The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels

The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels – September 29, 2024

Psalm 103; Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3; Revelation 12:7-12

St. Matthew 18:1-18

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

Every Sunday, we confess that God created all things visible and invisible. Those things invisible primarily refer to the angels. Angels are a creation of God, distinct from all other creation. Humans do not become angels when they die any more than humans become cats upon death. Angels are spirits, that is, without body.

Sometimes, angels appear to man. They can appear in the form of a human, as fire, wind, or simply a voice. They also take on the visage of terrifying beasts, with multiple heads, hundreds of eyes, wings, and engulfed in flames. They are always referred to with male pronouns in Scripture and are said to neither marry nor procreate.[1] From the beginning to the end of time, there is a fixed number of angels – no more and no less than were created by God.

Individual angels are not omnipresent or present in all places. They are located in a particular space at any given time, but God has not revealed how they are present in space and time. We do not know how big or small they are. They are also spiritual beings. They do not have a physical body that is all their own. They can assume a physical body for a time, like the angels who visit with Abraham or who call Lot and his family out of Sodom.[2] Although this temporary body is physical (in that it can interact with the physical world), these angels are not “incarnate.” They did not take on a body of their own. It is a temporary “man suit.”

Angels are not omnipresent or present in all places, but because they are spiritual, they always see the face of our Father in heaven, even when they are ministering to man on earth.[3] This incomprehensible mystery speaks of their spiritual nature and the fact that God is near to all things, even if we cannot see Him at times.

There is also confusion over the duties of angels. The word “angel” means “messenger.” They are the messengers of God, heralds who bring His Word to man. We see this explicitly in the Angel Gabriel, who speaks to Daniel and then appears to Mary, telling her she will bear the Christ child.[4] However, this use of the term “angel” to mean “messenger” is also applied to human beings. John the Baptist is called an Angel.[5] In the Revelation to St. John, the pastors of the seven churches are called the angels of those churches.[6] All pastors are considered angels as they are the messengers, the ambassadors of Christ, sent to deliver His Word and His gifts to God’s people.[7]

Most importantly, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is called the Angel of the Lord throughout the Old Testament.[8] This reflects that fact that Jesus Christ is the Word of God, he himself is the message and the messenger, bringing the Word and Will of God to man. When reading Scripture, you can be assured that the angel being discussed is Jesus if the angel accepts and receives the worship of man, beast, or any other created thing.[9]

Angels are the messengers of God and yet they have also been given other duties. The Revelation to St. John records how the prayers of the saints are carried to heaven by an angel. He offers the prayers with incense before the altar of God.[10] The Angels are also said to bear the soul of the beggar Lazarus into the bosom of Abraham.[11] The angels rejoice over one who repents and turns toward God.[12] They are superior to us in their delight in the Word of God and yet they joyfully submit themselves to us in love. They are our big brothers in creation, who guard and protect us from danger while ensuring our safety in the hand of the Father.

St. Paul tells us the Holy Angels are present in the Divine Service.[13] We join in their song, first in the Gloria, singing the words of the Holy Angels present at the birth of Christ.[14] Then, we gloriously join their singing in the heavenly temple during the Sanctus.[15] The Holy Angels are present with us and singing the glorious song of heaven in praise of the Most High God. Our time in the Divine Service is a glorious glimpse into heaven, when the veil between this world and the eternal world is thinnest. Heaven itself, as the dwelling place of Christ, comes down to this altar. The risen Christ, the Angel of the Lord, Messenger of the Father, is present for us in His Holy Body and Precious Blood, together with the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Angels.

According to Psalm 34, they “encamp around them that fear the Lord.” The Holy Angels stand guard over the faithful children of God. Satan walks about as a roaring lion and the Holy Angels keep vigil lest our heels should strike a stone.[16] 

In the broadest sense, there are two kinds of angels. There are the Holy Angels, which attend to the Lord, herald his Word, guard the faithful, and bear our prayers and our departed souls to heaven.

Then there are the evil, fallen angels. Scripture calls these “demons.” They are the angels who fell like lightning from heaven, in service to Satan, the prince of demons. These too are spiritual beings, invisible unless they take on a form to be revealed to man. The pagan gods of old, the spirits contacted by mediums, ghosts, goblins, and all manner of “supernatural creatures” are manifestations of demons. They thirst for you soul, that it would spend eternity in torment and misery, as they themselves have been consigned to eternal hellfire. It is against Satan and his minions that the Holy Angels stand vigil on our behalf.

What then of this war in heaven that St. John saw in his vision? “War broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”^[17]

St. John sees a war in heaven between the holy angels, led by St. Michael, and the demons, led by Satan. The result of the war is that Satan and the demons are cast out of heaven, down to the earth. Just before St. John sees the war, he sees a vision a woman who bears a male Child, who is to rule all nations, and a great red dragon who is prepared to swallow her Son. After her Son is caught up to God and His throne, the woman flees into the wilderness, to a place prepared for her by God.[18]

This is a vision of the Incarnation of our Lord, His death, resurrection, and ascension. The woman is in the first place, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ, but she symbolizes the Church. As such, once the Son of God and Son of Mary has ascended to the right hand of the Father, the Church flees into the wilderness, to a place prepared for her by God. This wilderness is the world in which we live. It is the world that is still affected by sin and ruled by Satan.

This vision of the Incarnation through ascension of our Lord sets the context for the vision of the war in heaven. This war between St. Michael and Satan is the result of the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the Old Testament, it seems that Satan had access to the throne room of God, where he would make accusations against the saints of God.[19] He would actively test God by accusing His saints, as we see in the Book of Job. But after the death and resurrection of Christ, Satan no longer has a place in heaven. He has been cast out of heaven, never again to make accusation against God’s holy ones before Him.

But we also hear of the danger of Satan’s new position. Like a terrified wolf backed into a corner, Satan is now trapped and sees his end drawing nigh. Both the wolf and Satan strike out with renewed ferocity, believing they can at least take some of you with them even if they are doomed to lose the war. The war is won in the death and resurrection of Christ but the battle is still being waged on earth. “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time!”[20]

St. Michael, the archangel, and all the holy angels wage a war invisible to our eyes yet more real than you can comprehend. Satan and the demons continue to lash out, trying to tempt and destroy the beloved of God. The torment of the evil angels is the purpose for God creating Hell. It was never intended for man. Yet Satan will fill it with the souls of man so that his torment is never without company.

Against this assault of the devil, the Holy Angels encamp around the faithful.^[21] They are servants of the Most High who guard and protect man. They fight not for their own salvation, but for the salvation of man. They long for the peace of the resurrection and joyously peer into the mysteries revealed to man in the Incarnation.[22] The Holy Angels delight in man and in the fruits of repentance. They rejoice in the works of God and praise Him both day and night, side by side with man.

The time of the war in heaven is now. It is the time of the Church, that time between the ascension of Christ and his return on the Last Day. There is no seven-year tribulation nor a 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth. Now is the tribulation and now is the reign of Christ. He rules in his Church even as Satan brings tribulation to those saints. Now the war is fought, but it is already won. Your weapons in battle are the Word of God and the Blood of the Lamb.[23] The Word of God upon your lips, in your mind, and stored in your heart is the greatest weapon against the active assaults of Satan. Receiving the Holy Blood of Christ in the Eucharist revivifies your soul, such that you become like a fire-breathing lion against the hordes of hell, terrifying even Satan with your might because Christ dwells within you.

And those who overcome Satan and his temptations are those who do not love their own lives to the death, that is, those who know that man is eternal, that death is not the greatest evil.[24] If death is the greatest evil, then you must do everything imaginable to stay alive. But this is contrary to God’s Word. Death is not the greatest evil. Death is defeated in Christ.

The greatest evil is apostacy, losing faith and blasphemy against God. And the greatest punishment is not death but is eternal death, damnation, eternity in suffering with Satan and his angels. Those who overcome Satan do not love their earthly lives over their eternal lives. They do not love the earthly lives of their loved ones over their loved ones’ eternal lives. Those who overcome Satan are like the Holy Angels, beholding the face of our Father in Heaven at all times, and they do it by means of the Word of God and the Blood of the Lamb.

Come share in the victory meal. Defeat Satan by placing the Word of God on your hearts and minds and receiving the Blood of Christ. Sing with the Holy Angels the victory song of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] St. Matthew 22:30.

[2] Genesis 18:1-15; 19:1-11.

[3] St. Matthew 18:10.

[4] Daniel 8:16; 9:21; St. Luke 1:26. See also St. Luke 1:19, St. Gabriel’s appearance to Zacharias.

[5] Malachi 3:1; St. Matthew 11:10; St. Mark 1:2.

[6] Revelation 1-3. See also Isaiah 33:7; Malachi 2:7.

[7] 2 Corinthians 5:20.

[8] For example, see Genesis 16:7; 22:11; 32:24; Hosea 12:3; etc.

[9] Compare Revelation 22:8-9.

[10] Revelation 5:8-12.

[11] St. Luke 16:22.

[12] St. Luke 15:10.

[13] 1 Corinthians 11:10.

[14] St. Luke 2:8-14.

[15] Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8.

[16] 1 Peter 5:8; Psalm 91:11-12.

[17] Revelation 12:7-9.

[18] Revelation 12:1-6.

[19] Job 1:6-12.

[20] Revelation 12:12.

[21] Psalm 34:7.

[22] 1 Peter 1:10-12.

[23] Revelation 12:11.

[24] Revelation 12:11.

Populus Zion (Advent 2)

Populus Zion (Advent 2) – December 4, 2022

Psalm 80; Song of Solomon 2:8b-14; Romans 15:4-13

St. Luke 21:25-36

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

Our Lord is coming, and he is coming soon. Today we heard of the cosmos groaning in anticipation of His return. The sun, moon, and stars will be darkened. The sea and the waves will roar. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. St. Paul likens the groaning of the earth to a woman in labor.[1] Her contractions are increasing in intensity and frequency. The pain is reaching its peak just before the child comes into the world. So too creation itself is groaning louder and louder. Pain and suffering are increasing until the day when the child of the Virgin returns.

When a person grows old, his feet shake. As the world grows old, the foundation pillars of the earth shake, and we experience earthquakes, upheavals of the earth. Everything will eventually come crashing down like poorly constructed buildings. Sometimes fluid builds up in our joints and we experience painful inflammation. So too do the seas and their waves roar and roll when the earth is nearing its end.^[2]

When God finished creating the entire cosmos, crowned by His beloved man, He declared everything to be “very good.”[3] God created the cosmos and everything in the world to love and serve Him by serving the rest of creation. The trees praise God by providing shade, beauty, and fruit. The soil praises God by being fertile and aromatic, giving nutrients to the plants which feed the rest of God’s creation.

In the fall of Adam, creation itself was rent from perfect service to the creator. Trees are now forced to shade the wicked as well as the righteous. Their fruit rots. Their branches fall in storms. The soil dries hard and must be forced into submission before it is willing to give up food. Because of the Fall, all of creation longs to serve the purpose for which it was made – to love and serve God by serving the rest of creation.

Creation grows weary in awaiting the return of Christ. So too, do the hearts of man grow weary. “Men’s hearts fail them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth.”[4] We grow weary of hearing about wars and rumors of wars. We grow weary from earthquakes and roaring seas. We grow weary of plagues, pandemics, vaccines, and death. We grow weary and are tempted to focus our fear, love, and trust on the passing things of this world, on the creation which is dying.

Repent. Repent of idolatry. Repent of your misplaced fear, believing the wrath of God against creation is meant for you, His beloved. Fear causes us to shrink away from action. ‘Things are bad and might get worse if I do something, so it is best to do nothing.’ ‘If I keep quiet, maybe the persecution will pass me by.’ Repent and lift up your heads.[5]

When Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father, the Apostles stood, staring into the heavens after him. Then two angels said to them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”^[6] The Apostles were focused on counting the signs so they wouldn’t miss the return of Christ. Yet the Angels admonished them. The return of Christ will be sudden and a surprise, but no one will miss it. Every eye shall see, and every knee will bow at the return of Christ.

Place your fear, love, and trust in God alone. He bids you to lift up your heads on that last day, to see your King descending upon the clouds. The heavens and the earth, all of creation will be destroyed on that last day. They will be burned in fire and a new creation will arise.[7] God will bring forth a new creation, free from the corruption of sin and once again, declare it “very good.”

This idea of “new creation” has already come to you, beloved of the Lord.[8] In Holy Baptism, the Old Adam, the Old Creation, is drowned and dies. He is buried beneath the Red Sea with Pharaoh and his chariots. From this flood arises the New Man, the New Creation, a beloved child of God. This child has nothing to fear from falling stars, darkening suns or moons. This child of God sees the budding of the fig tree, that is, the signs of the end in creation, and lifts up her head toward Christ. Surely, heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of God will by no means pass away.

The Word of God is the most precious gift given to man. The Holy Sacraments—Baptism, the Eucharist, and Absolution—are that precious gift wrapped in physical means. Why would you ever neglect this precious gift of God for a few extra minutes of sleep? For a few extra minutes of television? For an extra helping of jell-o salad?

And when you have conquered the Old Adam and brought yourself into the House of God, why would you ever spend that time distracted by other people; distracting others, especially children; or thinking of your tasks for later in the day? Rejoice that you have come into the House of God. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.[9] I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go unto the house of the Lord!’[10] Lord, I love the habitation of Your House, and the place where Your glory dwells![11]

Why is the Psalmist so glad to be in the House of the Lord? Because that is where he receives the Word of God. That is where he dwells with God. That is where he will be for eternity. Heaven and earth will surely pass away. Jell-o salad, sleepiness, coloring books, crackers, football, and housecleaning will pass away. The Word of the Lord endures forever. The Word of the Lord alone endures forever.[12] Only those who are sustained by that Word of the Lord will endure forever in bliss. All others will endure forever in hellish torment.

The enduring Word of God communicates with his people. He is not silent. This communication is driven by His mercy. The prophecies of Christ regarding the final judgment are a warning. They are a warning so that you might be prepared. They are a warning so that you would know to repent of your sins and seek the Lord where He may be found.

“Behold the days are coming” says the Lord. “[When] I will send you Elijah the prophet… [who] will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction”[13]. This Elijah, this prophet, is fulfilled in John the Baptist, who came to prepare the way of the Lord through the preaching of repentance.[14] This Office of Prophet is now filled by all men called into the Office of the Holy Ministry. Pastors are called:

To give knowledge of salvation to God’s people
By the remission of your sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high,

[Christ the Light of the World,] has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide your feet into the way of peace.^[15]

Because of the enduring Word of God and the proclamation of the Gospel, the return of Christ for the final judgment is no surprise. But the precise timing will be a surprise. The Father has reserved knowledge of the day and hour of Christ’s return for himself.[16] This is another mercy of God. If we knew when Christ planned to return, we would wait until the last moment to repent… and we would probably miss it. The nature of the heart of man is to find a loophole in the law and exploit it. This never works out well.

So, the Father keeps us from knowing the day and the hour. God desires that all men would be prepared through repentance and faith. He sends his messengers before to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins so that we would always be prepared. Advent is to prepare us for the year when there is no Christmas; for that day and hour when Christ returns.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] Romans 8:22. Cf. St. John 16:20-22.

[2] This paragraph is based on Johann Gerhard, Postilla, Vol 1, trans by Elmer M. Hohle (Malone, TX: The Center for the Study of Lutheran Orthodoxy, 2003), 15-16.

[3] Genesis 1:31.

[4] St. Luke 21:26.

[5] Psalm 24:7; St. Luke 21:28.

[6] Acts 1:11.

[7] Isaiah 65:17.

[8] 2 Corinthians 5:17.

[9] Psalm 84:10.

[10] Psalm 122:1.

[11] Psalm 26:8.

[12] St. Luke 21:33.

[13] Malachi 4:1, 5-6.

[14] St. Matthew 11:14.

[15] The Benedictus, Luke 1:77-79

[16] St. Matthew 24:36.

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity – October 9, 2022

Psalm 119; Proverbs 25:6-14; Ephesians 4:1-6

St. Luke 14:1-11

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

Sometime before being invited to dine at the house of a leader of the Pharisees, Christ was confronted by another Pharisee.[1] At that time, He was about to heal a woman who was bent in half by a spirit of infirmity in her bones for over eighteen years. It was again a Sabbath and this Pharisee tried to stop Jesus because of the Sabbath laws. Jesus called him a hypocrite and asked if he would not loose an ox or donkey on the Sabbath to drink water. If an animal should be loosed to drink water on the Sabbath, should not a true daughter of Abraham be loosed from her bonds on the Sabbath also?

Continuing His journey toward Jerusalem, our Lord came to be invited into the home of yet another Pharisee, this time a leader of the sect. It also seems that all the Sabbath dinner guests were carefully observing Jesus, scrutinizing His words and actions for flaws of which they could accuse Him. Seeing a man with dropsy, likely a temptation planted by the host of the dinner, our Lord did not wait to be admonished by the observant Pharisees. Instead, He opens the dialogue by asking if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath.

Our Lord’s question is not asking for information, nor testing the knowledge of the Pharisees. It is mocking their pride. These experts in the law know that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Everyone recognizes that it is lawful to heal, bless, cure, and save on the Sabbath. The questions of our Lord on this occasion leave the Pharisees caught in their own trap. If they say yes, it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath, then they are admitting the fault in their sinful attempts against Jesus. If they say no, they are denying the mercy and love of God, something that, despite their actions, they claim to uphold.

After the miracle, the Pharisees are rendered incapable of responding to Jesus. They have no words to say. Anything they might say will only further accuse them. They are silent in their shame. They are like a child who stands accused of breaking the window, trying to hide the baseball bat behind his back and afraid to speak. To speak would be to admit their sin. To remain silent is to deny the love, mercy, and forgiveness of God.

In this context, our Lord delivers a teaching on humility. He is not strictly giving the Pharisees a lesson in etiquette. It is true that according to human groups, you will gain more prestige by sitting in the lowest place and waiting to be invited to a higher seat. However, having such knowledge and using it to your advantage is not humility. It is pride masquerading as humility. Choosing the lower place to manipulate your host into inviting you higher is the same as manipulating your host into stroking your pride.

Pride is the love of your own excellence.[2] “Humility is the virtue by which a man recognizes his own unworthiness because he really knows himself.”[3] It is so very easy for us to overlook our own pride because it brings results. Results make us feel better. Feeling better about ourselves causes us to love our own efforts, our own ideas, ourselves for our own excellence.

Pride is not the same as striving for excellence. As a Christian, you are called to be the best grandmother you can be. You are even called to strive to be a better salesman, machine operator, or writer than you currently are. You are called to strive to be better so that you can better serve your neighbor. As a better grandmother, you can help guide your grandchildren into virtuous lives. As a better salesman, you can better provide for your family and help connect your customers to the products they need, not just the products that will earn you a higher commission.

Striving for excellence is not the same as loving your excellence. Loving your excellence is thinking highly of yourself; striving for excellence for the sake of recognition from others; and seeking worldly gain solely based on how great you are. This is pride. This is sin. This is, in fact, the basis of sin.

Eve was drawn to eat the forbidden fruit by curiosity. She desired to taste, to know, that which had not been given to her to taste or know. This curiosity was an expression of pride. She believed the lie of Satan that God was holding something back from her and she believed that she was deserving of everything. She believed the knowledge of good and evil was the just reward for her excellence.

Humility, on the other hand, is the basis of our salvation. The Son of God humbled Himself to be born of a virgin. He took on our flesh and made Himself unworthy of salvation by bearing the sin of the world. He who knew no sin became sin for you, so that you would become worthy of His salvation.[4] It could even be said that Christ humbled Himself so that He could learn our suffering, and having learned our suffering, He might bear it to the cross and bring it to an end.

It is because the Son of God took on flesh for our salvation that humility is the fundamental Christian virtue. It is the basis of the Christian life. The Christian must always strive toward humility because such an endeavor means you are striving to live as Christ.

There is a single road between sin and salvation. Each step toward salvation is a step away from sin and each step toward sin is a step away from salvation. Thanks be to God we are not left alone on this journey. Christ died for you that you would share in His life. The victory over sin and death is won for you. The gates of eternity stand open. The days of your life on this side of glory are perilous because they contain temptations to pride. Every day presents you with manifold opportunities to turn away from salvation and indulge in your pride, the love of your own excellence; to take the highest seat of honor and stick up your nose at those less fortunate than you.

Yet every day also presents you with the opportunity to repent. Every day offers you the opportunity to look at yourself and recognize yourself for who you are. You are a sinner. Sin lies at the door, waiting to devour you.[5] You are unworthy of salvation because your heart is willing to turn from God and indulge your flesh.

You are also a child of God. You have been washed in the waters of Holy Baptism. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who forms your prayers to be acceptable to the Father.[6] You have received the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. Because you know the mercy and love of God, you have access to the Father. You may come to Him and beg forgiveness.

You recognize your unworthiness, and you know what to do about it. You come to God in prayer and beg for forgiveness, knowing that because of the blood of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. You can repent without fear because you know that Christ has died for you.

You are a saint. This is nothing to be ashamed of nor something about which to become prideful. You are a saint because you have been made a saint, a holy one. You are a saint of God who is worthy of eternal salvation. You are worthy of eternal bliss because you wear the robe of Christ’s righteousness. You have been called out of the darkness of your pride and into the marvelous light of Christ’s humility.[7]

You are a pilgrim, journeying with Christ through this side of glory until you are called home. You have been called to humility because you have been called to imitate Christ. You fulfill this call to humility by recognizing who and what you are in the sight of God. You are unworthy of His love, yet He loves you. You are unworthy of His mercy, yet He has had mercy on you. You are unworthy of His forgiveness, yet He forgives you. You are unworthy and yet in Christ, you are worthy of the glory of heaven.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] St. Luke 13:10-17.

[2] Bernard of Clairvaux, “On the Steps of Humility and Pride,” Bernard of Clairvaux: Selected Works, The Classics of Western Spirituality, translated by G.R. Evans (New York, NY: Paulist Press, 1987), IV.14 [112].

[3] Bernard of Clairvaux, “On Humility and Pride,” I.2 [103].

[4] 2 Corinthians 5:21.

[5] Genesis 4:7.

[6] Romans 8:26-27.

[7] 1 Peter 2:9-10.