From: "David Petersen (by way of Rev. Eric J. Stefanski, )" To: Subject: HP: St. Michael's Day notes Date: Thursday, November 01, 2001 12:56 PM Dear Brothers: Here are some thoughts on St. Michael's Day. 1. Angels: The Gospel for St. Michael (Matt. 18:1-10) is so because of the last line: "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven." The children of God, all who are little ones regardless of years, have hosts of angels, armies of God's mighty messengers, that pray for them and protect them. Modern legend prefers a single, specific angel per person, or at least per child, that has no other duties. The Scriptural presentation is to be preferred over modern sensibilities and drama, not simply because it is true but also because it is infinitely more comforting than the fairy tale. 2. Child-like faith: This Gospel is again about greatness in the Kingdom of heaven - a lesson of Grace that passes all understanding and which God in His mercy continues to apply and teach to us poor sinners. Greatness in the Kingdom of heaven is not measured in the same way as it is in the kingdom of man. Rather the greatest and most wonderful thing in the Kingdom of heaven is the most despised and pitiable in the kingdom of man, even the unjust, brutal, and bloody execution of Our Lord. So weakness is strength, poverty riches, and dependence and vulnerability virtues. Thus Luther and his "Theology of the Cross." Dr. Scaer points out in his book on Baptism, that child faith is not the exception. We should not be surprised that infants are capable of believing. Instead of man's imagined nonsense about intellect and understanding, in the Kingdom child faith is the rule. And no one is saved apart from this vulnerable and dependent trust. Child-like faith does not, cannot, mean innocent faith, as though children were innocent. Rather it means vulnerability. It means letting God change your diaper, wipe away the stinking filth from your most intimate and sensitive parts, confident that he will not only not hurt you or laugh at you, but that he will also cleanse you and keep you healthy. 3. Back to angels: What has this do with angels? Angels are honored amongst men for their virtues and strength. Fairy tales and modern fiction are fascinated by the thought of spiritual super heroes like us but with supernatural powers and a special line to a generic, but kind, god. Despite the fact that the holy angels aren't that, the more significant thing from the Gospel of the Day is that even with their strength and purity they not the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. Heaven measures virtues and greatness differently than men. In heaven, on earth, in the future, and now, these holy angels serve believers. (1) They serve them first by praying for them, for their faces are always before Our Father in heaven. (2) They serve them next by intervening on their behalf: "God hath given His angels charge over thee: to keep thee in all thy ways" (Gradual) The Psalm continues: "They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." And finally, (3) they serve God's children by waging war against the powers of darkness that seek to devour them. (Epistle) 4. One final thought on angels in the life of the believer: The ladder in Jacob's dream is not a ladder for man to climb to heaven. Instead it is the means by which angels cross back and forth from there to here and back again. They come to earth to serve man. Our Lord identifies Himself as that ladder, the angels ascend and descend upon Him. That is to say, that by virtue of the Incarnation and the redemption of mankind, that which was a little lower than the angels is now higher, for no angel calls God "Father" nor His Son, "Brother and Kinsman." In the great and happy exchange where God took our sin into Himself and freely gave us all that is His: righteousness, holiness, innocence, purity, and heaven; He also gave us the service of His holy angels. Jacob's ladder is placed into your mouth and you are mystically joined to heaven. (John 1:51, Gen 28:12, the Proper Preface, the Collect) "... watchful is the angel band That follows Christ on every hand To guard His people where they go And break the counsel of the Foe For this, now and in days to be, Our praise shall rise, O Lord, to Thee, Whom all the angel hosts adore With grateful songs foevermore." TLH 254:7-8 Happy Preaching. David Petersen Redeemer, Ft. Wayne + Historic Preaching + The Historic Preaching list is devoted to preaching on the Propers of the Historic Lectionary as found in The Lutheran Hymnal (TLH) and Service Book and Hymnal (SBH). Subscribe? Send ANY message to: Unsubscribe? Send ANY message to: Respond? Click 'Reply' or write to For further information about this list, contact the list administrator at: Rev. Fr. Eric J. Stefanski or visit our website: + + + + + +