The Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr

The Feast of St. Stephen – December 26, 2022

Psalm 119; 2 Chronicles 24:17-22; Acts 6:8-7:60

St. Matthew 23:34-39

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Lord has blessed us today, though maybe not in the way you had hoped. A storm descended upon our region, and much of our nation, during the last days leading to Christmas. The days were dark and dreary. When the sun did shine, it was dimmed by clouds and the dust of snow in the air, not to mention the bitter cold.

Although Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were likewise cold, they presented a certain calm in the weather. God gave us a physical picture of what we sang together on Christmas Eve, “When all was still and it was midnight, your almighty Word, O Lord, descended from the royal throne.”[1] He has continued with His gifts as we heard proclaimed on Christmas Day, “In [the Son of God become the Son of Man] was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”[2]

After celebrating the coming of the True Light into the world, the main body of the storm has passed. The temperatures, although still cold, are slowly rising. The sun has a new glimmer to it. The light seems brighter. In the ordering of the universe, God set the seasons such that the days would begin to lengthen at the same time that His Son descended into the world. The True Light has come, and we can now expect longer days of light.

This evening, we celebrate the faith of St. Stephen. Stephen was one of seven to be ordained deacons in the Acts of the Apostles. He, like the other deacons, set about caring for the sick and the poor, but also preaching, teaching, baptizing, and performing miracles. It is because of his bold preaching and great miracles in the Name of Jesus that the Jews from the Synagogue of the Freedmen seek to have Stephen killed.

In imitation of our Lord, Stephen is dragged before the High Priest and accused of falsehoods with no proof. When his preaching cuts to the hearts of those listening, they grind their teeth in wrath, carry Stephen outside the city, and stone him to death. It is the death of Stephen and the ensuing persecution that led the Church to grow rapidly outside the walls of Jerusalem. In this case, the blood of the martyr is clearly the seed of the church.

The false accusations against Stephen should be no surprise. He is accused of blaspheming against the Temple and against the Law of Moses. He is accused of blaspheming God and proclaiming that Jesus would change the traditions of Moses.[3] These accusations aren’t particularly clever or original. In our times, they rank right up there with “If abortion is murder so is the death penalty. You stupid Christians, you don’t even know your own beliefs.”

While the accusations may be unfounded, St. Stephen takes the time to explain his beliefs. He recounts the history of Israel but more specifically, he recounts the places in which God has been with His people—all prior to the Tabernacle or the Temple. He specifically mentions that God came to Abraham before he dwelt in Haran, while he was yet in Mesopotamia. Father Abraham, although he received great promises from God, did not receive the promised land in his lifetime. He did not see children numbered to rival the stars. He did not see sons as kings. The only land given to him was a tomb in which to bury Sarah.

Then, rather than telling the stories of Isaac or Jacob, Stephen speaks next of the Patriarchs and how they came to dwell in Egypt. What the brothers meant for evil, God meant for good in sending Joseph into Egypt. Israel came to dwell in Egypt and greatly prospered, until the coming of a Pharaoh who did not remember the Patriarchs.

Despite dwelling in Egypt, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt with His people. He struck Egypt with the plagues and drew His people out of that foreign land. Before He could draw them into the land promised to their fathers, however, the children of Israel rebelled against God. They rebelled against Moses. They desired gods of their own making, worshiping the creations of their hands rather than the hand of the True God who had delivered them.

So you see, the Tabernacle and the Temple are not the exclusive dwelling place of God. It is a true statement to say that God is on the golf course just as much as He is in the Church, or the home, or the restaurant, or the prison cell, or the death bed. Heaven is His throne and the earth His footstool. How could the Almighty God, who places His feet upon the whole earth, be confined to one Temple, Tabernacle, Church, or Cathedral? He cannot.

At the same time, God is the one who commanded the building of the Tabernacle. When David desired to build a home for God, the Lord refused to allow it. It wasn’t until God had given this task to Solomon that the Temple was built. These places were given to man so that man could be confident in the presence of God. Prayers said in the Church building are not more readily heard by God than those said at home. However, as man is a fleshly creature, the Church building is a space that has been set apart for prayer. It has been set apart for the worship of the Triune God. It has been set apart for the receiving of God’s Word and Holy Sacraments.

Thus, the Church building is different from all other buildings. It has its own furniture, features, sights, smells, textures, and sounds. It is different for the sake of man. The Church is built for man, not man for the Church.

As such, it is to be a physical embodiment of God’s Word. This physicality is something objective, brought to you rather than supplied by your desire. To look in any direction ought to direct one’s mind toward the Word of God. The sounds that emanate from the Church should recall nothing but the Word of God, His glory, His grace, and His Sacraments. Even the smells of the Church are to be unique. Scientists will tell us that smell is the sense most closely related to memory. Whether that is true or not, all our sense should be active when we worship God. The totality of our mortal flesh is engaged in this worship. Thanks be to God that He has not forgotten any of our senses when bringing to us His Word and Sacraments.

What, then, is the result of this physical training in the things of God? Why is it beneficial to engage your entire self in receiving God’s Word? There may come a day, and it grows more likely every day, that you are called upon to make a confession like that of Stephen. Perhaps it won’t be so grand. Perhaps it will be while you are ordering a new sofa and the salesman asks what the difference between Lutherans and Catholics is.

In such a situation, you ought to be ready to confess your faith. Every service we confess our faith in the words of either the Nicene or Apostles’ creeds. These are an outstanding place to begin but if you are only practiced at reciting them as part of a large group, it will be difficult to remember in a private conversation. Even if you can remember it at the opportune time, there will inevitably be questions to follow.

Therefore, we must be practiced in our faith. We must spend time reading, hearing, and speaking God’s Word. Begin by having conversations concerning Godly topics with your husband, wife, parents, friends, or neighbors. Having lunch with another member of this church and discussing the sermon or the readings from the previous Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to exercise the faith of your tongue in a safe environment.

 The Word of God and holy conversation are habits. The more you attend to them, the easier they become. The less you attend to them, the easier they become to ignore. We are not given the topics of St. Stephen’s lunch conversations, but we do know that he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit.[4] We know that when called to confess what he believed concerning the Law and the Temple, he was able not only to proclaim the truth of God’s dwelling and righteousness, but also to call the false teachers of the Jews to repentance.

The zeal of the Lord consumed him and for this, the reproaches of those who hate God fell upon him.[5] The wrath of the High Priest and the Jews is directed toward God, not Stephen. He is simply the mouthpiece proclaiming the divine truth. Yes, this hatred fell upon Stephen but not because of his person. This is the reason he can pray for his murderers, even as they bend to pick up the instruments of his death, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.”[6]

We have the holy privilege of the same. We have the holy calling to proclaim God’s Word to all. If they hear and receive that Word, thanks be to God! The angels in heaven will rejoice as one sinner repents. But if they reject the words of our mouths, if they spit upon you and shame you, if they cast you into prison, it is not because of you. It is because they hate God. They hate the Word you speak. They have hardened their own hearts against you and against God. For these, there is no hope.

But for you there is. There is certainty. As the mob is grinding their teeth, Stephen looks up and sees the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father.[7] After reciting the many and various places God has dwelt with His people, St. Stephen now sees the Incarnate Lord dwelling with him. He sees the heavens opened and the Son of God welcoming Stephen to his eternal home.

Whether visible to your eyes or not, the same Son of God is near to you. He is with you at home, in the Church, at prayer, and at the hospital bed. He is with you wherever His Word and the Holy Spirit are present. You, beloved of the Lord, are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God has entered your heart and filled you with faith. Treasure up this Word and hold it dear, for it is the certainty that Jesus is with you always, prepared to receive you into glory.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] Wisdom of Solomon 18:14-15.

[2] St. John 1:4-5.

[3] Acts 6:11-14.

[4] Acts 6:5.

[5] Psalm 69:5-10.

[6] Acts 7:60.

[7] Acts 7:55-56.

Christmas Day

The Nativity of our Lord (Christmas Day) – December 25, 2022

Psalm 98; Isaiah 52:6-10; Hebrews 1:1-12

St. John 1:1-14

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In the very familiar words of the beginning of St. John’s Gospel, there is a phrase that sticks out. I think many people pass over it without understanding and don’t give it a second thought. There are also many who have noticed the various translations of the phrase but again, do not bother to inquire. Then, there are those who puzzle over this phrase’s meaning but find so much more to ponder in the rest of the chapter that one confusing phrase is not worth the time to understand.

The phrase of which I speak is “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”[1] You may have read or heard it read as “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”[2] In order to understand this sentence, we must identify the light; identify the darkness; and finally, understand the relationship between this darkness and the light. The particular difficulty in this sentence is the word translated either as “comprehend” or “overcome.” Both are valid translations of the Greek word, but neither is particularly helpful in understanding what is being said about the light, the darkness, or their relationship.

First, who or what is the light? The previous sentence tells us that in the Word of God, that is, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, is life and this life is the light of men.[3] Generally speaking, light reveals what is hidden, guides one who is lost, and communicates over distance. In the Son is life, and this life is the light of men. The Life that is in Christ reveals what is hidden in man, guides man who is lost, and communicates to us over the distant gulf created between God and man.

We have already been told that Jesus is the Word of God, who was in the beginning with God and was God. A Word is only beneficial if it is spoken, and used to communicate. In this way, we can see the relationship between Word and Light. If words are taken to heart, if they are received and the one speaking is trusted by the one hearing, then these words will also guide the hearer, just as light guides the one who is lost. Words can also be said to illuminate the mind, revealing knowledge and wisdom that were once hidden. Again, there is a similarity between Word and Light.

But what of life, the life that is in the Son and is the Light of men? The life in the Son is ζωη, the fundamental term for life, without which there is no existence.[4] St. John especially takes this word and turns it into a theological term for that eternal existence which God has placed into creation; that which makes you exist. Hence the life that is in the Son is that essence that gives life to all mankind. It could, quite possibly, be a reference to the Holy Spirit or simply a reference to the origin of all life being within the Godhead, the Holy Trinity.

All life proceeds from God—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is nothing in the cosmos that did not originate in God. He created the heavens and the earth. He created you and me. He continues to sustain you, me, the heavens, the earth, and everything that fills them. If it were not for God sustaining the universe, it would cease to exist at this very moment.

“In [the Son of God] was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness.”[5] Who, or what is the darkness? The clearest answer is the darkness of the sinful world. The problem with this answer is that this darkness is then personified, treated like a person, that can either comprehend or overcome.

It is difficult to imagine, but in the beginning, there was nothing, not even darkness. The “nothingness” into which God called creation was not dark. It wasn’t anything. It was not a thing. Into this darkness, God spoke a Word and called forth light. This is the beginning of all things.

Human logic and the world today insist that the world is made of dualities. Everything must be in balance. If there is light, there must be darkness. If there is up, there must be down. If there is life, there must be death. This is the fundamental theology of both Star Wars and the Marvel Universe. If there is Good, there must be equal and opposite Evil. Everything must be in balance.

With God, it is not so. There is no equal but opposite Evil to oppose God. Just so, in the beginning, when God created light, there was no darkness. There was only light. As the week of creation came to an end, certainly, there was a division between day and night, a division between days and seasons. The sun certainly cast shadows from the trees over the fields. Yet these shadows are not the darkness of John’s Gospel.

The darkness into which the Light of Life shines is certainly the sinful world, but it is not an abstract sinful world. Sin did not enter the world as a lifeless contagion, floating on the air and hoping to be breathed in by a passerby. Sin was not an idle thing, activated by the actions of first Eve and then Adam. The first sin was an act of man. Sin is always an act of man. The fall of man introduced sin into the world and the rest of creation fell because of the actions of men.

This is how darkness is personified in the first chapter of John. The darkness is not sin as an abstract concept, personified for the sake of poetry. The darkness is the sin dwelling in the hands and hearts of man. The darkness is the desire to sin, inherited by every son of Adam and daughter of Eve.

If you sit in deep, deep darkness for any length of time, and then someone turns on a bright light, your eyes will burn and immediately you will shut your eyes. Even if the darkness was that of a prisoner’s cell and the light was brought by your liberators, the darkness of your eyelids is more appealing than the light of your salvation.

This is the relationship between the darkness of the sin in your hearts and the light of life that is in Christ Jesus. No one is born inclined toward God. No one is born indifferent to God. All mankind is born hostile to God and His light. Such hostility is against everything God has given to creation.

We, who were born in darkness, are incapable of opening our eyes to the light and desire nothing more than to crawl back into the darkness of our cave. Thus the One in whom dwells the substance of Life, through Whom creation was spoken into existence, has come to dwell in your flesh. He has come into the cave to dwell with you and the darkness of your sin cannot comprehend nor overcome His light.

The word translated as either “comprehend” or “overcome” is based in the word which means “to take” or “to receive.” However, it has a prefix that intensifies the word. When put together, the word καταλαμβανω means “to take or receive from top to bottom; to understand fully; to overtake fully.” The prefix also possibly hints at a level of hostility. Thus, the darkness of sin is hostile toward the Christ, even as it is impossible for sinners to fully understand, fully defeat, or even fully receive Him.

There are those in the world who have refused to receive the light. They prefer to sit in the darkness and dwell in the cave. They are truly God’s own, for all of creation belongs to the Creator. They are His own, but they do not receive Him. They refuse to receive Him. These are not only in the darkness, but by refusing the light, they are of the darkness.

But as many have received this light, all those into whom the Light has shined and not been refused, these have the right to be called children of God. Those who know themselves to be lost in the darkness and welcome the light of life to lead them on the path away from the darkness are given such desire not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but from God. These children of God have believed in the Name of the Son of God, the Name of the Word, the Name of Jesus Christ.

These children have received, believed, and trusted the Light that would never lead them into darkness. These children have trusted the light such that what they might perceive as painful, unpleasant, or even contrary to their own will, so long as the light is leading them, they will submit themselves to Him.

The darkness tried to overcome the Light. Men believed they had killed the light after only a few hours upon a cross. Yet the darkness cannot overcome the light. The darkness cannot comprehend the light. The Light cannot be contained by the darkness for He preexisted the darkness. The Light became flesh and dwelt among man not only to overcome the darkness, but to share His Light with you. He comes to you today that you would edge ever more closely to the Light, leaving the darkness behind.

Behold the glory of God, the glory of the only begotten of the Father. Behold His glory in the flesh given for you and the blood shed for you. Behold the glory of the Light that is the Life of men. Behold the glory of Jesus Christ.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] St. John 1:5.

[2] Such as in the NIV or ESV.

[3] St. John 1:4.

[4] BDAG, 430-431.

[5] St. John 1:4-5.

Christmas Eve

The Eve of the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas Eve) – December 24, 2022[1]

Psalm 2; Isaiah 9:2, 6-7a; Titus 2:11-15a

St. Luke 2:1-14

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

This night, we celebrate the visitation of an angel, that heralds the arrival of the Christ. An angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds in the field and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were afraid.[2] And the angel said to them, “Fear not.” An angel, likely the same angel, appeared to Zachariah, to Joseph, and to Mary herself, announcing the coming of the Lord and each time saying, “Do not be afraid.” These angels came not to bar the gates to eternity, but to announce their being flung open. The Christ child is born in the city of David to bring peace to man.

This peace is brought about through reconciliation. The birth of the Christ brings reconciliation between man and the holy angels. To be reconciled does not mean “to let bygones be bygones.” Reconciliation requires acknowledgment of the harm done, restitution or atonement for that harm, and forgiveness by the one harmed.

The presence of angels almost always strikes fear into the heart of man because angels are the messengers of God and man’s heart is sinful from birth. Our wickedness, our sinfulness, even the inclination to sin is an abuse of the life God has created within us. We have taken His good creation and corrupted it. We have stolen what is rightly His. We have blasphemed His holy name by acting in wickedness. By our actions and our inactions, by our thoughts and lack of prayers, by our own faults, by our own most grievous faults, we have broken the relationship between God and man because we have placed ourselves before Him.

Yet this night, the presence of the angels no longer sparks fear, but joy. The words “Fear not,” are an absolution, words which restore the relationship between two people. The angels have come to announce the coming of the Reconciler, God’s Anointed. “When all was still and it was midnight, [the] Almighty Word…descended from the royal throne.”[3] The cattle, donkeys, and sheep even take notice. These beasts lift their heads in recognition that the Creator has entered creation for the sake of bringing reconciliation to the cosmos.

The reconciliation celebrated by the holy angels is achieved in the flesh of Jesus Christ. The very Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity, unites Himself to us by becoming one of us. His flesh is no different than your flesh or mine. Yet within His flesh dwells the fulness of divinity. He is truly the God-Man. Christ’s divinity and humanity are the significance of the bright shining “glory of God” which shone around the angels when the shepherds saw them.

By taking on our flesh, He not only makes us his brothers and sisters, but He gives us the right to become children of the Father. This right is given to those who receive Christ through faith. No longer are they born of the sinful flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.[4] Your heavenly inheritance is eternal life with Christ.

Already in the manger, the Christ child lays wrapped in swaddling clothes. These clothes point forward to the burial shroud which will again envelop his body. The flesh which Christ has assumed within the Virgin Mother will lay in a virgin tomb for three days. The death of Christ is the necessary condition for reconciliation with the Father. Christ declares He makes a new covenant in His blood and a covenant takes effect only by the shedding of blood. After the three days’ rest, that same flesh rose again, to restore you and all creation to a holy relationship with the Father, and one another.

“If we had not inherited sin, the fellowship of nature would move us so much that everyone would love his neighbor as much as he loved himself, because we would all be of one essence, of one blood and of one relationship. A few sparks of that kind of natural attachment still remain in the love between parents and their children [and] between married couples – whose light of love would be far brighter, had not the darkness of sin overshadowed it. Now Christ’s flesh is a holy flesh, which has not been poisoned by sin in the least; that’s why this fire of love burns in it brightly and undarkened so that Christ heartily and passionately loves us because we are His flesh and blood.”^[5]  

Thus the glory of the Lord shone around the holy angels as they visited the shepherds. The angels gather this night, with all the saints of God as we joined them in song, “Glory be to God on High, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”[6] Soon, we will again join them, the angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, singing, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Sabbaoth. Heaven and earth are full of your glory! Hosanna in the Highest!”[7]

You see, the songs of the angels rejoice at the Incarnation. They rejoice when God comes near to His people, when there is peace is the world. The Son of God becomes the Son of Man that you would have peace with God. We rejoice in the presence of our Lord this very night. He is not locked in heaven as some would imagine. He is here, present for you in Body and Blood. The very flesh by which Jesus won your reconciliation with God is now present for you to be eaten. He has partaken of you in His Incarnation that you might partake of Him in his Exultation.

Bethlehem is not just the site of Jesus’ birth and the city of David. The very name “Bethlehem” means “house of bread.” The Bread come down from heaven was born in a manger, that you would find your home with him.[8] He who eats Christ’s flesh and drinks Christ’s blood abides in Him.[9]

The Advent fast has come to an end. With full joy and splendor, we celebrate Christ’s presence among us now and every day until the visible return of Christ in the flesh. We look to the shining light of Christ’s glory found in a chalice and on a paten. Christ is with you. This is the time when Christ was born, when a Savior appeared. This is the time when angels and archangels sing and the righteous exult and proclaim, “Glory to God in the Highest! Alleluia!”  

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] The propers used are appointed for the Christmas Midnight Mass.

[2] St. Luke 2:9-10.

[3] Wisdom of Solomon 18:14-15.

[4] St. John 1:12-13.

[5] Johann Gerhard, “On Holy Christmas Day II,” Postilla, Vol 1 (Malone, TX: The Center for Lutheran Orthodoxy, 2003), 60.

[6] St. Luke 2:14.

[7] Isaiah 6:3 (the Sanctus).

[8] St. John 6:32-33.

[9] St. John 6:56.

Rorate Coeli (Advent 4)

Rorate Coeli (Advent 4) – December 18, 2022

Psalm 19; Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Philippians 4:4-7

St. John 1:19-28

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Satan is quite clever in today’s Gospel reading. The messengers from Jerusalem are willing to grant St. John the Baptist any title he might desire. They ask if he is the Christ and they would willingly treat him as such. When he declines this title, they ask if he is Elijah, that is, if he is Elijah returned from heaven. Remember that Elijah did not suffer death. He was carried by a fiery chariot into heaven. Thus these Jews interpreted Malachi 3 as prophesying that the great prophet Elijah would return from heaven just prior to the arrival of the Messiah. John again declines this title.

So, they ask if he is the Prophet. Here is an interesting question. Because they are asking about the Prophet and just a Prophet, it seems most likely that they are asking if John is the prophet like Moses, promised by God in our reading from the Old Testament. On the other hand, the Prophet like Moses, raised up by God, having the Word of God in His mouth, and speaking all that the Father commands Him, is clearly a title for the Messiah. Even the priests and Levites, the scribes and the Pharisees would have known this to be a title for the Messiah and John has already denied being the Messiah.

Thus, this third title is highly deceptive. It seems the Jews are giving John the opportunity to interpret their words for them. He has a second chance to claim to be the Messiah. He also has an opportunity to simply claim to be a prophet. Yet once again, John denies being the Prophet.

In the fourth question, “What do you say about yourself?” the Jews give John the opportunity to define himself. He is granted the freedom to choose his own title and we are given no reason the Jews would disbelieve his response. Given this freedom, when asked what he says about himself, John confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord.”[1] He refused to answer in his own words. He says about himself only what Scripture says.

Frustrated by John’s unwillingness to define himself according to their will, the Jews demand to know why, that is, by what authority, John is baptizing. John uses this opportunity to turn their attention away from himself and toward Christ. John has already begun to decrease that Christ would increase.

God truly blessed His Church in sending St. John to be the forerunner of the Christ. He was unafraid of kings, priests, Levites, Pharisees, soldiers, and crowds. He was unafraid and unashamed. The man wore camel’s hair and a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild honey. He preached in the wilderness. Everything about St. John was beyond countercultural. He was what today, we would easily call a zealot, freak, or weirdo. And John wouldn’t bat an eye at these names.

Would you? We are quick to complain about the world around us—the failing morality, the perversity taught in schools, and the manipulation of media. You have heard it said many times, that the Church is set in the world but is not of the world. The Church is to stand out as a shining beacon on the hill. The Church does not give in to the culture nor seek the approval of the culture.

And yet we are all afraid to be considered too weird, too distinct from the culture, too separate. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”[2] When we have given the training of our children over to Caesar, that is, over to the government, why are we surprised they choose to live of the world instead of the Church?

Or when we give the training of our children over to 35 hours of government-run schools, 5-10 hours a week in sports training and competition, and just maybe give them 2 hours of time in the church, why are we surprised when a college with a scholarship sports team but without a faithful church anywhere nearby is their first choice? Or when Church is the last thing on their minds? Or when they complain that Sunday is their only day to sleep in?

Why is it that homeschooling children is too weird? “I want to be counter-cultural, but not that countercultural.” Why is it that giving children “the best education possible” or training them for “real-world skills” is more important than training up their faith? Why is it that when a child is 5 or 6, the primary concern is which school district you live in, so that they will have a “successful high school career”? Shouldn’t the goal of education be to give children a foundation in the truth, which begins and ends in Jesus Christ?

Why are crucifixes “too popish” but mangers are cute? If Jesus isn’t still on the cross, He certainly isn’t still in the manger. It's because crucifixes show what happened to that baby in the manger because of your sin. They are unpleasant for your sinful nature to look at because the crucifix makes your sins unavoidable. The manger scene is cute enough that you can convince yourself it doesn’t smell like animals and manure.

If we truly believe that the Scriptures are the inerrant Word of God, why do we not read them in line at the DMV? Why does everyone own a TV and a phone, both of which almost certainly get more time and attention than your bible?

Why do pastors struggle to confront sinners? Why do pastors try to soften the blow when someone manifestly sins in front of him? Why are Christians afraid of spending more than one or two hours a week at the Church building?

Why do we have any question or hesitation about men having God-given authority over women? Scripture repeatedly speaks of such male headship in the home, in the church, and in the state. Even in the most “conservative” congregations, this topic must always be treated with kid gloves. Why is that?

Why do you come to Church? Why do you come to this church? If it is because it is what you’ve always done, or it’s the church your parents went to, or because your friends attend this church, then the moment a doctrine of the Bible accuses your conscience, you will either run away or demand the church change her teaching.

If you come to church, if you come to this church, it ought to be because Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and this Church rightly proclaims this One thing needful along with the whole counsel of God. If that is the case, then when you are confronted with a biblical doctrine that accuses your conscience, you will repent, ask forgiveness, and seek to conform your will to the Will of God.

There are many ways to answer these questions, each deserving of serious study and contemplation. What is common to them all is that we hesitate in these, and many other matters, because we don’t want to seem too far outside the norm. We don’t want to be zealots, freaks, or weirdos. We are afraid of the opinions of men. We are too afraid of the opinions of women. It is uncomfortable to be too distant from the world because our flesh still loves the world and craves its approval.

It is uncomfortable to be different and our world has trained us to seek comfort at all costs. This is how we have become catechized by the world. Our innate priorities are those taught to us in school and perpetuated by all forms of media.

Thanks be to God He sent a forerunner before the Christ. He sent John into the world not as the Christ, not as Elijah, nor as the Prophet, but as a voice. God sent a voice to preach a message of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. God placed that voice in St. John and gave him such faith that he was unafraid and unashamed of what anyone would say about him. He didn’t care if you didn’t like the hymns he sang, the way he spoke, how he dressed or how he smelled. He didn’t care because the Word of God and the truth he was sent to proclaim were far more important that the opinions of men.

Thanks be to God He sent this forerunner before the Christ. It is uncomfortable, unpleasant, and even downright painful to hear the preaching of repentance. No on likes it. The preaching of repentance makes your sins plain. You cannot hide from them. Your sins deserve eternal damnation, and they must be revealed. They must be revealed so that they might be forgiven. John preached a baptism of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. A wound must first be cleaned, a very painful process, before it can be healed.

How then can you receive the preaching of St. John? How can the example of St. John be brought to you? Begin by simply contemplating the Word of God. Intentionally spend time talking to your husband, children, friends, and neighbors about the sermon you heard that week. Read the Scriptures more than you are comfortable doing. Choose a time when you would watch television and read instead. Speak to your children about Christ. Ask them to come to church with you. If they don’t go to church, ask them about it. If your children are living in a manifest sin, talk to them about it. Ask if they know they are sinning.

Are you living in sin? “Consider your station according to the Ten Commandments, whether you are a father, mother, son, daughter, master, mistress, servant; whether you have been disobedient, unfaithful, slothful; whether you have grieved any person by word or deed; whether you have stolen, neglected, or wasted anything, or done other injury.” If so, confess your sins and hear the word of forgiveness. Then bear fruit in keeping with repentance and cease such manifest sins.

None of this is comfortable. No one ever said it would be. A camel hair shirt is not comfortable either. Wild honey might be sweet, but a diet of locusts cannot satisfy much for taste. The Christian life is promised to be uncomfortable. You are promised to bear crosses and suffer in this life. Yet these promises are for the sake of your salvation. The crosses you bear are because of your knowledge of sin.

You know sin thrives in this world and you desire to be rid of it. You know sin thrives in this world and the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you, desires to be distinct from the sins of the world. You know sin thrives in this world and you know that this world has already been conquered.

This world and its master have been conquered by the death of Jesus. No matter what crosses you must bear; no matter how uncomfortable you must be, Jesus has died for your sins and has called you out of the darkness and into marvelous light. You are not the Christ. You are not Elijah. You are not the Prophet like Moses. You are not even the voice crying in the wilderness. But the one who stands among you, you do know. You know Him because He has called you by name. He has baptized you into His glorious name. Stop letting the opinions of the world and your discomfort stop you from the fullness of Christ and all that He has to give you.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] St. John 1:23.

[2] Proverbs 22:6.

Wednesday Vespers following Gaudete (Advent 3)

Ember Wednesday – December 14, 2022

Psalm 19; Isaiah 2:2-5; Isaiah 7:10-15

St. Luke 1:26-38a

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Annunciation refers to the event recorded in today’s third reading: the Archangel Gabriel is sent from God to announce to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she has been chosen to be the Mother of God. We might choose to number three miracles in this event.^[1] First is the miracle of the Incarnation. “Incarnate” simply means “in flesh.” The Son of God, Second Person of the Holy Trinity, is sent by the Father, deposited by the Holy Spirit, and becomes man. God himself becomes a man to redeem mankind.

The Annunciation connects the two greatest feasts of the Church – Christmas and Easter. The Son of God took on flesh precisely so that he could die upon the cross. Christmas must happen first so that Good Friday and then Easter Sunday may follow. The Incarnation makes the Atonement possible. ‘To pay the debt of our sinful state, God, who is incapable of suffering, joined Himself to humanity, which can suffer. Thus, in keeping with the healing that we needed, one and the same mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, was able to die in one nature and unable to die in the other.’^[2] Christ our Lord was born in the city of little branches, Nazareth, that he would die upon the ultimate Tree of the Cross.

Far less grand than the Incarnation, is the miracle of the Virgin Birth. From the perspective of a created being, the Virgin Birth might seem like the greater miracle. For the Creator of the cosmos, such a miracle seems almost a parlor trick, but it is not without purpose.

In the first place, the Savior of Man required a pure vessel in which to be born. God is already without sin, but He must remain so after taking on the flesh of man. He must have been born the seed of a woman, without the help of man so that Original Sin would not stain His flesh.

In the second place, the virgin womb of Mary is to indicate the holiness of God’s dwelling place with man. The Church is to be the holy dwelling of God. It is to be unmarred by the stain of sin. This holy space is set apart from the temporal. It is not like other buildings for it is the house of God.[3] During the gathering of the saints in the Divine Service, heaven comes to earth, and we experience a glimpse of heaven. It is unstained by sin for it is holy.

At the same time, the Church militant—both the location and the people on this side of glory—exists in a sinful world. Outlets need replacing. Walls need paint touched up. Sinners fill the pews and pulpit. This is seen in that Mary herself is not without sin. Twelve years after the birth of Jesus, Mary would forget her Son in Jerusalem and then be surprised to find Him in the Temple. It is also seen in the attacks of the world, those who inevitably whispered of the young woman, betrothed to be married yet becoming great with child. The Church endures sin from without and within.

Yet the womb of Mary is preserved from such sin. The Holy Ghost overshadows Mary and delivers the Son of God to her holy womb. The Holy Body and Precious Blood of the same Savior who grew within the Virgin Mary now sits upon the altars of the faithful, untainted by sin, given to be eaten and drunk by all who would be called holy children of God.

Now the third miracle of the Annunciation might be considered the greatest of all. It is the faith of Mary. This young woman, in her early teens, barely even a woman, hears the words of St. Gabriel and receives them with humility. This humility, this faith, is not a quality of Mary’s own.

The text does not reveal the moment at which Christ is conceived nor when the Holy Ghost overshadowed the Virgin Mother, but it would seem to have occurred during this conversation with Gabriel. The angel appears and Mary is troubled. Gabriel consoles her by saying, “Fear not dear child, for you have found favor with God.”

Mary’s troubled conscience is the reaction of sinful man in the face of holiness and yet it is not the reaction of one who does not believe. Zechariah, met by the same angel, is troubled and fearful. Mary is only troubled. She trusts in the greeting of Gabriel and that the Lord is with her. Gabriel then speaks the absolution – a word of forgiveness that all the faithful, Mary and us included, require – and proceeds to announce the conception of the Savior.

This faith of young Mary is then displayed in feminine virtue. The chief biblical, feminine virtue is submission. Submission is not weakness nor frailty. Submission is the recognition that you are not in authority. You are not in control. Women are called to submit to their husbands as the Church submits to Christ.[4]

At the same time, men must recognize our calling to be the head of woman. We are given authority in the household because God created Adam first, and then Eve. Eve was deceived first, and then Adam. Man is given authority for the sake of caring for and preserving the family—not to satisfy the desire for power.

Blessed Mary exhibits true humility when, barely more than a child, she submits to the words of St. Gabriel and proclaims, “Let it be to me according to Your Word.”[5] She is not accepting a tempting business proposal. She is submitting her will to the Will of God. We do not know if Mary was excited to be a mother in those moments. We don’t know if she was concerned what others might think. She didn’t know exactly what would happen either. She knew her son was to be the Son of God, the Savior who would reign forever.[6]

Faithful and humble Mary is strengthened by the Word of God, spoken to her by the messenger. The miracle of the Word of God turning the hearts of man from stone to flesh is the greatest miracle of the Annunciation. To emphasize this point, God chose a lowly handmaid to be the mother of God. A young woman, of David’s lineage but of humble birth, displays faith only possible by the gift of the Holy Spirit and this gift is delivered on the lips of an angel.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] The outline of the three miracles of the Annunciation comes from Martin Luther, The Christmas Book, trans. by Roland H. Bainton (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1948), 22-23. The original thoughts from St. Bernard come from a series of sermons found in Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, “On the Missus Est,” Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Collection [8 Books] Aeterna Press, Kindle Edition, beginning on p. 1317.

[2] St. Leo the Great, The Feast of the Annunciation: In Mary’s Womb, God Becomes Man, available at http://www.lectionarycentral.com/stmaryannunc/Leo2.html. Also found in the Annunciation file.

[3] Psalm 122:1.

[4] Ephesians 5:22-24.

[5] St. Luke 1:38.

[6] St. Luke 1:31-32, 35.

Gaudete (Advent 3)

Gaudete (Advent 3) – December 11, 2022

Psalm 85; Isaiah 40:1-8 (9-11); 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

St. Matthew 11:2-10

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

At first blush, today’s Gospel reading and the ceremonies seem contradictory. We name this Sunday, “Gaudete,” the Latin word for “Rejoice.” This name comes to us in the antiphon, or the phrases repeated at the beginning and end of the Introit: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, ‘Rejoice.’”[1] The paraments and vestments are rose to reflect this joyous character. The penitential nature of Advent is lightened for a day as we enter the final days of Advent. The Old Testament Lesson speaks of comfort and pardon, the glory of the Lord and His enduring word.[2] In the Gradual, we cry out to our Shepherd to come and lead us as a flock; to stir up His might and come to save us, enthroned upon the cherubim.[3]

The seeming contradiction arises in the Gospel lesson. John the Baptist is in prison. He undoubtedly knows that he will soon be executed. In preparation for his own death, and likely in a moment of doubt concerning the Christ, John sends two of his disciples to Jesus. They are to ask on John’s behalf, “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?”[4]

Our Lord’s oblique response is to tell John the things the disciples see and hear, namely His miracles and teachings, and that he who is not offended by Jesus is blessed. As the disciples of John depart, Jesus questions the surrounding crowd concerning who John is and what he came to do. He says John is more than a prophet, he is the messenger of whom Malachi foretold, who would prepare the way of the Messiah.[5]

I say the Gospel reading seems to contradict today’s liturgical character because the Gospel text seems to focus on doubt. John is about to die and wants confirmation that Jesus is the Christ, the One Who is to Come, and that this Christ would save him from his sins. Then, rather than expounding on the glory of salvation, the mercy of God, or the compassion of the Father, Jesus reprimands the crowds for their impious curiosity in seeking John. Joy is not mentioned in the Gospel and the tone speaks more of rebuke for lack of vigilance.

And yet, such a contradiction only exists if you do not slow down and read the Gospel of St. Matthew with a careful eye. Twice in the text, Jesus makes reference to the Scriptures being fulfilled in His life. First, He speaks of His deeds, foretold by Isaiah. “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them;”[6] and then He confirms the office of John as the messenger prophesied by Malachi.[7]

Our Lord is not trying to give the disciples of John an encoded message confirming that He is the Messiah. In the first place, He is pointing John, and his disciples, to the Old Testament, to the Scriptures, to the Word of God. He is saying, “Why ask Me if I am the Messiah? You have Moses and the Prophets. They tell you what to look for. Trust your eyes and ears that what you have heard and seen in Me is the fulfillment of them.”

In the second place, Jesus is directing John and his disciples to the concrete actions of the Messiah. It is all well and good to hear that a prophet has arisen in Galilee, and He is healing people. But the minds of men are strong. Our self-delusions are mighty. “Oh, such works are easy to fake. I heard He likes to eat with unwashed hands and gave wine to a bunch of drunk people at a wedding. Some Messiah…”

The ferocity of our sin will find any excuse to disbelieve the Word of God. Does your conscience tell you that you are a sinner and God couldn’t possibly love you for what you have done? Look first to the Scriptures and ask, “Did Jesus die for the sins of the world? Are you a part of the world?” The answer to both questions is undeniably, “yes.”

If you stop here, Satan will rejoice. He will whisper in your ear, “Are you sure? Did God really say that? And if Jesus did die for your sins, there are still people in hell. What makes you think you won’t join them? You’ve thought and done some pretty nasty stuff.”

Knowing the guile of our evil foe, God binds His Word and His salvation to physical means, so that we would have no excuse to disbelieve. These are the sacraments. What makes you think you won’t join the souls in hell? You are baptized! You are baptized and you receive the Body and Blood of Jesus. You desire the Body and Blood of Jesus. Your ears hear the words of Jesus from my lips, “Your sins are forgiven.” Do you know this to be true? Then you have nothing to fear concerning your salvation.

Even in the rebuke of the crowds, Jesus gives us a reason to rejoice. He says that John was more than a prophet, he was a messenger. While we shouldn’t apply this distinction too broadly, our Lord is here making a distinction between a prophet who speaks the Word of the Lord, and a messenger who also speaks the Word of the Lord but does so immediately before His coming. A messenger, or angel, is one who goes before the Lord to prepare the way.[8] St. John is a herald. He is the watchman on the gate who cries out, “Awake, Jerusalem, arise!”

Now, St. John was clearly the messenger sent to prepare the hearts of man for the first coming of the Messiah in the flesh. He was to prepare their hearts by confronting them with their sin. He did this, not with the final purpose of frightening them into inaction or damnation. He did this to reveal their sins and their need for the Messiah. He did this so that they would be prepared to be forgiven. This is the office of St. John the Baptist. After Christ began His ministry, after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan and anointed with the Holy Spirit, it was necessary for St. John to decrease that Jesus would increase.[9]

But St. John is not the only messenger, nor is the Incarnation the only time that Jesus comes to man in the flesh. When Jesus returns on the last day, the messengers will be the Holy Angles, who with the sound of mighty trumpets, will announce the coming of the King. This very day, Jesus comes to you in His flesh. He comes to you invisible to the eyes of flesh, but radiant to the eyes of faith. He comes to you in His Holy Body and Precious Blood, in the Eucharist. Before He comes today, however, He has sent His messenger. He has sent you a pastor to proclaim the Word of God, preparing your hearts and minds to receive your King.

How is this achieved? It is true that you need to be shown your sin. You need to constantly be shown the failure of your flesh and the weakness of your heart. Yet these things are so that you would be prepared to receive the forgiveness of sins. As such, your pastor is more a messenger than a prophet. He goes before to announce the coming of the King. So long as you are sincere in your faith, desire to be rid of your sins and to do better according to the Word of God, the Office of the Holy Ministry is never given to hold you under the water a little while longer, forcing you to suffer.

No. The Office of the Holy Ministry is to bring you the joy of the Holy Gospel. We hear the Word of God read and pastors preach before we receive the Sacrament because it is necessary that the messenger be sent before the coming of the King. It is necessary so that you would be prepared to receive your King. Having heard the Word of God, having been confronted by your sins and your need for a Savior, it is with most joyful hearts that we now cry out, “Stir up your might and come to save us.”[10] “Rejoice in the Lord always; [for] the Lord is at hand!”[11]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] Philippians 4:4-5.

[2] Isaiah 40:1-8.

[3] Psalm 80:1-2.

[4] St. Matthew 11:2-3.

[5] St. Matthew 11:4-10.

[6] St. Matthew 11:5; cf. Isaiah 26:19; 29:18; 35:5; 42:7, 18; 61:1.

[7] Malachi 3:1.

[8] St. Luke 1:76-79. The conclusion of the Benedictus.

[9] St. John 3:30.

[10] Psalm 80:2b.

[11] Philippians 4:4, 5.