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Matthew 11:12–19

Grace, mercy and peace to you, from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Lord preserves his Church. In the Garden of Eden, where the Church first was, when sin came into the picture, trying desperately to throw a wrench into the perfectly orchestrated antiphon of God speaking his Word to his people and their speaking it back to him—God carried his people, Adam and Eve, out of danger, even out of paradise for their good. Even in their fallen state, he continued to serve them, and they continued to call upon him. In the ark, he preserved his church, eight souls in all. In Egypt, he carried them along and out by the hand of Moses. He preserved them by giving them his law. He preserved them by his Word in the mouths of the prophets. He preserved his Church by sending himself in the person of his Son, his Christ, to shepherd his people, to teach them, to die and to rise, taking away the sins of the world. And then, his hand preserved his Church as it guided the pens and footsteps of the apostles, of Paul. He preserved his people—sustaining them with Word and Sacrament through persecutions, through plague. And even after a time when his Word was seemingly battered beyond recognition, puffed out under the ruthless greed of Empires, under perversion by purportedly Holy Men. Even in such a time, well, that’s what today, that’s what observing Reformation Day is all about, isn’t it? Wouldn’t we like to talk about our triumph over those filthy papists? Was that not when we really saw the Lord miraculously preserving his church?

Why did God set things up in such a way that they need to be preserved in the first place? Why make the Church susceptible to corruption, persecution, and all manner of trouble? Why allow her to be worn down? Is there an expiration date on the Church? Will it ever really slip away into oblivion? Of course not! Doesn’t Jesus say that the very gates of hell shall not prevail against it?

So why leave John the Baptist to rot in prison? Why let things get so grim? Why make us worry like that? In the Gospel text appointed for this day, Jesus gives us something like an answer.

“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates. We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We sang a dirge for you, and you did not mourn. In other words, Jesus says: You people. Nothing is gonna make you happy. You were on the lookout for Elijah, and you threw him in jail. All of your fathers have been waiting for the Christ—and what will you do to him?

You played the flute for John, and he did not dance. You sang a dirge for the Son of Man, and he did not mourn. We want our John the Baptist to look a certain way. We want our Son of Man to do what we expect him to do. What’s the trouble with the kingdom of heaven? We want to build it up in our own image.

But wisdom is justified by her deeds, Jesus says, or wisdom is justified by her children, as some variants have it. In other words, the truth will out! No, the kingdom doesn’t look quite how we expected, and no, it doesn’t exactly seem to be in very good health. Yes, John is in prison. Yes, the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and they will kill him. But on the third day he will rise. Our Lord works in weakness. Our Lord manifests his kingdom in weakness. And only in the resurrection from the dead will the scroll be opened to all. Only in the resurrection from the dead will things be made clear.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Jesus says. The kingdom of heaven is indeed advancing if you would only listen. If you would only trust me, Jesus says. Yes, John is in prison. Yes, the Son of Man is going to be killed. Yes, they will throw you out of the synagogues. Yes they will persecute you and even kill you because of me! But what is it that I’m asking you to do?

Does Jesus say, “let’s go bust John out of prison!” “Grab your pitchforks and torches, we’re off to burn the palace!” No, no. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Jesus says. Listen to my Word, Jesus says. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. By his Word, the Lord preserves his Church. We do not tell the kingdom of heaven what it is to do. God will do as he pleases with the kingdom, even if it seems untamed or unwise to us at first blush.

The Reformation was concerned with conscience. It isn’t so hard for us to listen to what our conscience is saying. How often does the self-talk that’s going on inside our head drown out every other voice there is to hear? Has our conscience ever encouraged us to pick up a torch and take matters into our own hands? Has our conscience ever led us to the lonesome edge of despair, where we see no justice, no end to suffering, no escape from unrelenting sin, nothing but eternal accusation?

There is an answer to all of these, there is something that sweeps away the clutter. Every time you and I make confession and receive Absolution, every time we sing Create in Me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me—that is when we really see Jesus miraculously preserving his Church. That is what the preservation and building up of the kingdom looks like—a conscience cleansed by Christ’s Word. A conscience that isn’t afraid when John’s in prison, that has been assured that Jesus has not gone away somehow, has not left things to fall apart, and has not left us alone with our sin.

So today, we listen to the Word of Christ. It is that Word which leads us on. It is that Word which quiets our conscience by the forgiveness of sins. It is that Word which proclaims us to be members of Christ’s Body. His Word shows us his nearness. It shows us the kingdom as it is. It tells us that he is coming soon. By His Word, our Lord preserves His Church.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.