Today on the 2nd of the high holidays of Christmas the Christian Church commemorates the death of its first martyr St. Stephen, which is recorded in Acts chapter 7. In the sight of this harsh end, we confess with words of Psalm 116: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints…I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.“(Psa 116:15.17 NIV) This is yet more clear evidence that the Church is no blue-eyed, sentimental re-hasher of fairy tales and ringer of jingle-bells, but rather has even these very serious calamities as part of its highest holidays. The cross and harsh suffering, persecution and martyrdom is a very real part of the church militant. It’s just sad, that so many people only stand the very short glimpse of Christmas Eve into the profound message of Christ’s incarnation – which for their sake is even to often abbreviated, over simplified and made easy to swallow. If they would only stay longer and hear more, they would realize how rich and encompassing the gospel of Jesus Christ really is. There’s no end to it and no one to fathom it’s depth, wisdom, truth, grace, beauty, joy, peace, comfort, mercy never mind its systematic entirety and wholesomeness in our short lives as Luther confesses: “We are beggars for sure!” However there will come a time, when at last we will see, hear and praise what we have here believed – for Christ’s birth sake and as he become one of us, so that we would live eternally with him in heaven.

We pray with the order of the Pastoral Care Companion (LSB): “Heavenly Father, in the midst of our sufferings for the sake of Christ grant us grace to follow the example of the first martyr, Stephen, that we also may look to the One who suffered and was crucified on our behalf and pray for those who do us wrong; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” (Pg.603)