First Lesson: Isaiah 5: 1-7 Responsive Reading: Psalm 80: 1-2, 8-19 Second Lesson: Hebrews 11: 29 - 12:2 Gospel Lesson: Luke 12: 49-56 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
A few years back, with Gunnar Frahm’s encouragement, I had an idea. The school needed a Silver Bay Mariner flag for sporting events. The school happened to think this wasn’t a terrible idea. The flag arrives in time for a Girls Basketball game down at Duluth Marshall. The Mariners were heading into the game heavy underdogs, even before losing their best player. But, every Silver Bay basket, I would start enthusiastically waving that Mariner flag. There weren’t a lot of Silver Bay baskets that night as they lost 68-14. The Marshall fans we not bothered by the flag in any way. Sometime would soon happen with the Mariner flag! Games would get closer. Silver Bay would win a number of games with the Mariner flag flying in the background. The most dramatic of these was a Boys Basketball game down in Two Harbors which the Mariners won at the buzzer. In the last few years, I’ve multiple students from Two Harbors high school tell me how much they can’t stand the sight of that flag. Going into potentially hostile territory with such an eye-catching witness for Silver Bay was bound to bring some potential jeering? Whenever you put either your self, your team, or your belief system out there, you have no idea how people might respond. But the worst-case scenario for the Mariner Flag pales in comparison to many peoples worst case scenarios (Especially within the Early Church). Polycarp was born in 69 A.D[1]. He grew up during the last days of Jesus’ disciples. Legend has it that he was baptized by the Apostle John. Polycarp’s faith eventually leads him to be the Bishop of the Greek coastal city of Smyrna. One of the primary issues that Polycarp dealt with during his reign was seeking to settle the date that Christians should celebrate Easter[2]. What Polycarp though might be most remembered for is his death. Polycarp was an old man of “86” when word came that Roman officials desired to arrest him. Polycarp retreated to a place of prayer[3]. Polycarp, while in prayer, decided he could not hide from the Romans. So Polycarp appeared before a Roman trial. The charge against Polycarp was “being an Atheist, for refusing to worship the Roman Gods including the Emperor[4]. Polycarp knew that denying Roman Gods would lead to certain death, either at the hands of a wild beast inside an arena or being burned alive[5]. Polycarp was given multiple chances to deny his Christian faith, Polycarp refused. Polycarp then declared: “Eighty-six years have I served him (Christ), and he has done me no wrong: how then can I blaspheme (deny) my King who saved me[6]?” Polycarp was then placed upon a stake, he told the soldiers that nails would be unnecessary[7], he began to pray, Polycarp’s flesh would be consumed by fire. Even the non-believers attending would forever remember Polycarp’s witness as he passed through death before entering the presence of his fellow Christian witnesses who had gone before him. The story of Polycarp leads us into our lesson for Today from the Book of Hebrews. Last week’s lesson from the Book of Hebrews told ofthe earliest heroes of the faith from Abel to Enoch to Noah to Abraham clinging in their most challenging of times to God’s eventual promise of great hope in Jesus Christ[8]. This week’s lesson, transitions to more recent heroes of the Christian faith[9]. These heroes were men and women who the Jewish Christians living in Jerusalem had heard or knew that went to their grave for like Polycarp declaring: “Jesus saves[10].” For you see, the first persecution of Christians within the church had taken place within Jerusalem shortly after 3,000 converts were received on the Day of Pentecost[11]. So Hebrews was written to an audience who understood what it meant to be living in continual danger on account of their faith. Legend has Hebrews written[12] a short time after Jesus’ brother James was put to death for his faith as Bishop of Jerusalem[13]. So Hebrews is written as a means as to try to encourage the Jerusalem Christians amid their persecution. What does Hebrews author declare? “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God[14].” So what did these witnesses do? Their lives remind us of the great confidence they had in Jesus Christ even unto their own death. As they left the struggle of this life behind, their testimony and witness encourages us to be bold in following in their footsteps. How exactly might this happen? A number of years ago, a young man tried out for the Columbia University football team. The young man wasn’t very good, but was so enthusiastic the coach decided to keep him around to sit on the bench to encourage his teammates[15]. The young man never waned in his enthusiasm all year-long. The coach one day notices the man walking arm in arm around campus with his visiting father. The coach was tremendously touched by this father/son bond. One day, the coach receives a tragic call informing him the young man’s father had died. The coach has to break the news. The young player leaves for the funeral. Upon his return, the coach asks, “Is there anything that I can do for you[16]?” The young man declares: ‘” Let me start the game on Saturday.” The coach didn’t know how to respond. It was the final and biggest game of the year. But the coach decided to let him start. The coach figured he’d give him a few plays as a tribute to his dad. The team was shocked that the coach would start a bench warmer for a big game. The game begins, the young man takes the field, he played the most inspired game that anyone had ever seen, the coach never took him off the field, the young man was voted the outstanding player of the game[17]. Coach takes the young man aside after the game asks: “What happened out there?” The young man declared: “You see the reason, my father and I walked arm and arm around campus is because he was blind, but Today was the first time that he could see me play.[18]” This young man had seen the death of his father. It did not defeat him, though. The young man drew strength and encouragement from his father’s loss. What those who died for confessing Jesus remind us is that we can indeed walk unafraid just like Polycarp because Jesus went to the grave ahead of us[19]. We are now called to share the same faith that the witnesses who came before us shared with us. Sharing one’s faith can be hard. It was certainly hard for the Jewish Christians to whom Hebrews was written. It can hard in our day even if our life isn’t necessarily on the line; we can still face social rejection and ostracism. So we must remember why the First Christians were so willing to risk their own lives. Let me close with one final story to illustrate why we witness as Christian people. It was London at the end of the 19th Century. Charles Bradlaugh was widely considered one of the most brilliant men in all of London; he was a lawyer and a member of parliament. His claim to fame as a member of parliament was to try to get around parliament’s oath to the Christian faith as Bradlaugh was an outspoken atheist[20]. On the other side of London was a gentleman named Hugh Price Hughes. Hughes had a ministry focusing on London’s downtrodden: the poor, battered women, and alcoholics[21]. As one of London’s most prominent Christians, the Atheist Charles Bradlaugh challenged Hugh Price Hughes to a debate. Hughes wasn’t sure if he could match Bradlaugh the lawyer in a debate on Christianity until an idea came to him. Hughes told Bradlaugh that he had one condition for agreeing to this debate[22]. Hughes wanted like one of Bradlaugh’s court trials to be able to call witnesses. Hughes requested that he bring 100 witnesses. Each of these 100 people would have had their lives forever changed by Christianity. Hughes said each of these 100, would even be willing to let the lawyer Bradlaugh cross-examine them on how their life had changed[23]. Hughes then gave Bradlaugh the same offer[24]. He could bring forth 100 non-believers whose lives had been changed by their lack of faith. Hughes wanted the debate to take place based on evidence of lives that were once dark and deep in sin. Hughes then proclaimed to Bradlaugh: “If you can’t bring 100, then you can bring 50; if you can’t bring 50, then you can bring 20; if you can’t bring 20; then you can bring 10. Mr. Bradlaugh if you can’t bring 10, then I challenge you to bring one person whose lives has been forever changed by their lack of faith[25].” Charles Bradlaugh then considered the offer. The atheist Bradlaugh then backed away from his offer to debate Hugh Price Hughes over the truth of Christianity[26]. What the Book of Hebrews reminds us is that the church had everything go against it in its earliest of days. They had the most powerful empire in the world seeking to burn them alive to the presence of cheering locals. There was something though that kept men like Polycarp, and the First Christians going. The Christian church survived because those first believers weren’t going to be scared off by nasty words or a little jeering. They were being cheered on by a great cloud of witnesses that had gone before them. Amen [1] Packer, J.I. , Mark Galli, and Ted Olsen. 131 Christians Everyone Should Know.Holman Reference. 2000. Web.Taken from Christianity Today: “Polycarp: Aged bishop of Smyrna.” Church History. July.25.2019. [2] ChrIstanity Today. “Polycarp: Aged bishop of Smyrna.” Web. July.25.2019. [3] ChrIstanity Today. “Polycarp: Aged bishop of Smyrna.” [4] Higgins, Scott. “Polycarp’s Martyrdom.” Stories for Preaching Web. July.25.2019. Taken from J.B. Lightfoot’s Apostolic Fathers cited in A New Eusebius. Documents Illustrating the History of the Church to AD 337. [5] Higgins, Scott. “Polycarp’s Martyrdom.” Stories for Preaching. [6] Higgins, Scott. “Polycarp’s Martyrdom.” Stories for Preaching. [7] ChrIstanity Today. “Polycarp: Aged bishop of Smyrna.” [8] Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16. [9] Hebrews 11:29-12:2. [10] Hoezee, Scott. “Hebrews 11:29-12:2.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids, MI. 7.Aug.2016. Web. July.25.2019. [11] Acts 4:1-3. [12] “Epistle to the Hebrews.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 29.June.2019. Web. July.25.2019. [13] “James, Brother of Jesus.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.. 21.July.2019. Web. July.25.2019. [14] Hebrews 12:1-2. [15] Lane Butts, Rev.Dr. Thomas. “Look Who Is Watching.” Day 1. 1.Nov.1998. Web found on Text Week. 25.July.2019. [16] Lane Butts, Rev.Dr. Thomas. “Look Who Is Watching.” Day 1. [17] Lane Butts, Rev.Dr. Thomas. “Look Who Is Watching.” Day 1 [18] Lane Butts, Rev.Dr. Thomas. “Look Who Is Watching.” Day 1 [19] Lane Butts, Rev.Dr. Thomas. “Look Who Is Watching.” Day 1 [20] “Charles Bradlaugh.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 18.July.2019. Web. July.25.2019. [21] Stier, Leon. “Challenge Accepted.” Email Mediatations. 26. May.2017. Web. July.25.2019. [22] Stier, Leon. “Challenge Accepted.” Email Mediatations. [23] Stier, Leon. “Challenge Accepted.” Email Mediatations. [24] Stier, Leon. “Challenge Accepted.” Email Mediatations. [25] Stier, Leon. “Challenge Accepted.” Email Mediatations. [26] Stier, Leon. “Challenge Accepted.” Email Mediatations. Comments are closed.
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