Exaudi 2009

EXAUDI

24 May Anno + Domini 2009

"The Good News of Being Persecuted?”

John 15:25-16:4 (Ezek. 36:22-28; 1 Pet. 4:7-14)

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

He is risen! (He is risen indeed! Alleluia!)

We Christians are stewards of a treasure called "the Gospel,” that is, "the Good News.”

Only this good news is a very different kind of good news than that which the world expects or seeks.

For to the world, good news might go something like this: You will be rich, comfortable, popular, respected, free from pain, and impervious to disease. You will never have family problems, money problems, or marital problems. You will never be gossiped about, slandered, stabbed in the back, robbed, hurt by deliberate violence or by random accident. You will have every material thing your heart desires. You will eat sumptuously, and drink of the finest wine. And you will live forever.

But listen to that portion of Holy Scripture we call "the Gospel” that has been read in your midst today. Hear the Good News as proclaimed by our Lord Jesus Himself:

"They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.”

And listen to the holy words of the blessed apostle St. Peter: "Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.” He goes on to tell us that we Christians will "partake in Christ's sufferings” and that we are likely to be "reproached.”

So, the Good News that I have for you, dear brothers and sisters, is that people will not only seek to ruin your reputation and isolate you from the community, but they will also desire to murder you, and will have no twinge of conscience when they sometimes succeed. In fact, they will consider it a holy and righteous act to kill you. And as if that weren't enough, dear Christians, you will partake in our Lord's dear sufferings yourselves. You can expect a cross of your very own, along with the shedding of blood, sweat, and tears, pleading with God to take this cup from you, and in the end, being betrayed and made to feel forsaken by God Himself.

Good News?!  The world hears this gospel (which to our sinful flesh doesn't sound like good news at all) and seeks another one, one that lacks a cross and persecution. Even many who claim the name "Christian” reject this genuine Gospel of Jesus, and instead seek another gospel that promises health and wealth, usually in seven steps or less.  They seek this and want to hear those seven steps or less all wrapped up nicely in a 30 minute upbeat message, so that they can feel inspired and "really hear” the "good news” they want to hear.

The only problem is: that kind of good news is a lie. There's nothing good about it at all.  For we can trust our Lord's promises, not the promises of men. We can trust the Holy Spirit's inspired and inscribed Word. And when we are charged to proclaim this Good News to every nation, we can trust our Lord that what we preach is, in fact, the genuine Good News.

For this Gospel is a true Gospel. It does not tickle our ears and tell us what we want to hear. But rather it tells us what we need to hear. And that Gospel is this, dear friends: You have been redeemed by the Lord's death on the cross, a death that defeated death and Satan, that overcame the stain of sin and the corruption of your covetous flesh. And that victory, won on your behalf, marks you as an enemy of the evil one.

So when we are attacked, why shouldn't we rejoice? Our attacker has already been overcome. If Satan is desperate to destroy us, it is only because we are a threat to him. And that can only be because the Helper, the Holy Spirit, has been sent to us and has given us new hearts, hearts that trust in Christ. He has sealed us as Christ's own, and has turned the devil into our very mortal enemy. And that Spirit given to us testifies of our Lord Jesus, the Victor, the God-man, the Priest who is also the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

What Good News indeed that Satan is arrayed against us, that he is so desperate as to hurl all his might against us! This is why St. Peter instructs us to "rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” and "blessed are you” when you are reproached, for the apostle declares: "the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”

To be a Christian, dear friends, is not only to be a warrior, but an immortal and eternally victorious warrior. We have already won, because He has already won. Satan hates and loathes us because he hates and loathes his Master, his Lord, the One who crushed his head on the gory field of battle and humiliated him before all the universe. That seething hatred for Christ is given to you as well. And though it means a cross in this life, though it means temporary suffering and periods of great persecution, temptation, and even pain, sickness, and death, it also means eternal glory for us in whom the Helper dwells, in whom the Body and Blood of Jesus are found, upon whose heads Holy Baptism has marked and adorned with the Victor's crown, His Holy Cross.

The victory given to us by our Lord is far greater than any passing material riches or fly-by-night praise of men. The Good News is that because we are marked with the Lord's cross, we too shall not only bear, but also overcome, our own crosses.

This kind of Good News, though, is a paradox. For only those redeemed by the Lamb are targets for the crafts and assaults of the devil. And when trials, temptations, and even persecutions come, we have cause for rejoicing, for not only are these things a sign of our membership in the Lord's Church, we also have the advantage of knowing how the story ends. Every day we wrestle with sin, with our mortality, with family and financial struggles, with sickness and anxiety - we are one day closer to the eternal triumph and victory feast of our Lord.

The worse things look for us, the greater we can rejoice. For considering that our Lord has already won the battle, we can be just as audacious as the Marine General Chesty Puller, who when his situation looked bleak, being completely surrounded by the enemy, he remarked to his marines: "They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29 to 1. They can't get away from us now!”

What General Puller told his marines is not all that different than what our Lord Jesus tells His saints, what Peter tells his fellow soldiers of the cross.

And our Lord tells us these things to prepare us, to strengthen us, and to ensure that even when we are perplexed, we are not in despair, even when we are down, we are not out. "These things I have told you,” says our Lord, "that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.”

And, dear friends, make no mistake, the time for increased persecution of Christians, even in our beloved country, the good ole' United States of America, is at hand.  Just last night, I was having trouble sleeping, so I was flipping through the channels and came across a guy whom I heard saying "Jesus” a few times, so I settled in to listen to what he had to say.  It turns out that he was a comedian, and he wasn't really talking about Jesus, but making fun of Him, and of all who believe in Jesus.  "Religious people are stupid; Christians are ignorant,” he said.  He even went on to say that for Christians to raise their children in the superstitious ignorance of their religion is nothing short of child abuse.  I didn't think it was very funny, actually. 

But, make no mistake, that day of persecution is upon us.  Just this last week, National Geographic, as they love to do, issued a statement that they have found the "Missing Link” between our pre-monkey ancestry and us human beings.  If you haven't heard about this yet, great!  But, if you haven't heard about it, rest assured, you will.  They found a fossil, named her "Ida” and are saying, "See, now evolution is proven!”  It's sad, but many who claim to be Christians will be led astray by this.  And, if you listen carefully, if you keep your ears attuned to what's going on and being said in the media and by entertainers in Hollywood, you will hear that you Christians are ignorant, superstitious people, and that your refusal to accept the claims of science, which are futile, is the height of ignorance.  And, that you have to be stomped out, because your intolerance cannot be accepted in our land.  If you think I'm crazy and just trying to scare you into more faith, listen!  There are already bills in Congress, already legislation being passed, which make being a Christian a dangerous thing, even here in the United States of America. 

And so the question is:  Will we stand firm?  Will we remain steadfast in the Word.  We won't, but if we cling to Christ and continue to be fed on His Word and Sacraments, the Holy Spirit will dwell within us and He will give us the strength to endure. 

Indeed, dear friends, we Christians are given many crosses that seem too much at times for us to bear. But our Father who art in heaven sends us a champion, His Son who has won the victory for us, who puts the Holy Spirit in us to fight and to protect us from all harm and danger. We are surrounded by foes to our left and right. We are flanked on all sides.  We are encircled by the devil in front and behind. And we are encased in sinful, mortal flesh that seeks to betray us to the enemy. We are outnumbered and outgunned in the eyes of the world. But this is a cause for rejoicing, for the enemy cannot escape now!

And remember the false gospel sought by the world? Well, though we are at this time bearing burdensome crosses, engaged in desperate battle, being sorely tested and tried by the enemy, we know the outcome of the war. And all those things sought by the world in this life will be ours in our next life - in eternity:

You will be rich, comfortable, popular, respected, free from pain, and impervious to disease. You will never have family problems, money problems, or marital problems. You will never be gossiped about, slandered, stabbed in the back, robbed, hurt by deliberate violence or by random accident. You will have every material thing your heart desires. You will eat sumptuously, and drink of the finest wine. And you will live forever.

The Lord has given you a new heart. This love given to you through Christ covers a multitude of not only your sins, but enables us to pray: "as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

If you are reproached for the name of Christ, dear friends, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and God rests upon you.” Amen.

He is risen!  (He is risen indeed! Alleluia!)  In Jesus' Holy and Precious Name.  Amen.

Now the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting.  Amen.