Matthew 18:1-11; Revelation 12:7-12; Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the
Holy Spirit.
It’s no coincidence that
the Gospel appointed for The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels is the account
of Jesus’ disciples vying for greatness in the Lord’s kingdom. Indeed, a
similar struggle for greatness occurred long, long ago, shortly after the
LORD’s creation of heaven and earth, the account of which struggle and the
victory of St. Michael the Archangel over Satan and his fallen angels being the
focus of this festival day.
One of the LORD’s holy
angels, Lucifer, whom Isaiah calls the “Day Star” and “son of the dawn,” and
Ezekiel “a guardian cherub,” fell from holiness and grace because of his great
pride, desiring to be “like the Most High,” that is, like the LORD Himself.
Lucifer was a “signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” and
a “guardian cherub” “in Eden, the garden of the LORD.” He was “blameless in [his]
ways from the day [he was] created, till unrighteousness was found in [him].”
That unrighteousness was pride, which bred discontent, jealousy, anger, and
ultimately hatred and murder.
Because of his pride,
Lucifer became a profane thing. He literally fell from holiness and grace. Therefore
the LORD necessarily cast him from His presence, for the unholy cannot abide in
the presence of Him who is holy and holiness. Cast out and away from the LORD’s
presence, Lucifer gnashed his teeth against the LORD – against His holiness and
His righteousness, and against His just judgment. Lucifer knew that he had no
one to blame but himself. Therefore he hates himself, and He hates the LORD,
but, most of all, he hates you Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, because the
LORD loves you and has created you to be the very crown of His creation, all
that He has made, giving your dominion over all of creation, all plants and
animals, the earth, moon, sun, and stars, and even over the heavenly angels
themselves who serve the LORD and who guard and protect you whom the LORD loves
with boundless love.
Thus Lucifer, now Satan,
the Enemy, and the Devil, the Accuser, knowing that he could not attack and
defeat the LORD, set about to attack, defeat, and defile his beloved creation,
Adam and Eve, and you their children. Satan hates you because he hates the LORD
and he hates himself. He hates his sorry, miserable, and irreversible
condition, which he knows is his own damn fault. Therefore, he has set himself
against the LORD and against you, and he exists only and always to take down as
many of you with him as he possibly can.
And, that’s why he tempted
our First Parents. Though he came in the disguise of one of the LORD’s
creatures, a serpent, and though he talked smoothly and convinced them that he
had their best interests at heart, that they become wise and like the LORD
Himself, Satan was motivated by hatred and he used lies and deceptions to appeal
to their pride so that they would fall just as he did. And it worked. And it
still works.
“Did God really say?” he
asked. The question seems innocuous, doesn’t it? But it’s not. For, that
question necessitates that the Word of the LORD be subjected to another’s
criticism and judgment, a supposedly higher standard and rule, man’s reason,
intellect, wisdom, and will. For, to evaluate “Did God really say?” is to judge
the veracity, the goodness, the justice of the LORD’s Word and will by the
reason, intellect, wisdom, and will of man. This is the creature evaluating and
judging the Creator. This is an act of insurmountable pride. This is to make
oneself to be god. And, that is impossible, for only the LORD is God who is
before all things and the source, Creator, and sustainer of all things. The
LORD alone is good, the very standard, measure, and rule of goodness. And the
LORD alone is just, the very standard, measure, and rule of justice. Other
people, other things, other words, other thoughts, and other deeds are judged
by the LORD, not the other way around. Other people, other things, other words,
other thoughts, and other deeds are good or evil, just or unjust, truth or lies
in comparison and in relation to the LORD’s Word and will.
Revelation twelve describes
a great war in heaven between St. Michael and the LORD’s angels and the Dragon,
that is Satan, and his fallen angels. St. Michael was victorious and Satan was
defeated and was thrown down to the earth along with his demons. Now,
inevitably, people want to ask, “When did this great war happen?” And, you will
hear many answers to that question. Some will say that this happened shortly
after creation, but before the temptation in the Garden. Others will say that
this happened at Christ’s crucifixion and death upon the cross. Others still
will say that this is happening now, or is yet to happen. My dear children in
Christ, I say to you simply, “Yes.” I think the most responsible answer that
can be deduced from the Scriptures is that what John was given to see in the
Revelation was from the perspective of the LORD Himself who is not bound by
time, who sees all things at the same time. Certainly Lucifer’s rebellion and
fall occurred prior to his tempting of our First Parents. And, clearly Satan
has been at work tempting and deceiving the LORD’s people throughout the time
of the Old Testament. Yet, there is no doubt that Satan was truly defeated when
our Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross. Yet, still Satan prowls this earth
like a roaring lion seeking to devour, and the faithful are sealed in Holy
Baptism that they may resist Satan’s temptations by the Word of the LORD and by
prayer. Indeed, Satan will finally be imprisoned in hell for eternity when our
victorious Lord returns in power and glory on the Last Day. Therefore, the
great war in heaven described in Revelation twelve is an overarching narrative
of the LORD’s victory over Satan in Jesus Christ, a victory ascribed to St.
Michael the Archangel whose name means “Who is like God?”
The point is that, though
Satan still rages and deceives and leads many astray, he is already conquered
and defeated. The LORD God through His Son Jesus Christ has defeated Satan and
his demonic angels. Satan no longer has an audience before the LORD by which he
may accuse you. Indeed, you “have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb” of
God, Jesus Christ. Through Holy Baptism and faith, the gifts of the LORD’s
grace in Jesus Christ, you have been sealed and assured that the Lord will be
with you always and will never leave you or forsake you. This is His promise to
you, His Word that cannot be broken. His promise is not dependent upon your
faith, be it strong or weak. His promise is not dependent upon your piety, be
it high or low. His promise is not dependent upon your good works, be they many
or few. His promise is not dependent upon your church attendance, your
knowledge of the Bible, the quality of your marriage, the obedience and faith
of your children, or anything else but the promise of Jesus Christ, the Word of
the LORD made flesh. All that is required of you is faith, that is trust, which
is itself the gift of the Lord by the Holy Spirit. He who believes and is
baptized will be saved. He who confesses Jesus before men will Jesus also
confess before His Father in heaven.
Do not fear the devil. But,
do not be naïve about him and his ways either. He is very real and he is very
present. His angels are about you all the time, just as the LORD’s angels are
about you all the time. They are even here, in this holy sanctuary, right now
trying to disrupt the proclamation and the reception of the LORD’s Word and
Sacraments. They are in your homes, always working to set husband against wife,
and children against their parents and each other. They are very real and they
are very present. But, do not fear them, and do not fear him. His only weapons
are lies and deceptions. That is why you must hear, mark, learn, and inwardly
digest the Word of the LORD. For, by making the Word of the LORD your steady
diet, you will be strong in faith and in knowledge of the Word to identify and to
resist the devil’s temptations when they come. Moreover, pray. Pray for the
Lord’s protection, pray for the strengthening of your faith, and pray for
deliverance from the Evil One. For, the LORD has promised that His holy angels
will “guard you in all your ways.” Thus, Dr. Luther teaches you to pray in the
morning and in the evening, “Let Your holy angel be with me that the Evil Foe
may have no power over me.” Likewise, Jesus taught His disciples, and He
teaches you, that whoever humbles himself like a little child is the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven. And, Jesus continues, “I tell you that in heaven
their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
And, here we come full
circle. Lucifer’s fall was the result of his pride, which bred discontent,
jealousy, anger, and ultimately hatred and murder. Humility is the very
opposite of pride. Jesus teaches that the humble, the poor in spirit, the
selfless and the lowly are great in the kingdom of heaven and that their angels
behold the face of God. This is because the humble are open to the LORD’s will
and His Word. The humble do not place their own reason and intellect, wisdom,
and will over and above the will and the Word of the LORD. The humble do not
make themselves out to be gods, or god, but they submit themselves to the LORD,
and they acknowledge and confess Him to be the only true, holy, and righteous
God.
And so, there is a promise
and there is a warning. The promise is that the humble will receive the kingdom
and will be guarded and protected by the LORD’s holy angels. However, the
warning is that you must beware of haughtiness, arrogance, and pride. These
were the cause of Lucifer’s fall, and these are the chief temptations Satan
used against our First Parents, and continues to use against you their
children. Moreover, beware of looking down on those you think to have weak
faith, or a compromised confession, or less than pious lives. Beware of looking
down on the little children who in simple faith believe much easier and trust
more completely. Beware of looking down on others at all, and worse, of leading
others astray by your own words and deeds. As the Proverb says, “Pride goes
before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
But, now, let us join the
LORD’s holy angels in glorifying and praising the LORD as they do continually
before His holy throne in heaven. For, in this Holy Eucharist, heaven comes
down to earth and we are privileged to receive the Lord’s body and blood and to
laud and glorify His holy Name “with angels and archangels,” even St. Michael, “and
with all the company of heaven.” This day you will be with Jesus in Paradise,
for wherever Jesus is, there is the kingdom of heaven.
In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment