Commemoration: Jacob (Israel), Patriarch

“Isaac Blesses Jacob,” illustration from the 1728 Figures de la Bible; illustrated by Gerard Hoet (1648-1733) and others, published by P. de Hondt in “The Hague.”

The third patriarch of the Hebrews, Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, was the younger of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca. The major highlights of his youth and early adulthood turn on the fact that he was exactly what his name suggested: a cheater (Jacob literally means “he takes by the heel,” which was an idiom of the time for “he cheats”).

He cheated his brother out of his birthright and deceived his father into giving him the elder son’s blessing using his wits and his mother’s help. His uncle later tricked him into marrying both his daughters, and Jacob’s favoritism for his wife Rachel and her sons plagued his family life, stirring up strife within his household. Jacob spent much of his adult life grieving over Rachel’s passing and the presumed death of his beloved son Joseph, who was secretly sold into slavery by his jealous brothers (the sons of Rachel’s sister).

Yet God dealt kindly with him. Renamed Israel (meaning “he strives with God”), he was a deceiver, a liar, and a cheat, but he was also richly blessed according to God’s gracious will and mercy.

Through him we too, cheaters and liars and murders alike, are blessed. The long foretold Messiah came to His people through Judah, Israel’s fourth son. Thus Jesus Christ fulfilled the law for all sinners, and through Him we are counted among the saints.

“Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’?
“Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.”
~Galatians 3:5-7

Commemoration: St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor

Another “true child” of Paul “in a common faith,” St. Titus served a similar role as Timothy, whom we remembered earlier this week. However, unlike Timothy, who was circumcised to more effectively reach the Jews (Acts 16:3), Titus was “not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek” (Galatians 2:3), likely to show that Gentile converts did not have to be circumcised to be true Christians (one of the major controversies of the early Church). Titus worked under Paul as a pastor, missionary, emissary, and fellow servant in Christ.

Icon of Saint Titus; Kosovo, 14th c. Pech Patriarch., S. Nicholas church.

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;

To Titus, my true child in a common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Titus 1:1-9

Commemoration: St. Timothy

Today we remember St. Timothy, Pastor and Confessor. Paul counted the young pastor as not only his friend and fellow Church worker, but as his “true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2).

“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”
~1 Timothy 6:11-16

Commemoration: King David

Today we commemorate and remember King David. David’s life is well documented in Scripture, from his great faith and loyalty to God to his great sins — in particular, his adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of Uriah. His cries of repentance and prayers for mercy in Psalm 51 are familiar words in the liturgy: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit” (verses 11 and 12).

There’s another pretty obvious reason we commemorate David, especially this close to Christmas. Christ is the Son of David, promised to us from of old. From “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” in the Holy Week section of the LSB, number 442, verse 1:

All glory, laud, and honor
To You, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

You are the King of Israel
And David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming,
Our King and Blessed One.

Commemoration: Lucia, Martyr

Martyred in AD 304 during the Roman persecution under Emperor Diocletian, Lucia (whose name means “light”) was put to death by the sword. She died a virgin, having given away her dowry as an act of Christian charity. Festivals of light are a popular way to commemorate this martyr, especially in Scandinavian countries during the shortest days of the year. Though the truth of the legends that have sprung up around her are impossible to verify (one says that she brought aid to Christians hiding in the catacombs and, to keep her hands free to carry more food, she wore a wreath of candles to light her way), in remembering her during the Advent season we are pointed to the coming of Jesus, the light of the world.

The people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.
Matthew 4:16

Commemoration: Aurelius Ambrosius

Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin’s Son, make here Your home!
Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.

Not by human flesh and blood,
By the Spirit of our God,
Was the Word of God made flesh—
Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.

#332 in the LSB was written by Ambrose of Milan, born in Germany in 337 AD and died on Good Friday, April 4, 397 in Milan, Italy. We commemorate Aurelius Ambrosius as a pastor and hymnwriter, one of the four great Latin Doctors of the Church alongside Augustine, Jerome and Gregory the Great.

Ambrose was chosen as pastor of Milan while still serving as a civil governor. History says that the Christians of Milan were divided into factions at the time, and when the 34-year-old catechumen addressed the crowd gathered to elect a new bishop (trying to seek peace between them), someone yelled, “Ambrose, bishop!” The entire crowd agreed, so after Ambrose was baptized on December 7, he was consecrated bishop of Milan. He was bold in his defense of the faith, and pivotal in the theological fight against Arianism (the heresy that inspired Santa Claus to supposedly slap Arius, as mentioned in yesterday’s post).

During this Advent, as at all times, we look to Scripture and Christ crucified as the defense against every false doctrine, and thank God for the servants He has given us across time and space to preserve His Church. If you are looking for materials that focus on Jesus during this holy season, check out the Advent devotional put out by Christ Academy. You can make it a part of your daily devotions by downloading it HERE or by clicking this picture of the cover:

Authors of the devotional include pastors and seminarians, many of them either former attendees or proctors at Christ Academy.

Commemoration: Nicholas of Myra

Today we commemorate Nicholas of Myra, Pastor, or, as you may recognize him by his more secularly-known name, Santa Claus. Very little is actually known about Saint Nicholas, at least historically. Legend and tradition say that he was the only son of wealthy parents, known for charitable giving and said to have put coins in people’s shoes. Another favorite story of the man, at least in church circles, say that he struck Arius at the Council of Nicaea (the church council from which we get the Nicene Creed), a heretic who denied the divinity of Christ.

As much fun as these tales are, research affirms only this: that Nicholas was a bishop in the city of Myra in Lycia (part of modern-day Turkey) in the A.D. 300s. As always, let our commemoration of the saints point us to Jesus, the greatest gift the world has ever received.

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Commemoration: John of Damascus

The day of resurrection!
Earth, tell it out abroad,
The passover of gladness,
The passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
From sin’s dominion free,
Our Christ has brought us over
With hymns of victory.
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Let hearts be purged of evil
That we may see aright
The Lord in rays eternal
Of resurrection light
And, list’ning to His accents,
May hear, so calm and plain,
His own “All hail!” and, hearing,
May raise the victor strain.
‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍
Now let the heav’ns be joyful,
Let earth its song begin,
Let all the world keep triumph
And all that is therein.
Let all things, seen and unseen,
Their notes of gladness blend;
For Christ the Lord has risen,
Our joy that has no end.
‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍
All praise to God the Father,
All praise to God the Son,
All praise to God the Spirit,
Eternal Three in One!
Let all the ransomed number
Fall down before the throne
And honor, pow’r and glory
Ascribe to God alone!

Today we commemorate John of Damascus, theologian and hymnwriter. You can find two of his Easter hymns in the Lutheran Service Book, and this one (#478) happens to be my favorite. Anyone looking for some organ-heavy karaoke this afternoon can listen to the tune and sing along here:

Born in 675 AD and died 749, John of Damascus is known as the last great Greek theologian. Before he became a priest, John gave up an influential position in the Islamic court to devote himself to Christianity. He argued against the prohibition of icons, wrote theological defenses against common heresies of the time, and summarized the orthodox faith and the writings of previous theologians in a book known as the Fount of Wisdom.

Commemorations: Elizabeth of Hungary & Clement of Rome

There are two commemorations on the Lutheran calendar this week. Yesterday we remembered Elizabeth of Hungary, daughter of the King of Hungary, married at 14 and widowed at 20, after which she made provisions for her three children so that she could become a nun. She died at the age of 24, likely due to her self-sacrificial ways and self-denial. She was known for her warm hospitality and her care for the sick and needy; one story tells of her giving up her bed for a leper. Many hospitals throughout the world are named for her.

Later this week, on the 23rd (which happens to be Thanksgiving this year), we’ll remember Clement of Rome, said to have been ordained by Peter. The 4th bishop of Rome, Clement faithfully kept Christ central to the Church. Tradition says that he was tied to an anchor and drowned, dying a martyr’s death.

As interesting as these tales are…why do we remember them? Why can you find a calendar of commemorations in the first few pages of the Lutheran Service Book?

The LSB offers a quick explanation: we don’t honor saints for their own sake, but to remember that God has given faithful servants to His Church. Through remembering we see God’s mercy as of old. These saints are “examples of those in whom the saving work of Jesus Christ has been made manifest.”

For a more in-depth look into why Lutherans remember the saints, here is an article from the July/October 2014 issue of Concordia Theological Quarterly. “Then Let Us Keep the Festival: That Christ Be Manifest in His Saints,” was written by Dr. D. Richard Stuckwisch, a 1993 and 2003 CTSFW grad.

CLICK HERE to read it.

Commemoration: Philipp Nicolai, Johann Heermann, and Paul Gerhardt

Yesterday was the commemoration of three faithful women in the Church, and because our calendar stacks these things on top of each other, today we commemorate three hymnwriters, Philipp Nicolai, Johann Heermann and Paul Gerhardt.

Some highlights: Nicolai wrote the tune to “Allelulia! Let Praises Ring”/”O Holy Spirit Enter In,” and the other two wrote the text to a couple of my favorite Lenten hymns, “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken” (Heermann) and “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” (Gerhardt). However, since neither are in season I’ll leave you with an Easter hymn by Gerhardt instead (LSB 467):

Awake, my heart, with gladness,
See what today is done;
Now, after gloom and sadness,
Comes forth the glorious sun.
My Savior there was laid
Where our bed must be made
When to the realms of light
Our spirit wings its flight.
‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍
The foe in triumph shouted
When Christ lay in the tomb;
But lo, he now is routed,
His boast is turned to gloom.
For Christ again is free;
In glorious victory
He who is strong to save
Has triumphed o’er the grave.
‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍
This is a sight that gladdens–
What peace it doth impart!
Now nothing ever saddens
The joy within my heart.
No gloom shall ever shake,
No foe shall ever take
The hope which God’s own Son
In love for me hath won.
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Now hell, its prince, the devil,
Of all their pow’r are shorn;
Now I am safe from evil,
And sin I laugh to scorn.
Grim death with all his might
Cannot my soul affright;
It is a pow’rless form,
Howe’er it rave and storm.
‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍
The world against me rages,
Its fury I disdain;
Though bitter war it wages,
Its work is all in vain.
My heart from care is free,
No trouble troubles me.
Misfortune now is play,
And night is bright as day.
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Now I will cling forever
To Christ, my Savior true;
My Lord will leave me never,
Whate’er He passes through.
He rends death’s iron chain;
He breaks through sin and pain;
He shatters hell’s dark thrall;
I follow Him through all.
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He brings me to the portal
That leads to bliss untold,
Whereon this rhyme immortal
Is found in script of gold:
“Who there My cross has shared
Finds here a crown prepared;
Who there with Me has died
Shall here be glorified.”