Pastor B.J. Froiland
1st Sunday after Christmas
John 21:20-25
December 27th, 2009
Sermon for the Festival of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
“Why am I still here?” This question may have been asked by St. John, the Evangelist and Apostle whom we celebrate today. Very early in the history of the Church, John was the last living Apostle and disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the last man to live who saw the Lord walking around in the flesh on this earth. All of the other disciples glorified God by dying a martyr’s death before John. We honor these heroes of the faith by adorning our altar in red in order to help us remember the blood they shed for the Lord whom to they held so firmly. But not so for the Apostle John, he died no martyr’s death, but only a natural death. In fact, historians suggest that John’s life span went beyond 100 years. His longevity would have been considered extreme old age at that time. Still the question for John remained, “Why am I still here?”
John was the last of the Apostles. All the rest died before him. John never married; he had no family, except for his parish-family in Ephesus. It would have been a lonely existence without them. John lived out his days, ever faithful to his Lord, as the Holy Scriptures testify.
The Lord was clear when He spoke with Peter about his death, but not so with John. To Peter the Lord said, “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)” The Lord told Peter that He would stretch out his hands in death. It was known that Peter’s death would be similar to the death of Christ Himself, who stretched out His hands at His crucifixion. Peter died such a death, but John’s death was not told. In fact, the only words our Lord mentioned about John’s death are from today’s Gospel reading: “[Jesus said] ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?’” No prophecy of death. Only the declaration to remain faithful to the Lord until His undisclosed homecoming.
50 years of life quickly passed for John. 60 years, 70 years, 80 years, 90 years. Yet John remained a faithful witness to Christ. St. Jerome, an early church father, tells a story of John’s faithfulness, particularly during his later years, “The Blessed Evangelist John lived at Ephesus down to such an extreme old age that he was, with difficultly, supported in the arms of his disciples, and so was carried to the church. And being unable to articulate many words, he was wont to utter each time to the congregation the simple words: ‘Little children, love one another.’ At last, his disciples and brethren were weary of hearing these words so often and asked him: ‘Master, wherefore ever sayest thou this only?’ Whereto he gave an answer worthy of John: ‘It is the commandment of the Lord, and if this only be done, it is enough.’” John was so old and crippled, that he had to be carried into the assembly of the faithful. His aged voice could only speak but a few words to the congregation: “Little children, love one another.” It was the shortest sermon, ever spoken, but how profound are these words: “Little children, love one another.” No other writer in the New Testament speaks of love as much as St. John: in His Gospel, in his letters, in the book of Revelation. John spoke of love that was living and active among the faithful: “… Whoever keeps His Word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” But the foundation of such love can be found most chiefly in John’s most famous writing: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Conceivably, this love helped John to understand his life, especially when he asked the question: “Why am I still here?” Such is our question along with St. John.
“Why am I still here?” Perhaps you ask yourself this question, particularly this time of year. In Christmasstide, you remember beloved and dear family and friends who have passed on to life eternal and you wonder, “Why am I still here?” “Why must I continue to trudge through this world?” Dearly Beloved, the reason is because that you are daily bread. Yes, God uses you to be daily bread for each other. You are daily bread to your neighbor, even as your neighbor is daily bread to you. Such is the wondrous design of your Heavenly Father. God uses you to thwart death and extend life. In God’s gracious will to save, He has carried the whole burden of your sin in His Son. He was freed you to be both burden-bearers and burdens, even as St. Paul says, “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” You care for those lives that have become burdensome by illness and accident, by loss and old age, but you also must humble yourself to the point of receiving the loving service of others. Do not be ashamed to be a burden, for in doing so you give the opportunity to brothers and sisters in Christ to fulfill their vocations and bear burdens for Jesus’ sake. This is how God works. Still, don’t be fooled: God is able to work miracles through all creation and the Holy Scriptures testify to this fact. But the Lord chooses to work in a far more profound way: through you. You are daily bread. God could send a thousand angels to comfort and console a distressed child, but instead, He sends a loving mother to the rescue. God could have said the word and our great land would be provided with food, but instead, He works through farmers to provide. God could have sent a balmy 75 degree warm front to melt all the snow, but instead He works through fathers and sons to shovel the snow from the drive way. God works though you.
And while He chooses to work through you, the Savior also gives you rest this day. For the Gospel of John ends with these words: “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were everyone of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” The works of Jesus continue to the present day, most especially proceeding from His Altar. So now you put aside the work you do, that God may now work in you. Amen.
The Peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
BJF