“THE REFORMING ONE GIVES YOU THE KINGDOM”
Saint Matthew 11: 12-15
Festival of The Reformation [transferred]: 30 October Anno Domini 2022
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
Since you are under attack daily—by the very minute; and, since you are weak, unorganized, confused, and totally out-gunned—you need help. I’m sugar coating it. Since you are laying dead in the muddy ditch with your spiritual guts oozing out of a sucking chest and abdominal wound you need to be saved.
A mighty fortress is your God. Those with no gods, i.e., those who don’t believe and who reject The Lord are dead and damned. Pray for them before they are dead—physically. Those who think they are their own fortress, who rely upon their own intelligence, resources, families, and being “just smarter than the average Christian” are likewise carnage and fodder in this foul war waged by Satan; by the fallen world; and by your own traitorous inner man.
Jesus is God. Jesus is man. Jesus is fortress. Not fortress America but fortress Trinity/Godhead/Heaven. Don’t stay outside the walls of the castle of care. Those dumb peasants who are not brought by The Spirit into the courtyard of the fortress will be swept away in the demonic assault and onslaught. But you are safe. You are + Baptized. You have been placed safely inside the Ark of Covenant—i.e., inside Christ’s (God’s) own heart. You are etched by spikes/nails into Christ’s own actual physical hands (palms, wrists, it matters not). You are in the Fortress and The Fortress is in you. Fear Not. Wear your Angelic Armor and pick up your Holy Weapons and be about your Father’s business.
Jesus is your Shield and Weapon. The Christ is both your defense and your offense. He is your passive and active obedience to God’s Law.
He is your weapon. When you follow St. Paul’s counsel to put on the full armor of God (Eph. 6), or rather, when The Holy Ghost constrains you to be in The Word, The Christ, you are being what you’ve been made to be. You are (again) + Baptized!
You have needs. The things you have to have, even above food, shelter, water, are essential. You need family. You need friends, a tribe, a clan, a Way. You need your Christian brothers and sisters. You need a modicum of daily sanity and safety so you can be The Church towards God and towards neighbor (Evangelism to the world via The Church).
It’s Jesus who satisfies your needs (He gives you “meat in due season” He “openest His hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing”). He is your freedom for all those things which have overtaken you. He rescues you from not sinking literally in the Sea of Galilee, but from sinking literally from fear, anxiety, heartbreak, and horrible pains.
Satan, your old evil foe wants you to have woes that are constant and insurmountable. And, of yourselves, they are. The devil is both crafty and strong. Even after Calvary he still has enough venom in his broken serpentine body to wound and kill those who are unaided.
But Jesus, The Valiant One, The One God/Man Whom The Blessed Trinity elected is at your side flanked by all the host of Sabaoth—Sts. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and all the myriads of myriads.
In this sad and desperate and lonely world; upon this scarred and blood soaked plain of battle; there stands only one Victor and one Redeemer: Jesus! And there’s no other God. His blazing battle flag and fleet ensign is The Crucifix. We preach Christ Crucified and you are saved by Christ Crucified.
We need not debate 95 theses (though they are salutary) but we receive by Grace through Faith, The gift of life and light—Jesus The Christ of God.
What is reformation? The birthday of The Church? No, not the 31st of October nor The Feast of Pentecost for that matter. It is the re-forming the making again. The saving and buying back of that which is spoiled, rotten, decaying, and damnably dead.
Jesus formed (see John 1.1-14) but man deformed. Jesus came to His people and reformed with mercy and forgiveness and fortress like protection. Moses and all of you deformed. You deform God’s beauty and holiness every day. Jesus comes again and washes you clean. In that font you are reformed. In Holy Absolution you are reformed. At the Altar of The Eucharist, you are reformed. You are the rebellious clay that always breaks form in sinful will, but your patient and long-suffering Lord reforms again and again, 7 times 70 until the end of time. Today’s Holy Festival is the same as last Sunday’s and next Sunday’s ad infinitum. You are reformed by Christ’s Sacred Word and by His precious Body and Blood.
The wages of sin is death. The Law remains in its physical manifestations. Everyone dies. Everyone dies. The Word of The Lord endures forever. Jesus is Lord of life—everlasting life. You are in Him (3rd time: you are + Baptized) and He gives you all His gifts through The Holy Ghost—The Church wherein the Spirit gathers you. Your goods and possessions, all mammon, will rust, be eaten by moths, and will be no more. Your “fame” (such as it might be) will eventually diminish and you will not be remembered by the children of “old Adam.” You have, are now, or will, lose children, spouses, friends, and even you own earthly life—for a time.
Good! The Final Advent approaches. Your glorified resurrected and fully realized Redemption draws near. Good! Let these all be gone; they yet have nothing won; the Kingdom (The King) yours remaineth.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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