Month: September 2022

A Marked Man or Woman

This past Sunday I had the privilege of baptizing a young child. As part of the traditional ritual accompanying this sacrament, I made the sign of the cross on his forehead with my finger, and pronounced, “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, and marked with the cross forever.”

That statement is both a promise of  the current reality of being welcomed into God’s kingdom (John 1:12) and the promise of eternal salvation to come (1 Peter 3:21). But of course, although making the sign of the cross has strong spiritual reality, it does not physically appear like a tattoo, visible for all to see. But what if it did?

I once read about a nurse who participated in a baptism in her hospital’s neonatal ward. The newborn infant had a condition called “dermographia” or “skin-writing,” in which the skin welts up, forming red marks and lines when it is touched. As the nurse watched the baptizer make a sign of the cross on the child’s forehead, suddenly red lines appeared leaving a sign of the cross on the skin. The nurse was moved by the visible sign of an eternal reality. Eventually, of course. the welts subsided and the cross went away. But what if they had remained? What if the cross had remained permanently visible?

And what if that were true of every Christian, that at our baptism or at the moment of our conversion, a permanent cross appeared on our foreheads for all the world to see, and for us to be reminded of our faith every time we looked in the mirror? It would be awesome to know our true brothers and sisters in Christ at first sight, and to know who were phonies. We could separate the true sheep from those wolves in sheep’s clothing, the true pastors from those out to fleece the flock, and the politicians who claim religious faith and say, “God bless you!”, from those who say it and actually mean it. It would be awesome if we could become men and women marked for Christ.

The Bible say that believers on earth now receive such a spiritual mark: “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13), and that eventually those in  heaven “will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4). Such Scriptures provide the basis for our statement that in baptism we are “sealed by the Holy Spirit” and marked with the cross of Christ forever.”

But unseen spiritual realities and future manifestations of those realities don’t show themselves visibly now, so how can we see that someone is a true Christian in today’s world?

Some people think they can identify Christians (or show they are ones themselves) by looking holy:

  1. By wearing Christian jewelry, such as crosses. That may be true, but some gang members wear crosses, and some people like wearing pretty “bling” no matter what it represents. Besides, you can remove the jewelry when it is dangerous or unacceptable to wear it.
  2. By wearing message T-shirts that bear Bible verses or clever sayings. Not bad, but anyone can wear a shirt and then take it off. And some messages are not so biblical.
  3. By wearing Christian symbols as tattoos. But Leviticus 19:28 says, “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.” Does that still apply to Christians,or just to the Israelites?
  4. By dressing nice for church. I appreciate that, but looking nice may depend more on one’s finances than on the treasures of their heart. Besides, 1 Samuel 16:7 says that “man looks on the outside appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
  5. By becoming a pastor, missionary, or other leader in the church. Those are good and holy professions, but don’t guarantee a true faith or  holy life.
  6. By charitable good works. Even rank unbelievers or adherents of other religions can do good and laudable things, and we should commend them for doing so, but their motivations may have nothing to do with Christ. For example, Muslims make alms-giving a pillar of their beliefs.
  7. By memorizing or quoting Scripture, but even Satan quoted Scripture when tempting Jesus. And how many activists quote the Bible when it seems to support their cause?

So, it is not by dress or appearance or social positions in a church that we prove our identity as Christians, because anyone can mimic Christian behavior and seem good in a moral sense. Instead, consider the following clues, not as absolute proof of the true faith, but when taken together, can be visible signs that people are marked with the cross of Christ:

  1. They love God in Christ (Matthew 22:37), and proclaim it gladly to others.
  2. They seek to love their neighbors (Leviticus 19:18 and Matthew 19:19) and their enemies (Luke 6:27) as themselves.
  3. They confess that Jesus is Lord, that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9), and that he has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2).
  4. They continue to profess Christ even under persecution, when to do so is costly or deadly (James 1:12).
  5. They worship God regularly and seek fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:25 and Acts  5:42).
  6. They turn the other cheek and return good for the evil done to them Matthew 5:39).
  7. They seek to keep God’s commandments because they love and fear God (John 15:14).
  8. They delight in God’s Word, even when challenging (2 Peter 3:16).
  9. They  meditate on God’s law, day and night (Psalm 1:2).
  10. They recognize their own sinfulness, while forgiving others (Matthew 6:12-15).
  11. They put the best construction on what others do and say (Luke 7:37-50).
  12. They don’t judge people (Luke 6:37), but extend mercy to them (Matthew 5:7).
  13. They pray always (Luke 18:1).
  14. They seek what is best for others (Romans 12:10).
  15. They give thanks in all things (Philippians 4:6).
  16. They think on things that are good and holy (Philippians 4:8).
  17. They are reconcilers and peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).
  18. They are cheerful givers, to God and to those in need (2 Corinthians 9:7).
  19. They are humble (Psalm 51:17).
  20. They abhor and avoid the fruit of the flesh – “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.” (Galatians 5:19-51)
  21. They exhibit the fruit of the Spirit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Whew! What a list! But I offer it with four caveats: First, it is not a complete list; I’m sure you could think of other signs of true Christians. Second, this list is impossible to follow perfectly. Third, doing these things does not save us; they are works which follow salvation and are empowered by the Holy Spirit. And finally they are not a checklist for us to evaluate others, but rather to examine our own hearts before God, asking whether we truly love God and others as ourselves – the greatest commandments.

If we do show such love for God and our neighbor, then we won’t need a cross etched on our foreheads, for we will bear the true marks of one who is “marked by the cross of Christ forever.”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Galatians 5, and all the verses cited above!

P.S. In reference to point 11 above, Luther’s Small Catechism explains the Eighth Commandment as follows: “We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.”

Sanctuary

You hear the word “sanctuary” a lot these days. It’s all over the news. Politicians talk about “sanctuary states” and “sanctuary cities” in regards to illegal aliens. Other politicians talk about “sanctuary cities” for unborn babies; some 43 cities have outlawed abortions to that end. There are even 1,200 “Second Amendment sanctuary” cities and counties that have voted not to enforce restrictive gun laws.

Obviously, the term “sanctuary” strikes a chord deep in people’s hearts and minds. The idea and practice of providing a safe space for certain people or practices appeals to many of us. Who doesn’t want to be shielded and safe somewhere? I remember as a kid playing “ditch” in our neighborhood. The person who was “it” would yell, “Ditch!” and the rest of us, maybe 20 or so, would scatter and hide. “It” would come looking for us, but if we could make it back to the starting point without being tagged, we would be safe. We called that safe place, “goal” (but we all pronounced it like “ghoul”!). That goal was, in a sense, our sanctuary.

The idea of a safe place to run to actually goes back to the Old Testament. God gave instructions to the Israelites to set aside certain cities for the tribe of Levi, who did not otherwise receive large territories like the other tribes. Then he told them that six of those cities were to be “cities of refuge” to which a person accused of killing someone could flee. That man would be safe there from retribution until his case was heard. If he were found guilty of murder, he would be turned over to the dead person’s avenger; but if the death were ruled an accident, he could live in the city and be safe. The conditions for such a refuge are found in Numbers 35:6-34.

In the modern world, national borders often provide such places of refuge, whether Jews fleeing Nazi Germany, Ukrainians fleeing to Poland, Chinese fleeing to Taiwan, or Venezuelans coming to the U.S. It’s good to have such options when political oppression or other conditions make our old home unsafe.

But why do we call such safe places “sanctuaries”? We take the term from the Latin term, “sanctum,” which means “holy place” or “sacred place.” It is used in the Latin Bible (the Vulgate) to refer to the “holy” area of the Temple, where the priests served God. In addition, the word is used to refer to the innermost area of the Temple, called the Sanctum Sanctorum, or the “Holy of Holies,” where only the high priest could enter once a year.

An example from the Old Testament which refers to the sanctuary is Psalm 134:2 which says, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.”

The New Testament continues the use of the word sanctuary, using it just five times in relation to the Jerusalem Temple (Matthew and Luke) and to the heavenly Temple (Revelation). But now that the earthly Temple has been destroyed, Christians have applied the term to the area of a church building set aside for worship. Just as the Israelites and Jews met God’s presence and worshiped him in a physical location so Christians gather to worship God, hear his word, and receive his sacraments in a special place set aside for that purpose – even though we know that God cannot be housed in a building (Acts 7:44-50).

There’s a big difference between the old Temple and a church building. For one thing, the Bible tells us that it is Christians, not buildings, that are the new Temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 2:4-6 says we “like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.” The temple had a great curtain which divided the “Holy place” from the “Holy of Holies.” But when Christ died, the curtain was torn in two, signifying the opening up of access to God by his sacrifice. No longer are we barred from approaching God in person. The third great difference is in the area of sacrifices. Until Christ, the priests were continually offering animal sacrifices to atone for sin; but Christ offered himself up as the final sacrifice, once and for all (Hebrews 10:1-12). And finally, instead of there being a cadre of priests in the Temple, now we are all priests, not needing anyone besides Christ himself to mediate between God and us (1 Peter 2:5,9).

Even with the New Testament teachings about God’s new Temple and priesthood, the use of the term “sanctuary” is still appropriate when referring to a church’s worship area. It is where we go to deliberately worship God, hear God’s Word, and receive the sacraments. It is where our focus is on God, and where we have fellowship with other believers, encouraging each other in the faith. It is not only a symbol of our faith, it is also a place where we receive the grace our faith promises. And at times, sanctuaries have actually offered a refuge from harm, from attackers who respected God and did not want to violate his sacred places.

So, how should we understand and treat our church sanctuaries today?

  1. Recognize that because we are all priests and God is everywhere, we can worship him anywhere – in a church building, at a campground, in a stadium, in our home.
  2. Recognize that some places are more conducive to worship. When a church sets aside a place dedicated to worship, people enter it with hearts and minds prepared to meet God in his Word and Sacrament. Symbols of our faith are evident -such as crosses, altars, and baptismal fonts. On the other hand, trying to worship in a grocery store or rock concert is a little harder.
  3. Treat the sanctuary space reverently, respecting the other worshipers and focusing our attention on Jesus Christ. Refrain from running, gossiping, or angry speech.
  4. Respect the space even when not worshiping. The Bible speaks of things that are common and those that are sacred. The sanctuary is not sacred in and of itself, but as a space set aside for God’s purposes, it becomes holy.
  5. Respect the sanctuary as a place of refuge, where Christians, and those seeking God, can come and feel safe from the evils of the world. The sanctuary should be a place without prejudices, gossip, social class, feuds, anger and insults. Everyone who enters should feel safe, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. All our pettiness and disputes should be left outside, never to taint the sanctuary with sin.
  6. We should enter having prepared to meet God. We are to examine ourselves before receiving communion (1 Corinthians 11:28) and settle disputes with others before leaving our offering at the altar (Matthew 5:22-24). We come ready to confess our sins and be forgiven as only Christ can do.
  7. Sing praises to God! “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord! (Psalm 134:2); “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!” (Psalm 100); “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16); “Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.” (Psalm 33:3). God is worthy of all our praise, and it is good to give him the honor he is due.
  8. And finally, Go there. When you skip church for no good reason, are you telling others – and God – that worshiping him is not important? Are you such a spiritual giant that you don’t need to receive continuous grace from the Lord? Do you not care about your brothers and sisters that they be encouraged by your presence and service? There’s a reason the writer of Hebrews told us, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

I hope the next time you hear someone in the news talking about sanctuaries, you think on the special places of refuge, hope, and blessing which our churches provide, and recommit to meeting there with your fellow Christians to worship and fellowship joyfully.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 100; Hebrews 10