On August 10th the Church remembers St. Lawrence “who kept and distributed the church’s goods and alms. When the prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence turn over the church’s treasury, Lawrence made a faithful confession, showing the prefect the widowed and orphaned, the blind and lame, saying, “These are the treasures of the Church.” For his fidelity, Lawrence was burned — roasted alive — over a gridiron.” source
The stories of the martyrs are kept in our memory by the Church for good reason. Lawrence was killed over a 1000 years ago. We can read his story and sigh at the sadness, cruelty and be awed by his faithfulness, then go along with our day. We are reminded how God can give His children great suffering but also great strength to face it, even if it means their death.
But, none of us are touched by such martyrdom in this country are we?
When we think of martyrs, it is the St. Lawrences’, the St.Robert Barnes’, it’s Stephen or those fed to lions ages ago that come to mind and yet the blood of the martyrs has not stopped flowing. Today our Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq are being persecuted and killed. Pray for them, for their protection, for provision and for perseverance.
My babies ask me many questions about the Devil and I tell them honestly that he is their great enemy, that he roams the earth and I sometimes worry, “maybe I shouldn’t tell them that, maybe they are too young, maybe I’m scaring them.” Maybe I shouldn’t tell them about Christians being killed because they loved Jesus or because they taught others about Jesus. But our evil foe seeks to devour and rages against us and my babies must know all of this.
“We face Satan’s attacks and threats head-on, look them square in the eye, because we have been marked — just like the Christians in Iraq — with the sign of the holy cross on our foreheads and on our hearts in the waters of Baptism. In that gift, Christ promised us eternal life, salvation, comfort, mercy, even joy with Him, despite what the world and all its evil send our way. ” Rev. Matthew Harrison
The persecutions Christians face in American is more subtle. We are free from facing the sword or snipers on the way to church. We live comfortably, free from the real terror other Christians encounter elsewhere. We are fat on Jesus, lazy and if we can be honest, right where our great enemy Satan would like us to remain.
We may never be threatened with death as some, perhaps we will, perhaps our grand-children will. But everyday we see battles being lost to the culture we live in. Our persecution may be soft, but it is real and we can’t wimp out as the Devil would like. The Devil would have us listen to the siren song of complacency in our faith. Our flesh would think it fine to neglect God’s Word, neglect prayer, neglect singing our hymns, neglect reading our catechisms and certainly to neglect teaching our children the Faith.
“We are called to vigilance because we know that faithfulness and persecution go hand-in-hand. We prepare now; we do not wait. We have Scriptures to learn, catechisms to study and hymns to memorize so that — if God in His infinite wisdom allows this suffering to befall us, too, one day — we are emboldened by the Word of God, which is in our hearts and on our lips.” Rev. Matthew Harrison
I came across this image in a recent Good News magazine article and it made an impression on me. God’s people gathered around Christ, His word, His promises, His Body and Blood.
Soldiers, the Church Militant praying.
But one calmly, sleepily, being lured away. Death on his face.
This image is terrifying. It stayed with me for days. A gruesome illustration of the spiritual truth, our enemy is fierce and relentless. He hates God’s children. He easily leads us astray. I was happy to come across this good prayer today:
“Whenever Satan seeks to seduce me to sin, to neglect Your Word and will, to dishonesty, selfishness, and envy, help me to resist him in Your strength, to beat back his attacks and obtain the victory. Father in heaven, let me never forget that I am Your child and that Satan’s only purpose is to separate me from You. O Savior, Jesus Christ, keep Your bitter suffering ever before me, so that I hate and abhor every sin, no matter how small it may seem. O Holy Spirit, who has regenerated me, keep me in this newness of life and let not Satan lure me back into the way that leads to eternal damnation. Triune God keep me constant in Your means of grace – The Word and Sacraments- that in the power of Your might I may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand.” Amen.
Luther writes:
“For where God through His Word and faith has gathered together a church, the devil cannot be at peace. And where he cannot achieve its destruction through sectarianism, he strikes at it with persecution and violence so that we must risk our body and life in the fight, and all that we have.”
Luther also writes, “For where Christ is with his comfort and joy, the cross and persecution are not far away.“
We are not promised more days on this earth. We will suffer, we will be persecuted. All we have is Christ, His Word, His great promises. May God in His mercy, grace and goodness keep us in the true faith, faithful unto death.
“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10
“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:12
“Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20
