A dispute also arose among [the disciples] as to which one of them would be regarded as the greatest. “Who is the greatest among us?” This is the question of which the 12 sought an answer. “Was it Andrew?” He was the first disciple called to follow Jesus. “Was it Peter?” He was often times the spokesman for the 12 disciples. The greatest among the 12 certainly could not have been Bartholomew, the saint whom we commemorate this day, or could he be the greatest?

The Holy Scriptures tell us little about Bartholomew. He is listed among the disciples in all the Gospel accounts. In his Gospel, St. John calls Bartholomew by his other name, Nathaniel. Nathaniel sat under a fig tree when suddenly his friend Philip came telling him of the Messiah who was Jesus of Nazareth. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” “Dear Nathaniel, Come and See, the Great Man who has come from Nazareth.”

When Jesus saw Nathaniel he declared him to be an Israelite in whom there is no guile. How did our Lord know? Christ saw him even when he was under the fig tree. Our Lord loved and cared for him as He saw him in advance. The Messiah promised Nathaniel would see even greater things than this, even his own salvation won for him on the cross.

The Lord saw, loved, and cared in advance for Nathaniel when he was under the fig tree. The same Lord saw, loved, and cared for you in advance. King David (as well as us) declare in Ps. 139, “I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from Thee when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”

God states more concisely to Jeremiah and to you: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you …” Our Lord knew you even as you were being formed in the womb. He saw you, loved you, and cared for you. And greater things would you see as your salvation is given in the washing of the Word. And at times you may doubt, even as Bartholomew did, but even then, our Lord through his Word declares you to be an adult, a teenager, a child in whom there is no guile. You are made pure by the death of Jesus.

After the death of Jesus, the disciples were sent out to Jerusalem, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth to proclaim the death and life of Christ for all mankind. Bartholomew was no exception. A most telling and fascinating story of this apostle comes to us from church history. It fell to Bartholomew’s lot to join the apostle Thomas to preach the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the nations and peoples in India. He preached nothing but Christ Crucified chiefly from the Gospel of Saint Matthew. The Holy Spirit converted many souls to Jesus Christ through the preaching, laboring, and suffering of Bartholomew in the country of India. After this, he went to eastern Armenia.

It was in Armenia that the same Holy Spirit converted to the Christian faith a mighty king, his queen, and twelve cities by the Holy Gospel preached by Bartholomew. This caused the pagan religious leaders of that nation to be exceedingly jealous of him, and they stirred up the brother of the mighty king against the apostle. The king’s brother commanded Bartholomew to be flayed alive, that is to have his skin stripped off him, and then he was beheaded. In this cruel martyrdom St. Bartholomew gave up his soul to God, for while the pagans could strip his skin, they could not strip him of his confession of Christ Jesus as the forgiver of all sin, even the sin of those who would kill him.

His heroism in proclaiming the Gospel through terrible martyrdom sealed Bartholomew as a true apostle of Christ. His faithfulness to His Lord is revealed in those nations that heard the Gospel and confessed Christ as Lord. As in a tree, The Holy Spirit through Bartholomew’s life and martyrdom grafted these peoples into the trunk of Christ. The places in which Bartholomew was transplanted grew Christians whose excellent sap flowed from the branch of this apostle, and from the eternal root Christ Jesus our Lord.

And yet, the eternal root, Christ Jesus was not the focus of Bartholomew and the other disciples in today’s Gospel. The allure of greatness dominated their minds. They knew well the teaching and miracles of the Messiah, but they could not see yet the suffering, death, and passion of our Lord. Glory and greatness have their place in the life to come, but may our glory today come only from the suffering and death of Christ.

The Apostles have a taste of this suffering. Jesus said, “You have remained with me in my trials.” The disciples journeyed and stayed with Jesus even during his rejection by the Pharisees and Israelite teachers of the law. However, they would abandon Him during his most severe trial: His passion. But, when the disciples abandoned the Savior in His lowest point, Jesus remained with them for eternity, as he said, “Behold, I am with you always even to the end of the age.” His apostles were gathered, forgiven, strengthened, and commissioned after the resurrection. They are made partakers of His kingdom that they may eat and drink at His table.

This kingdom, where Jesus’ disciples eat and drink at His table is appointed to those who persevere with our Lord through his trials, just as Bartholomew, the other disciples, and you persevere. Whoever takes up his cross to follow Him – whoever continues with Him in His trials, this will not go unnoticed in His kingdom. This is not a requirement of your perfect obedience, for no fallen man can enter this kingdom.

Therefore, the Christian life is not your dedication to good works, but Christ’s dedication to you, because He suffered for you and rose again so that you also will be resurrected. Even when you deny God and abandon Him, He persists and confesses you to be His own dear child. When you are unfaithful to Him, He is faithful to you and His faithfulness for you extends to the point of death. Suffering and the cross, eating and drinking at Jesus’ table, these all belong together for the disciples—these all belong together for you.

Who is the greatest? St. Bartholomew is the greatest for the same reason that you are the greatest. Both he and you are the ones served to eat and drink at the Lord’s Table in His kingdom. So you also, be bold to confess even unto death, the Suffering Servant Jesus Christ who feeds you at His table with His own Body and Blood. Amen

The Peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

✠BJF✠