“When the Counselor comes… he will testify about me. And you also must testify.” (Joh 15:26-27 NIV)

The reason why the world protests and even hates Christians is because of their testimony about Jesus Christ. Agreed that a Christian can fail in the way he bears witness about his Lord. His own conscience will bother him in this regard and whatever he has to bear in that regard will be his own fault. However insofar he does not fail, but bears himself blameless as his love for Christ motivates him to testify about his Lord and master – there he is in line with the apostles and fathers and saints of the Church and all faithful Christians.

The world despised the apostolic account and their faithful witness. Why should it be different with us? The Holy Spirit himself spoke through the apostles and still the world did not accept their witness. Why should you be surprised if your Christian witness does not break down all opposition? If your witness conforms to that of the apostles, then it is their witness that is despised in yours – and even that of the Holy Spirit. Would you recon that to be a difficult challenge really if you have to suffer with the apostles and even with your Lord himself? No – on the contrary. It is a great comfort to know that you are joining this great cloud of witnesses and you are privileged in your calling to share their fate even if it means suffering along with them. The entire Church prays for such confession Christians, who witness and testify in this faithful way in words, life and suffering. The angels are preparing lauding praises and palm fronds of eternity for such faithful witnesses, who go about their calling to testify about Jesus Christ and give witness to his gospel in good and bad times.

O Lord Jesus Christ! Our witness concerning you and your gospel is often just so weak and poor. All too often it is plagued by our sinfulness and imperfection. Do not count this against us, o great and merciful Saviour. Rather strengthen our weak resolve through the powerful witness of your Holy Spirit and let our confession be sanctified and empowered by him. If suffering and misery come and abound, then comfort us in the trust and confidence, that we are part of your holy Church and that we are suffering its fate here on earth, but will also join in its eternal salvation and celebration in the time to come by your victorious grace and everlasting goodness. Amen.

Lord, grant that I may show how blessed it is to belong to you, to suffer with you, to combat with you, to stand eternally by your side too . (Philipp Melanchton 1497-1560: He prayed this daily at the start of his lectures)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Wednesday after the 6^th Sunday after Easter: Exaudi. It is found on Pg. 204 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.