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 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

 

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

 

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering- since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(ESV)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Church Too Narrow

Friday of Epiphany 6
17 February 2012

Greatness always tries to impose itself upon the true church. Those who are great smile at the church and mock her, "She is little, her sheep are ordinary, her shepherds insignificant. We are great. See the size of our gatherings. If we are big, we must be correct. If we are rich, we are blessed by God. If the world pays attention to us, we must be important. The church is poor and persecuted. The world ignores the church. This proves certainly the rightness of our position and the failure of the church." And so it goes. We are not unique in feeling the Leviathan breathing down our necks when the government by law prohibits the church from believing and living as the Lord has taught and commanded. The ancient church felt the pressure of the government when it sided with the Arians. The Arians were the "faith based" religious organization favored by the Roman emperors for about fifty years in the middle of the fourth century. They ran all the largest churches, had the biggest following, the greatest income, and the most exciting spectacle. Gregory Nazianzus admitted all this. The true church is small, weak, and impoverished. But she had a Lord, the truth, the Word of God, the cross, suffering, and the faithful confession of her children. What could be better than that?

 

Persecution is a sign of God's favor upon His bride; for her suffering shapes her like her Lord, the suffering Servant Himself (Phil 1:29). We do not seek persecution, we do not run into it with open arms, but when it comes upon us, we will embrace it as a sign of God's grace. We can welcome persecution because we can look upon it and understand its meaning through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rm 8:17). We have no choice but to accept our weakness in the face of persecution, while our Lord certainly had a choice. He chose to be weak for our sakes, that in Him we might be strong. When the power of the Leviathan is arrayed against us we will have no choice but to face its animosity and rage against our faith. When our Lord faced Pilate He could say that Pilate would have no power, if it hadn't been given to him, and yet Christ willingly stood under Pilate's condemnation (Jn 19:11).

 

The true church finds herself accused of narrowness and closed mindedness. She won't open her doors to the teachings that are foreign to her Lord. She won't accept the world's view that human life can be dispensed with when it seems to be convenient. She will not support the measures that end innocent human life in the womb. She will not accept the world's sexual mores, but will be faithful to her Lord. But what the world calls narrowness, the Lord calls the openness of His caring embrace for sinners. What the world calls closed mindedness, the church calls the mind of the Lord (Phil 2:5). Her doors are flung wide to the lost sheep, who sorrowing and broken hearted over their sin, seek the mercy of their Lord. The sheepfold, small though it seems, is large enough for sinners, because her Lord is the one who creates it. Her narrowness is just wide enough. Her openness just open enough. This openness is the open wounds which spatter the sinner with life-giving blood (Jn 6:53-54). This narrowness is the door which He opens to us by grace (Lk 13:24). 
Gregory Nazianzus

 

"I consider these trials to be a mere fraction of the spittings and blows which Christ endured, for whom and by whose aid we encounter these dangers. I do not count them, taken altogether, as comparable to one thorn in the crown (Jn 19:2) which robbed our conqueror, the devil, of his crown, for whose sake also I learn that I am crowned by the struggles of life. I do not consider my suffering as worth the one reed (Mt 27:29) by which the rotten empire was destroyed; of the gall, the vinegar, by which we were cured of the bitter taste (Jn 19:29-30); of the gentleness which He showed in His suffering (Lk 23:34). Was He betrayed with a kiss? He reproves with a kiss, but does not strike back. Is he suddenly arrested? He reproaches indeed, but follows. If through zeal you cut off the ear of Malchus with the sword, He will be angry and will restore it (Jn 18:9-11). If one flees in a linen sheet (Mk 14:52), he will defend him. And if you ask for the fire of Sodom upon His captors, He will not pour it forth (Lk 9:54-55). If He takes a thief hanging upon the cross for his crime He will bring him into paradise through His goodness (Lk 23:43). Let all the acts of one that loves men be loving, as were all the sufferings of Christ, to which we could add no greater sin than, that when God even died for us, we refuse on our part to forgive even the smallest wrongs of our fellowmen.

 

"I considered and still consider my own case. See if it is not quite correct. I have often discussed it with you before. These men [the Arians] have the houses, but we have the Dweller in the house. They have the temples, we the God. Besides, it is ours to be living temples of the living God, living sacrifices, reasonable burnt offerings, perfect sacrifices, even partakers of the divine nature through the adoration of the Trinity. They have the people, we the angels. They have rash boldness, we faith. They threaten, we pray. They riot, we endure. They have gold and silver, we the pure word. 'I will build myself a great house with spacious upper rooms, (do you recognize the words of Scripture?), who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion' (Jer 22:14). But this is not loftier than my faith or higher than the heavens to which I am being borne onwards.

 

"Is mine a little flock? But it is not being carried over a cliff. Is mine a narrow fold? It cannot be approached by wolves; it cannot be entered by a robber, nor climbed by thieves and strangers. I shall yet see it, I know well, larger. And many of those who are now wolves, I must reckon among my sheep, and perhaps even among the shepherds. This is the glad tidings brought me by the Good Shepherd, for whose sake I lay down my life for the sheep. I fear not for the little flock; for it is seen at a glance. I know my sheep and am known by mine. Such are those who know God and are known by God. My sheep hear my voice, which I have heard from the oracles of God, which I have been taught by the holy Fathers, which I have taught alike on all occasions, not conforming myself to society's desires. This I will never cease to teach; in which I was born, and in which I will depart." 

 

Gregory Nazianzus, Theological Oration, 33.14-15 

Prayer       

Lord Jesus Christ, You have created the sheepfold of the church through Your precious suffering and death, Your holy burial, and Your glorious resurrection. Protect us from those who would cheat us of the richness of your grace by imposing the world's standards upon your holy bride. Make us ever faithful to the truth, no matter who disapproves of it. Amen.

 

For President Matthew Harrison of the LCMS, that he would have the peace of God that surpasses human understanding as he faithfully confesses the faith before kings and princes

 

For President Barack Obama, that he would seek to serve all the people of the United States, including those who treasure freedom of religion

 

For Pastor Mark Barz, who is celebrating his 25th anniversary as pastor of Crown of Life Lutheran Church, San Antonio, Texas, that the Lord would give him many more years of service to the holy church

Art: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio  The Transfiguration (1518-20)

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