Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity and Pastoral Letter - 2022

 

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Magnificat.

St. Luke I.

MY soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

O LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 12

Psalter: Psalm 98, 99 | 89, 59

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 3.8-21

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 7.11-17 

Homily 

--------

This is part of my letter to the congregation sent out on Wednesday, 28 September: 

Today, at noon, I will be speaking at the Capitol Bible Study. I have been walking them through the seven churches in Revelation 1-3. This afternoon I will be speaking about the church at Philadelphia. And that is one church that inspires me! It’s a church that’s scrawny, but strong. 

Our Lord begins by reminding this congregation that he “has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens” (Revelation 3:7). Jesus is alluding to Isaiah 22:20-25, and of all the applications of this statement (election, calling, etc.), the main point to this church in Philadelphia is that he has opened the door to them and no one – not the media, not the government, not the Twitter mobs, not the neighbors – no one can close it. 

But he is also the one who closes the door that no one can open. Why do you close doors? There are several reasons, but when you have hostile forces around you (like the synagogue of Satan in 3:9 and the “hour of trial that is coming on the whole world” in 3:10), you close a door and bar it against bad guys who mean you harm. Thus, he’s the one that closes the door to protect and preserve his church from the unfriendly powers out there trying to get in here to harm his people. Great news! 

Further, Jesus praises this church because she has been loyal to him at any cost. “You have kept” is stated two times (v.8 and 10) and Jesus assures them, “I will keep you” (10). Jesus promises his preserving grace in the heat of trouble/persecution, etc. And if you compare the church at Sardis (3:1-6) to the church at Philadelphia (3:7-13) you find that they are polar opposites. Jesus notes that the church of Sardis is all “Wow!” and no “What (substance)!”  - “You have the reputation for being alive, but you are dead” (3:1). On the other hand, Philadelphia is no “Wow!” but all “What!” – “you have but little power and yet you have kept my word and not denied my name” (3:8).  Therefore, she is Christ’s no matter what others say – “they will know that I have loved you” (3:9). They may have little “wow!” but they really have the “what!” Truly, they may be scrawny, but he makes them strong! 

Finally, Christ gives this congregation that is all scrawny a 3-fold assurance; or a 3-fold emphasis on their security (3:12). (1) Permanence in the presence of God “I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.” (2) Preservation in the Palace of God, “Never shall he go out of it…”. (3) Patented and Pronounced by God – these who have not denied Christ’s name (v.8c) have the name written on them, “the name of my God…the name of the city of my God…and my own new name.” Nothing, and I mean nothing, can take them away from Jesus! No matter how much bad press is put out against them, no matter how many lawsuits filed against them, no matter how many mobs rise up against them, they are his and will always be his! 

Our Lord has lots of concerns about most of these seven churches. Only two of them receive unabashed praise from him – the church at Smyrna (2:8-11), and now here, the church at Philadelphia. And though the church at Philadelphia may be scrawny, he has made them strong! 

Our security and thus our confidence is Christ. Our confidence as a congregation of Christ is wrapped up in Christ. He will maintain us, he will prosper us, he will enrich us, and he will cause us to be his light shining brightly in a dark place. Therefore, tenaciously holding on to his championship title (3:11), secure in him and in his promises. Don’t concentrate on our “little strength,” but take what we do have, which he has given us, and has opened up to us, and give our all back to him and for him! Scrawny but Strong!