|
The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
Revelation 6:9-11, Romans 6:1-5, & St. Mark 6:14-29
Opening Hymn 953, Sermon Hymn 750, Preface Hymn 758, After Distribution Hymn 756, & Closing Hymn 670
Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus the Lord. Amen.
The sermon text is the Gospel appointed, the Gospel according to St. Mark, the 7th chapter, with particular focus on these words:
“King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”
Please be seated.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
“Alleluia. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Alleluia.” Thus goes the Verse of the Day. Only in the Church can such a song be sung in truth. But alas, only in the Church can such a song be understood.
To begin to understand, we consider the Gospel reading. Even wicked King Herod heard the Word of the Baptist, indeed God's own Word, with a bewildered awe and the text says gladly. Yet he was quite able to set it aside for his ego, pride, lust, and a purposeful drunkenness.
Mark begins our morning's Gospel account with,
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”
Herod's conscience still plagued him over killing one of God's prophets. He was certain John had come back from the dead. Herod wasn't repenting or asking for forgiveness. No, his was more a despairing of his wretched condition and for despair alone, apart from John's repentance, indeed Christ's repentance, apart from the Gospel, there is no forgiveness, salvation, or hope.
Herod's evil adulterous life became too valuable to him, he would not repent taking his brother's wife. And his debauchery lead to his foolish boast. “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.”
He was a puppet king put up by Rome. He had no real authority to take any life. He simply enjoyed a life supported by the Israelites and their taxes. Yet upon making the drunken promise for the dance of his step-daughter, well..., his pride would not let him back down.
“And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.”
“Alleluia. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Alleluia.”
John's head on a platter has been captured by many an artist in wood carvings, paintings, and sculptures. Our bulletin cover this morning is an example as well. But John isn't the first prophet or last to be killed for preaching the Word of God.
Jesus wept from the mountain looking down upon Jerusalem, and He said:
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”
Herod is just part of another generations of would nots. They have the Messiah and His prophet right before their ears. But they don't like Words of God. John was beheaded, but it's the Christ and His forgiveness that offends men, men like Herod, and men like your own flesh, mine too.
Cain the first “would not” jealous over Abel's faithful witness killed him. And so, it began, “ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee.”
But how so do you and I murder and behead the prophets of God? Well..., whenever, we silence our Word led conscience, whenever we despise preaching and the Word of God, whenever we do what we know is wrong.
How often are we tempted to think there must be more the pastor can do than to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments? How often do we think our pastors might be a little too old-fashioned? How often do we doubt that only the Word can convert?
We might not harm the prophet personally, and it isn't the prophet that our flesh really despises. God's Word stops our fun. God's Word condemns our deeds. God's Word declares us sinners.
Today, the world still gives grief to the faithful pastor.
They say, “You can't say that Christ is the only way!”
They say, “You can't condemn the Muslim religion!”
They say, “You can't keep women out of the pulpits!”
There is so very much the world says that we can't say. And we are back to it. God's Word stops our fun. God's Word condemns our deeds. God's Word declares us sinners.
The flesh would stop the mouth of the faithful pastor if only it could. Yours, mine, the world's, all flesh is indignant toward the faithful proclamation of God's Word. If you can't get God to shut up, well..., then, silence His minister.
I'm no different! My sinful flesh is condemned by it's sin just like yours. The flesh might not want to hear the Word of God, but you and I are no longer ruled by our flesh. You are the baptized child of God. You are brought to repentance daily and to new life in Christ by His Word.
You are forgiven for your sometimes despising God's Word. In the world the messenger that brings bad news is sometimes treated very badly. But in the Church we are thankful for the minister that convicts of us of our sins, and then gives us the great Gospel message.
Christ became man, lived as a man, took your sins upon Himself in His baptism, carried them to His suffering and death. And He arose triumphant, defeating sin, death, and the devil for you. Trust in the forgiveness that Christ's minister gives to you, indeed trust it as it is from Christ Himself.
John was beheaded, yet he lives even yet in the bosom of our Lord Jesus. The prophets were killed yet the Revelation to John records of those killed for the Word:
“They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”
Herod and all unrepentant prophet killers and despisers of God's Word will indeed suffer eternal death and torment.
The Baptist, Abel, Zacharias, and God willing maybe even you or me might be killed or persecuted for a faithful witness, life or proclamation. But what does it matter? Again, you are the Lord's baptized, forgiven, you will life forever in Christ Jesus the Lord.
“Alleluia. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Alleluia.”
For Jesus most Holy Passion's sake. Amen.
|
