Isaiah 40:1-10; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; St Matthew 11:2-11
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
It has become so common place in our society, especially in the last couple of years, for associates of the rich and powerful to be imprisoned, that rarely do we find it shocking. Talk to the right people, make the right deals, and one could find the right dirt on the right man at the right time and perhaps bring down an empire. Or at least an emperor. Everyone has skeletons in the closet.
St John was not the “fixer” for a political megalomaniac, though; doing the dirty work without approval, merely upon assumption of knowing his employers methods. Quite the opposite, in fact. If you think the world of 21st century politics is crooked and corrupt, you would be aghast at the world of 1st century politics. Extortion. Assassinations. Fratricide. Patricide. Incest. And that’s just Herod’s immediate family.
The list was long indeed for which St John the preacher of repentance could call the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea to account. But Holy Scripture tells us that the desert prophet was imprisoned specifically for speaking truth to power regarding Herod’s adulterous (and incestuous) relationship with Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her” (Mt 14:4). Eventually he was martyred for his preaching and grotesquely served-up during a hedonistic dinner party; his blood satisfying the lusts of a maleficent mistress and her devious daughter.
But to our comfort and his, the work of the kingdom did not falter during St John’s year-long imprisonment. The forerunner’s time had passed, he was now decreasing while Christ was increasing. God uses His servants for a season to build His Church, but when our hour is past, He will raise us still more faithful workers. Even while St Paul was being poured out as a drink offering, he was writing to St Timothy who was only beginning his ministry in the Office of the Holy Gospel (2 Tim 4:6).
It matters little if the world treats pastors like traitors, imposters, malefactors, or disturbers of the peace, past dated men preaching out dated things of no significance anymore, the Lord Jesus calls them to faithfulness. They are stewards of His mysteries; administrators of His divine means to create and sustain saving faith. They are not judged by the world nor can they be. They don’t even judge themselves. They are not measure their success or boast of their accomplishments. They are but humble instruments, unworthy servants. The Lord judges them.
And if you are going to judge your Pastor, do it according to the standard of our Lord Jesus Christ - faithfulness is preaching and teaching, fidelity to the Word and proper administration of the Sacraments, care for the sick and dying, catechesis of the young and old. Not charisma and charm (or lack thereof), not success in attracting millennials or great youth programs. Not innovation or creativity. But faithfulness to the whole counsel of God.
Now here’s the thing, dear Christians, such measurements are often intangible and qualitative rather than quantitative. They are contrary to worldly standards and expectations. They do not produce instant results. They are the product of years of service and labor. In season and out. They are counterintuitive to both you and your pastors. It is easy to get discouraged. And as great as St John is, the greatest naturally born of women, he was still a man. And men get discouraged. Even pastors.
Therefore he sent word by His disciples and said to Jesus, “Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” In faith St John seeks assurance from Christ. This is what Christians do. It is good and proper to do so. Many of the Psalms cry out in the midst of distress, asking why God seems so far off in trouble. You heard it this morning: Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? (Ps 85:5-6)
The Lord answers, even as all of these psalms declare. His salvation is near to those who fear Him. It only becomes faithless when we think that God can no longer help. Christ gives assurance to St John, to His disciples, and to us, because a bruised reed He will not break and a faintly burning wick He will not quench (Is 42:3).
Where does He point them? Certainly not inward to their own struggles or the imaginations of their hearts. But to Himself and to Holy Scripture; to His own works as evidence of His identity as the Coming One, the long awaited Messiah, who brings deliverance and liberty. Specifically Jesus directs us to the prophesies of Isaiah: Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a dear, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy (Is 35:5-6). Already in Nazareth Jesus cited a similar prophecy of Isaiah which He interpreted as referring to Himself and fulfilled within their hearing that day. Holy Scripture, dear friends, is the living Voice of Christ, speaking to you today.
It is as if Jesus were saying to St John, “Take heart, dear cousin. I am with you. I am your Immanuel. God with you. With you from before your birth as you leapt in Elizabeth’s womb at My arrival. I was with you in the Jordan as we fulfilled all righteousness in My baptism at your hand. I am with you even now as you languish in prison. Be strong; fear not! I will come and save you. Not in an heroic, daring rescue from Herod’s dungeon, but through My very death. You shall precede Me, even in this, but fear not. For My death shall give your death meaning. For My death and resurrection shall break a hole in the prison of your own grave. And then I shall come and take you to Myself. And the ransom of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon your head and you shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (cf. Is 35).
Dear brothers and sisters, He says the same to you today. He sends double comfort upon you in place of all your sins. He speaks tenderly to you through the living Voice of His Gospel and the proclamation of His holy and sweet Word. He forgives all your sins by His atoning Sacrifice. His absolution spoken in His stead and at His command by His pastors is His own judgment of the Last Day slipping out ahead of time. He declares you not guilty as He imputes His own righteousness upon you on account of faith, which is itself a gift!
But here’s the thing: remember all those ways the world judges pastors? Worthless, ineffectual, anachronistic. Well, its not only the stewards, but also the Bride and the Gifts that are maligned and ridiculed. You are mocked and slandered and hated, too, for being associated with Christ Jesus, even as St John was. Crosses are laid upon you. You are given to endure under the discipline of the Lord. Somewhere it says, For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Heb 12:11).
Therefore do not be scandalized by this. For you are not scandalized by the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by which the world has been crucified to you and you to the world (Gal 6:14). It is the power of God for your salvation. It is the wisdom of God in the face of the world’s foolishness. The Cross establishes who Jesus is. This is His identity. He is your crucified and risen Lord, come in the flesh to redeem you from sin, death, and the power of the devil. As it is written, The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn 3:8).
And as Christ Jesus went on from establishing His identity to establishing who St John was, so too does He do for you. Hear what God the Lord speaks, for He says to you, “Dear Christian, I am with you. I am your Immanuel. God with you. From the waters of your Baptism into My death and resurrection I have been with you wherever you go. I will not leave you or forsake you. You are not a reed shaken in the wind, but you are firmly planted upon Me, your Rock and Fortress. I who am the Greatest in the kingdom of heaven became weak for you, became the least, and laid down My life in order that you might receive My riches as I bestow them upon you in My faithful Word. I have clothed you, dear child, in my own raiment, in the robe of My own righteousness that covers all your sins. Do not be scandalized by the crosses I lay upon you, for I love you; I have and always will.”
God is not ashamed to be called your God, beloved. He has prepared for you a City, a heavenly Jerusalem, which you desire in faith and long to behold with your own eyes. For amidst the political machinations of this present life you have a heavenly citizenship, an eternal home, from which you await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:20).
Behold, dear ones, the Meal of that Eternal Kingdom is brought to you now. Not rations within a prison cell, but true Food for your journey, the very Body and Blood of Christ Jesus, coming from the eastern shore of your long-awaited home. This side of glory His Altar is the high mountain of Zion. Rejoice, dear Christians! The Lord is at hand. He comes to you in Bread and Wine, His Body and Blood, for the full and free forgiveness of all yours sins. He is the One. You need not look for another.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
It has become so common place in our society, especially in the last couple of years, for associates of the rich and powerful to be imprisoned, that rarely do we find it shocking. Talk to the right people, make the right deals, and one could find the right dirt on the right man at the right time and perhaps bring down an empire. Or at least an emperor. Everyone has skeletons in the closet.
St John was not the “fixer” for a political megalomaniac, though; doing the dirty work without approval, merely upon assumption of knowing his employers methods. Quite the opposite, in fact. If you think the world of 21st century politics is crooked and corrupt, you would be aghast at the world of 1st century politics. Extortion. Assassinations. Fratricide. Patricide. Incest. And that’s just Herod’s immediate family.
The list was long indeed for which St John the preacher of repentance could call the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea to account. But Holy Scripture tells us that the desert prophet was imprisoned specifically for speaking truth to power regarding Herod’s adulterous (and incestuous) relationship with Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her” (Mt 14:4). Eventually he was martyred for his preaching and grotesquely served-up during a hedonistic dinner party; his blood satisfying the lusts of a maleficent mistress and her devious daughter.
But to our comfort and his, the work of the kingdom did not falter during St John’s year-long imprisonment. The forerunner’s time had passed, he was now decreasing while Christ was increasing. God uses His servants for a season to build His Church, but when our hour is past, He will raise us still more faithful workers. Even while St Paul was being poured out as a drink offering, he was writing to St Timothy who was only beginning his ministry in the Office of the Holy Gospel (2 Tim 4:6).
It matters little if the world treats pastors like traitors, imposters, malefactors, or disturbers of the peace, past dated men preaching out dated things of no significance anymore, the Lord Jesus calls them to faithfulness. They are stewards of His mysteries; administrators of His divine means to create and sustain saving faith. They are not judged by the world nor can they be. They don’t even judge themselves. They are not measure their success or boast of their accomplishments. They are but humble instruments, unworthy servants. The Lord judges them.
And if you are going to judge your Pastor, do it according to the standard of our Lord Jesus Christ - faithfulness is preaching and teaching, fidelity to the Word and proper administration of the Sacraments, care for the sick and dying, catechesis of the young and old. Not charisma and charm (or lack thereof), not success in attracting millennials or great youth programs. Not innovation or creativity. But faithfulness to the whole counsel of God.
Now here’s the thing, dear Christians, such measurements are often intangible and qualitative rather than quantitative. They are contrary to worldly standards and expectations. They do not produce instant results. They are the product of years of service and labor. In season and out. They are counterintuitive to both you and your pastors. It is easy to get discouraged. And as great as St John is, the greatest naturally born of women, he was still a man. And men get discouraged. Even pastors.
Therefore he sent word by His disciples and said to Jesus, “Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” In faith St John seeks assurance from Christ. This is what Christians do. It is good and proper to do so. Many of the Psalms cry out in the midst of distress, asking why God seems so far off in trouble. You heard it this morning: Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? (Ps 85:5-6)
The Lord answers, even as all of these psalms declare. His salvation is near to those who fear Him. It only becomes faithless when we think that God can no longer help. Christ gives assurance to St John, to His disciples, and to us, because a bruised reed He will not break and a faintly burning wick He will not quench (Is 42:3).
Where does He point them? Certainly not inward to their own struggles or the imaginations of their hearts. But to Himself and to Holy Scripture; to His own works as evidence of His identity as the Coming One, the long awaited Messiah, who brings deliverance and liberty. Specifically Jesus directs us to the prophesies of Isaiah: Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a dear, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy (Is 35:5-6). Already in Nazareth Jesus cited a similar prophecy of Isaiah which He interpreted as referring to Himself and fulfilled within their hearing that day. Holy Scripture, dear friends, is the living Voice of Christ, speaking to you today.
It is as if Jesus were saying to St John, “Take heart, dear cousin. I am with you. I am your Immanuel. God with you. With you from before your birth as you leapt in Elizabeth’s womb at My arrival. I was with you in the Jordan as we fulfilled all righteousness in My baptism at your hand. I am with you even now as you languish in prison. Be strong; fear not! I will come and save you. Not in an heroic, daring rescue from Herod’s dungeon, but through My very death. You shall precede Me, even in this, but fear not. For My death shall give your death meaning. For My death and resurrection shall break a hole in the prison of your own grave. And then I shall come and take you to Myself. And the ransom of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon your head and you shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (cf. Is 35).
Dear brothers and sisters, He says the same to you today. He sends double comfort upon you in place of all your sins. He speaks tenderly to you through the living Voice of His Gospel and the proclamation of His holy and sweet Word. He forgives all your sins by His atoning Sacrifice. His absolution spoken in His stead and at His command by His pastors is His own judgment of the Last Day slipping out ahead of time. He declares you not guilty as He imputes His own righteousness upon you on account of faith, which is itself a gift!
But here’s the thing: remember all those ways the world judges pastors? Worthless, ineffectual, anachronistic. Well, its not only the stewards, but also the Bride and the Gifts that are maligned and ridiculed. You are mocked and slandered and hated, too, for being associated with Christ Jesus, even as St John was. Crosses are laid upon you. You are given to endure under the discipline of the Lord. Somewhere it says, For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Heb 12:11).
Therefore do not be scandalized by this. For you are not scandalized by the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by which the world has been crucified to you and you to the world (Gal 6:14). It is the power of God for your salvation. It is the wisdom of God in the face of the world’s foolishness. The Cross establishes who Jesus is. This is His identity. He is your crucified and risen Lord, come in the flesh to redeem you from sin, death, and the power of the devil. As it is written, The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn 3:8).
And as Christ Jesus went on from establishing His identity to establishing who St John was, so too does He do for you. Hear what God the Lord speaks, for He says to you, “Dear Christian, I am with you. I am your Immanuel. God with you. From the waters of your Baptism into My death and resurrection I have been with you wherever you go. I will not leave you or forsake you. You are not a reed shaken in the wind, but you are firmly planted upon Me, your Rock and Fortress. I who am the Greatest in the kingdom of heaven became weak for you, became the least, and laid down My life in order that you might receive My riches as I bestow them upon you in My faithful Word. I have clothed you, dear child, in my own raiment, in the robe of My own righteousness that covers all your sins. Do not be scandalized by the crosses I lay upon you, for I love you; I have and always will.”
God is not ashamed to be called your God, beloved. He has prepared for you a City, a heavenly Jerusalem, which you desire in faith and long to behold with your own eyes. For amidst the political machinations of this present life you have a heavenly citizenship, an eternal home, from which you await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:20).
Behold, dear ones, the Meal of that Eternal Kingdom is brought to you now. Not rations within a prison cell, but true Food for your journey, the very Body and Blood of Christ Jesus, coming from the eastern shore of your long-awaited home. This side of glory His Altar is the high mountain of Zion. Rejoice, dear Christians! The Lord is at hand. He comes to you in Bread and Wine, His Body and Blood, for the full and free forgiveness of all yours sins. He is the One. You need not look for another.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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