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.

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[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.

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Proverbs 4:10-23; Psalm 84; Galatians 5:16-24

Luke 17:11-19

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

The direct result of leprosy is separation, particularly separation of three kinds. First, leprosy separates the afflicted from his own body. The disease can infect the nervous system, effectively shutting down communication between the affected areas and the brain. This leads sores and wounds to go unnoticed, resulting in serious infection or loss of members.

While many of us do not have experience with leprosy, we do have experience with this type of separation. Dementia and Alzheimer’s erode a person’s mind, turning their own ability to think against them. ALS and Multiple Sclerosis sever the connection between mind and body. The mind is fully aware as the body slowly decays. Autoimmune disorders like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hashimoto’s Disease, and even psoriasis turn the defense system of the body into a savage opponent. In each of these cases, there is a sense of losing control over oneself. The mind and body are separated, an indication and constant reminder of the separation of body and soul, the very definition of death.

The second kind of separation resulting from leprosy is a separation from community. Lepers were cast out from the community to prevent the spread of the disease. This was commanded by God in Leviticus 13. After extensive measures taken to ensure the cause of disease was Leprosy – measures also commanded by God – the Leper would be cast out.

Eventually, these outcasts would gather into colonies outside of town. They sought community together and while this helped, it did not replace getting to see their grandchildren on their birthday, watching their daughter’s wedding, or embracing their beloved. The lepers relied on the charity of others for food, but when anyone without leprosy approached, they were forced to cry out, “Leper!” so that the one approaching would know to keep their distance.

The third, and worst of the separations, was separation from the Temple. The Lepers were forbidden from entering the Temple, that place where God promised to dwell with his people. They could not offer sacrifices nor hear the Word of God preached. The Leper must stand afar off and cry, “Lord, have mercy!” He is not free to approach the Table of the Lord and receive the gifts offered there. Salvation is possible for the Leper, but it is difficult to maintain faith when you are not fed on the Words and Gifts of God.

Leprosy is not a creation of God – it is a corruption of his good creation. God uses corrupted diseases, especially leprosy, to instruct and chastise His creation. Leprosy causes separation from self, community, and the presence of God because Sin causes separation from self, community, and God. Original Sin places a barrier between man and God, causing man to be born at war against God. Sins against your neighbor separate you from the community in which God has placed you. The summary of the Law, the summary of God’s will for creation is to love God and love your neighbor. To transgress the Law is to separate yourself from God and neighbor.

Then there is sin against yourself, sin against your conscience. This is perhaps the most insidious form of sin for Satan uses it to convince you that you are not worthy of forgiveness. You sin against yourself when you know what you are doing is sin, but you do it anyway. You sin against yourself when you hear your conscience say ‘no’ but your flesh says ‘yes.’ You sin against yourself when you know that you should repent but are too ashamed. These sins separate you from your own humanity, for you are actively choosing to be less than God has made you. You are choosing to be an animal, not a man.

This separation is the natural state of man. We are born citizens of the kingdom of Satan, pledging allegiance to the Prince of Lies. We are separated from God by virtue of our flesh, inherited from Adam. For this reason, the Rite of Holy Baptism begins with the words, “Depart unclean spirit, make way for the Holy Spirit.” This exorcism declares that Satan has no more claim over Charles or any of the Baptized children of God. Charles has been set apart to be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, as have you, beloved children of the Father.

There are three different words for the healing miracle in today’s text. First, as the lepers turn to go, they realize they have been “cleansed,” that is, they have been made clean. Their leprous spots have disappeared, and their skin is fresh. This cleansing is not only a miracle of healing but a display of the effects of Holy Baptism. In Holy Baptism, the leprosy filling your soul is cleansed. You are made clean in the Waters of Holy Baptism. How? God’s Word, in and with the water, washes your soul clean and transfers the stains of leprosy onto Christ Himself. Afterall, Holy Baptism would be nothing if Christ had not born the sin of the world to the Cross.  He was anointed in his own Baptism to be the sacrificial lamb who died to atone for your sin. The waters of Holy Baptism are made clean only because Christ has taken your filth upon himself on Calvary.

Then one of the lepers, seeing that he was healed, returned, glorified God, and worshiped and gave thanks to Christ. This Samaritan saw that he was not only cleansed, but that he was healed. This is he who recognizes the power of Holy Baptism. He sees that it is not an empty rite, nor a fragile ceremony easily lost. He knows Holy Baptism to be the washing of regeneration. He has been made new, made whole, reborn for a new life. The Samaritan sees that Christ has forgiven his sin, the source of leprosy, not just washed his skin to be clean. To put it bluntly, the Samaritan receives the healing in faith.

What then of the nine? Were not ten cleansed and yet only one returned to give glory to God? The Samaritan received the healing in faith, the nine did not. They saw the cleanliness of their skin but did not receive the healing. Perhaps they were disappointed Jesus didn’t give them money. Perhaps they believed the vitamins they took the day before finally kicked in. Perhaps the experimental drug is actually the elixir of life.

Whatever they thought, the last thing on their mind was, ‘God, the Lord, Creator of Heaven and Earth, has spared my life. He has cleansed my body and soul, forgiven my sins, and made me an heir of eternal life.’ They failed to glorify God.

What does it mean to glorify God? It is not simply to say good things about God or honor God. That would have to do with your opinion of God. To glorify God is to recognize God for who he is according to his majesty and power. This can only be done by the revelation of God’s Word. We must be filled with the Holy Spirit, baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, so that we would have the faith to glorify God, seeing him for who he is.

We cannot see the Samaritan’s heart. We cannot look into his heart and see his faith, only God can do that. But we know the Samaritan has faith because we can see his actions and hear his confession. He glorifies God and worships Jesus. He bows himself to the ground at Jesus’ feet, showing his unworthiness to stand before the Incarnate God and humbling himself before Jesus’ majesty. We can see his faith and hear him boldly confess the One True God.

There is another side to this. What of the nine? Were not ten cleansed? The nine received the same cleansing as the Samaritan but they did not receive it in faith. Because they did not receive it in faith, they did not return to glorify God nor worship Jesus. Their actions and words make it clear they are without faith. These are the one who have rejected their Baptism. Not everyone who is Baptized will be saved. Baptism is not a magical rite in which salvation is bestowed upon all who have the magic water poured on their heads. The salvation of Holy Baptism must be received in faith and the nine have given clear evidence to the contrary.

Just as the Samaritan was both cleansed and healed in the same moment, so too with Holy Baptism. Faith is created and strengthen in this Sacrament. Faith also receives this Sacrament. It makes logical sense that faith must first be created in order to receive the Sacrament, but the mysteries of God do not operate according to human logic. God has promised that Baptism bestows faith. He has also stated the Sacraments must be received in faith. Both are true and we confess it because God says so.

Therefore, we do not baptize anyone who walks through the door. Nor do we baptize the children of unbelievers, who will never be brought back into the church. We instruct the family and the sponsors of their solemn duty to raise this child in the faith into which they have been baptized.

We could say the cleansing of the lepers reunited themselves with their bodies. The cleansing also reunited them with their community. But the nine were not reunited with God because they rejected the One who brought them cleansing. The healing of the Samaritan reunited him with God and the faith given to him by Christ has saved him. The final words of the reading should be, “Your faith has saved you.” The faith of the Samaritan to receive the gifts of God for who God is has saved him.

This faith is not a work anymore than Charlie could walk down that aisle and baptize himself. This faith is a work of God, a gift of the Holy Spirit, and a union with Christ himself, whose death and resurrection has sealed this faith with the promise of eternal life. It is a blessed thing to be helpless. As you age and become incapable of helping yourself, remember that you are simply returning to the state of a child. Unless you become like one of these little ones, unless you are as helpless as Charles, you will by no means inherit eternal life.

Being helpless is a confession of your inability to save yourself. We are too worried that we have nothing left to contribute because we define ourselves by what we have to offer. Christ defines us by what he has to offer. Why would you think you can do better? Arise and come to the Great High Priest. Follow Christ on the journey to the Cross and there receive the cleansing flood of Holy Baptism and the food of His own Body and Blood.

In + Jesus’ name.  Amen.

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity

 Psalm 55; Jeremiah 7:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

St. Luke 19:41-48

In the name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Jeremiah was given a difficult vocation. He was called by God to be a prophet at a young age. As a young man, he was given primarily to proclaim judgment against and call to repentance the inhabitants of Judah and especially the people of Jerusalem. In his day, the Jews would offer sacrifices to Baal in the morning, then go up to the temple in the evening, offering sacrifices for their sin. The next day, they would sacrifice to Baal, then go up to the temple for forgiveness. Some had even begun to sacrifice their children on the altars of Baal, only to return to the temple as though it were no sin. Day in and day out, the people believed they could worship and live as they pleased because God’s Word of forgiveness would freely be given to them.

This is what Jeremiah means when he says, “Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’”[1] The Jews believed by performing the prescribed rituals, by being in the correct place at the appointed time, and by satisfying their perceived duties to the temple, they were free to live and worship as they pleased. The Word of God had nothing to say about any aspect of life outside of the temple worship. They truly believed they were delivered from sin so that they could commit all manner of abominations.[2] They trusted in lying words that cannot profit.

Jeremiah is sometimes called the ‘weeping prophet’ because he is recorded as shedding tears several times at the harsh words given to him by God to speak judgment over the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Jeremiah remained faithful to his prophetic office by calling them to repentance and pronouncing the judgment of God. Eventually, he would stand and watch as Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, sent to enact God’s judgment upon the Judeans. Jeremiah would witness the presence of God depart from the temple even as Ezekiel saw the same presence arrive to be with those in captivity in Babylon. Eventually, Jeremiah would be carried away into Egypt, where the very people to whom he was called to preach the Word of God would stone him to death.

Christ our Lord stood overlooking the same city for which Jeremiah wept and shed his own tears. Jesus wept for Jerusalem because he loves her and all her inhabitants. Jerusalem was the city chosen to receive the Incarnate Lord, given the Word of God and the promise of everlasting life. Yet Jerusalem had rejected her Savior. Jerusalem had killed the prophets and neglected the Word of God. The leaders of Jerusalem had made commerce and trade their god, cutting deals with the Herodians and Romans. The temple was now a den of thieves. 

Do not think this refers only to those buying and selling in the temple. The Temple was a den of thieves because they had robbed the people of the Word of God. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the chief priests, and scribes had stolen the promises of God from the people, teaching them to worship personal preference and luxury. The thieves in the Temple were idolaters, adulterers, sloths, and gluttons. They desired the approval of the world, not the promises of God. One can see silver on the table but cannot see the eternity of heaven. Trust, but verify. Just in case God will not provide, they had better provide for themselves.

This has direct implications on their worship. Like the Jews in Jeremiah’s day, the worship life of the temple in Jesus’ day revolved around the proper performance of rites with no thought given toward faith. Keeping the Law was essential for salvation, the promise of God was not. Come to the temple, pay your dues, hand the pigeon to a priest, and you’re done. Your sins are forgiven, now go and do as you please. Our next service is the same time next week.

In case you haven’t caught on, nothing has changed. The devil, the world, and our flesh want your soul. It is far easier to hand it over. Every news station, every website, every camera, every phone, is collecting data on you so that those controlling commerce can more effectively tempt you. Churches throughout the world have departed from the Scriptures in favor of worldly practices. Christians demand pastors to act in accord with preference instead of the Word of God.

There is no aspect of your life which is not impacted by the Word of God. Being a Christian is a vocation, that means you have been called to this station. You are a Christian 24/7, not only on Sunday morning. The life of the Church is not constrained to one hour on Sunday. The conduct of the Church is not a matter of preference. It is a matter of confession, a statement of the objective truth of God’s Word. By this confession, we are teaching one another and ourselves. Yet our flesh wars against this confession. Our flesh desires that which tickles the ears. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”[3]

Repent of your idolatry of self and the fellowship of the world. Repent of any false notion that God’s grace is so cheap, you are free to live in abominations if you only attend the weekly church service. Repent of the selfish notion that you are more important to the Church than Christ.

Repent and receive the tears of Christ. Our Lord weeps over Jerusalem because he loves her. He loves the Pharisees and Sadducees, the chief priests and scribes, the leaders of the people, the Romans, and the Herodians. If this were not the case, he would not bother to rebuke them nor shed tears on their account. He desires not the death of a sinner but his conversion. Jesus weeps for your sin. I’m not so certain that Jesus isn’t weeping as he cleanses the temple with a whip of cords. He weeps for your sin and then bears it to the cross of Calvary. 

The same Jesus who chases out those buying and selling will shortly thereafter submit to these same authorities. He will not struggle against them. He will not seek asylum. It is Palm Sunday when he weeps for Jerusalem and cleanses the Temple. Jerusalem who kills the prophets and silences the Word of God will soon kill the Prophet like Moses, the Incarnate Word of God, the King of Kings, and Eternal Priest of the Most High. Jesus will submit to the death of a criminal so that the money changers don’t have to; so that you don’t have to.

Every drop of water in the Bible points to Holy Baptism, even the tiny drops of Christ’s tears. He sheds these tears to cleanse you of your sin. He sheds his Holy Blood to pay the debt your sin has incurred. He rises victorious to proclaim his word of forgiveness and victory over sin, death, and the devil; to claim you as his trophy. His tears, his teaching, his life, death, resurrection, and ascension are all accomplished for you, whether you like it or not. This is what Christ has to deliver to you through the lips of a sinful man.

A parent who enjoys spanking their child is an abuser. Chastisement truly hurts the parent as much or more than the child because we love them. The Heavenly Father chastises us for our own good. Christ cleanses the temple for the good of the money changers, so that they would repent, then listen to his teaching. Immediately after cleansing the desecration of the Temple, Christ teaches the crowds. He restores the Temple to its purpose – that place where the Holy God dwells with his people, distributing his Word of forgiveness and his gifts of salvation.

In T Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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[1] Jeremiah 7:4.

[2] cf. Jeremiah 7:10.

[3] 2 Timothy 4:3.