunderstood. We often think of love in purely sentimental terms, thinking it just means being happy or being nice. Our reading today affirms that and that his sending Jesus into the world was an act of perfect love. Jesus loved people, and yet he didn’t try to always be nice to people. Sometimes he pushed people to consider what they really believed if they really wanted to follow him (cf. Mark 10:17-27). Sometimes he got them to admit their mistakes so they could see how much they needed God (cf. John 4:1-42). Throughout his ministry, he maintained that the key to finding God was not to “follow your heart” but to follow him.

 

The Bible also makes it clear that Jesus’ death and resurrection was the great act of love (cf. 1 John 3:16). This helps us see that love is sacrificial. The Apostle Paul describes the attributes we pursue when we love someone (cf. 1 Corinthians 13). They are patience, kindness, trust, and not having envy). None of these attributes are easy things to practice, which means that we need God’s help to live them out. In fact, God must teach us how to love. That is the emphasis and prayer in preparation for the lighting of this fourth candle.