“THE KINGDOM YOURS REMAINETH”
Saint Matthew 11. 12-15
Festival of the Reformation (transferred): 30 October Anno Domini 2011
Father Jay Watson SSP
How are you doing these days? I assume, from what you said during the "general" confession of sins and SIN, not too good. How are you-you're sinful and unclean; you sin against God and your neighbor; you don't do what you ought and you do what you're forbidden; oh, and you're dying. You suffer all sorts of indignities (some from your own body) from enemies, adversaries, strangers, family and friends. You are also your own worst enemy. Your earthly kingdoms, i.e. your fantasy worlds, of political conservatism; a renewed confessional take-over; a mother-hen ordering of all your "stuff" so everything works out just right…. ALL rusts to pieces and crumbles like dust. And then you're viciously mugged; attacked and beaten bloody by those who hate you, yes, but who really hate your God. And this persecution is as it should be.
In the days of John Baptizer he wasn't doing so good either-at least as the world judges good. The world, and your own sinful nature, judges good by wealth, success, power, numbers, popularity, and the ability to have your "will" done. John was a loser by your old-Adam's standards. John was arrested for confessing the truth about the Lord's kingdom. John was imprisoned for preaching the Law yes, but John was also executed, be-headed, for preaching the Gospel. The truth will always be vandalized and attacked for proclaiming the good-news of the free and gracious forgiveness of sins by Christ Crucified and none-other.
The evil world likes good news…if it's of glory. The pagan old-man delights in rules, programs and goofy self-improvement schemes. But the world and your fallen nature will scream in bloody rage and will cut-off the "head" of exclusive truth, of singular and precise, and narrow good news of FORGIVENESS in the Person of the God/Man Christ Jesus and no other. The world doesn't want to be reminded that it needs forgiveness-that is an affront to its pride and devilish ego. The demons will always molest and murder "The" Truth; for it is the "Scandal of Particularity."
But you do need forgiveness, and it's ONLY In Christ! John was constrained by the Spirit and mandated by His Lord to tell the truth; to give The Truth. All apostles of the Christ have the same joy. And all will be torn apart by the world and Satan's wolves. It's bloody and messy and filled with pain-for true preachers and true hearers. "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
There was nothing unique about the persecution, imprisonment or unseemly murder of John. John's martyrdom is standard operating procedure. Abel was slain by one who wickedly rejected God. Abel's good confession of the Creed "I Believe in God…" got him dead, and his red blood soaked the ground. Joseph's confession of the Truth of God, the God of his father Isaac, got him thrown into a pit and sold into slavery, while a goat was slaughtered in a ruse of deception…red blood soaking the ground. Moses' confession almost got him and his brother killed. The Lord forgave the Israelites, time and time and time again…by the spilling of lamb's and goat's blood. It wasn't the blood of the animals that forgave sins but the faith in the promise of the coming Messiah/Lamb Whose blood would set all believers free. Those Levitical priests were so covered with the red stuff that they had to have a giant brass basin to rinse themselves clean in. You have just the opposite-the font of water cleanses you in the very Blood of Christ. His red blood makes you virginal white and pure and chaste.
No; John's rough life and lowly, lonely, suffering, and painful bloody end was neither unique or out of the ordinary for a Christian. Hebrew Christians like Jeremiah (imprisoned in a septic tank) Zechariah (sawn in half), Micaiah (slapped around and placed under harsh arrest) Daniel (thrown into a lion's den) Shadrach and his companions (locked in a raging oven), Samson (blinded, tortured and made sport of) are examples for you and of Jesus. Jewish Christians like Stephen (stoned to death) Paul (beaten, shunned, whipped, shipwrecked, and beheaded) all the other apostles martyred in cruel demonic fashion are examples for you and of Jesus. The blood is everywhere. Tertullian said that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." What he meant, was that the blood of Christ's saints serves as a faithful witness of Christ Himself, His cruciform Life, Death, and Resurrection for you and yours. Their blood is a reminder of His Blood which washes you clean from all your trespasses. His Blood placed into your mouths from His Holy Cup gives you immortality and peace. The blood of all your Christian brethren in the Coliseum, and the gulags, and in the lonely villages and killing fields of distant countries point to He Who is on your altar. The Wittenberg Reformer himself was more than willing to have had his own blood shed in order to preach the Word in its purity, to proclaim the sweet Gospel of Jesus Christ-salvation by the Lord's life and death and bloody merits ALONE!
Today is a day to be reformed. Today is a day to bleed in contrition over bloody disgusting sins and evil. Today is a day for a blood transfusion which alone purifies and gives life. Today the Lord feeds and nourishes you in and by the WORD and power of the Spirit.
This morning is not about Rome, historic or contemporary; it's not about the errors of the sacramentarians; today is about your sin paid for by His blood, His Grace overwhelming and overflowing in a fountain of blood gathered for you in a Christ-Chalice. Today is about receiving the entire content of ALL the prophets and all the Law. This deposit was prized, guarded, and confessed by your own family members: Abel to Elias to John Baptizer to Luther and beyond-a brotherhood of blood.
They may take your goods, field, health, children and spouse. But they will never take your Kingdom. The Kingdom is the King Incarnate, Jesus Christ in the flesh for you. In a few moments His blood will again be in. His blood be always upon you. Your sins are forgiven!
In the Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost