This article has been a while in coming, partly due to my study workload and such, partly because of the time it’s taken to think through the issue I want to present. I am not done thinking it through. Even setting this discussion within the parameters of the Augsburg Confession to which I subscribe as a Lutheran leaves much to ponder. There seems to be a hole in the Christian life of the modern western Lutheran Church, from what I can see. I think venerating the saints is important. I think keeping the calendar of saints’ days is important. It takes a lot of intentional effort these days to think about it, precisely because it is no longer part of our consciousness as Christians. If we are surrounded by a great crowd of witnesses, those who have finished the race, why is it so hard to be mindful of them? No answers yet. But I hope this article begins some thinking. Let’s get into it.
Many people my age feel, on a deep level, the need for a restoration of tradition, which of course means different things for different people in various contexts. Many of us know that there is something wrong with holding in universal contempt everyone who went before us as primitive and outdated at best, hateful and evil at worst. This is not universally the case among my Generation Z1 demographic, but it’s certainly true among many of my friends, and from my observation, quite widespread among Generation Z throughout Christianity and beyond. Tradition is authoritative, and while past generations have found meaning in rebellion against authority, we appear to find ours, for better or for worse, in rebellion against the new modern regime of rebellion against even older authority. There are many psychological issues contained in this rebelliousness, and I think it is mostly bad. But, it could possibly be a necessary evil, if it means we can somehow return to the ancient wisdom of holding ones forebears in high esteem, teaching children to look to them as heroes and role models, and ourselves looking to them in the same way, and, critically, in everything thanking God for them, and asking Him to give us the strength to live as they did.
This means, generally speaking, looking at figures such as Rousseau, Marx, Hobbes, Locke, Luther, Aquinas, Maimonides, Boethius, and whoever else, not only as points on a timeline to be examined merely as such, but as forebears of ours as citizens of Western nations.2 As our forebears, then, we stand upon their shoulders, we go about thinking on parapets supported by older foundations they laid, and as such we are blessed with a more complete view of the whole construction of our civilisation, and the view from the top affords us a more complete picture of our surrounding environment. As we study history, we descend the stairs of this grand palace, and we encounter lists of names associated with each floor, each once the highest vantage point in its day. Instead of noting them merely as data, we ought to ask what wisdom they had which built their era our civilisation either so well or so poorly. Why have we renovated the levels some of them built in order to better construct our own? Why haven’t we? Should we demolish the whole thing and begin over again from the ground up? All of these are pertinent questions, some of them asked by many in our age today.
However, I don’t wish to dwell on the citadel of our culture in this article any more than what’s necessary to provide a background picture. Let’s descend from this tower, head up the main road, and enter the Church. This building is thousands of years old. The oldest, innermost part, was founded by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The following Patriarchs of God’s people built onto it as God revealed His Word to them. In this Holy of Holies, we get a deeply beautiful picture of the eternity of our religion, and a glimpse of the beauty and glory of God our Father, God His Son, our Brother, and God the Holy Spirit, our Guide and Comforter. In the centre of this holy place is the object of our faith, which is proclaimed to us by the Scriptures from the very beginning: Christ the crucified. The Son of Man lifted up to draw all people to Himself draws all attention in this holy sanctuary. The candles surrounding the high altar seem not to illuminate Him, but to receive and proclaim His glorious light throughout the space.
As we move back from the Altar, we suddenly see the pain of long years carved into the walls of this place, and many, many more names. The Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Malachi, and the rest. The Apostles St Peter, St James, St John, St Paul. Their disciples St Barnabas, St Clement, St Ignatius, St Papias, St Polycarp, and the list goes on. Many of them holy martyrs who chose death over betraying the One who was betrayed and given over to death for them. Many more who devoted their lives to shepherding Christ’s flock, and left many writings behind from which future generations of His flock would find wisdom and edification. Yet, there are recorded in the stones of some sections of this magnificent church building tales of pain, grief, and misery: the names of those who succumbed to the temptation of the one who wills nothing more than to destroy the Church. Heresiarchs whose teachings poisoned the minds of generations in the Church, kings, princes, governors, and emperors who warred against Christ’s Bride desiring nothing less than her total destruction. But as we look, the light from the candles illuminating this ancient building dances upon further inscriptions: testimonies to the faithfulness of the Bridegroom who has rescued His beloved bride from her assailants. Over and over again, we read that the gates of Hell did not prevail.
In the modern age, in which we are privileged to behold a vast display of beauty and splendour from thousands of years of history, why do we, for the most part, neglect to intimately explore it, in order to better continue its divinely appointed mission to save the lost? What I envision is more Christians, particularly Protestant Christians, taking the time to walk around this grand, ancient building of the Church, and explore the lives and stories of the saints by whose sweat, blood and tears it is built. This is at the heart of what I see as the right veneration of saints. In the Lutheran Church we teach that the veneration of saints is threefold:
Our Confession approves honors to the saints. For here a threefold honor is to be approved. The first is thanksgiving. For we ought to give thanks to God because He has shown examples of mercy; because He has shown that He wishes to save men; because He has given teachers or other gifts to the Church. And these gifts, as they are the greatest, should be amplified, and the saints themselves should be praised, who have faithfully used these gifts, just as Christ praises faithful business-men (Matt. 25:21, 23). The second service is the strengthening of our faith; when we see the denial forgiven Peter, we also are encouraged to believe the more that grace truly superabounds over sin (Rom. 5:20). The third honor is the imitation, first, of faith, then of the other virtues, which every one should imitate according to his calling.3
This is a dimension of the faith we entirely miss out on when we confine our Christian lives to whatever small corner of our great Cathedral of Christendom we happen to inhabit. Now, most of us over the course of the Church year engage in some meditation on saintly figures from aeons past, because this is simply unavoidable where the Word of God is preached. This is perfectly acceptable as a basic level of veneration, I argue. I am not describing a sin by omission when I discuss what I see as a lack in the Church. It is a lack, however. Take a walk around our Cathedral once more. See more names you know, note the records of their lives and deeds which brought glory to the name of Christ. See their images, pointing you to their crucified Saviour who hangs on the altar crucifix, desiring to show you the inscrutable depths of the love and grace they found in Him, to which they dedicated their lives. As you slow down, you find you cannot skip over them so easily, for each has a story you cannot help but read in detail. As you read each one, your eyes go again and again to the Holy of Holies, the Altar of the Lord, where Christ the crucified is presented before your eyes. Overwhelmed, you return to your seat. But you see even more names, familiar names this time. Your grandfather, your grandmother, your great uncle, your great grandfather, your great grandmother, and many more, each of them, in their humble way, showing you Christ just as powerfully as the famous heroes of the Church, You see, the saints are not just those heroes of the faith celebrated by hundreds of generations, those Prophets, Apostles, and countless clergy and laity who gave their lives for Him—the saints are all around you in life and in death. Look along the wall a little way, and see the inscription commemorating that elderly parishioner who showed Christ’s love to all he knew, with his hands meeting their material needs, with his heart their spiritual needs, compelling you again to give thanks to Christ, to Whom he, too, points with joy eternal.
These are the cloud of witnesses, inscribed upon the walls of our great Cathedral of the Ages, the holy place of the one holy catholic and apostolic faith once delivered to all the saints. There were many who found solace in the walls of this sacred temple and looking to Christ crucified for their hope and salvation, found the strength to confess Him before men and earn a crown of glory. There were also many who prayed for them, to whom the Lord did not give the cup of His passion to drink. There are many who are left, seeing these stories, who have not fully realised the treasury of inspiration and encouragement which is found in them. St Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews4 includes a whole litany of saints of God’s people whose faithful examples are given to us:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.
By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.5
I thought it necessary to include the whole passage here, because I love it so much. It preaches to me that these holy saints are given to me to show me Christ, and reminds me that these deeds were done through the same faith as He gave me, so that I cannot help but whisper to the Lord a short prayer of thanks. And St Paul is not content to simply stop there, but he tells us that apart from us, they should not be made perfect. We are made perfect with them, because we are, with them, the adoring throng of the same Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.6
These are our great cloud of witnesses, the μάρτυρες.7 Their images and stories surround us to remind us of the goal to which they endured. God intends their example to inspire us to endure to this same finish line, to encourage us that He has been faithful to our elder brothers and sisters and granted them eternal rest, and He will grant this to us also. I want to resolve to spend more time meditating on the grace and mercy of Christ which is shown in the lives of the saints, according to the confession of those saints we in the Lutheran Church venerate for having restored to us the pure doctrine of God’s Word. So, let us learn to love the saints, and in so doing learn to love Christ in a deeper, more profound way, as we are pointed toward the head by the other members of His body.
Prayer of the Day - Saturday Easter 4
Lord Jesus, You are the Stronger Man who plundered Satan’s house by casting out demons with Your finger and finishing him off by Your death on the cross. Blessed are those who hear Your Word and keep it by their works of mercy and charity as Satan falls like lightning from heaven when he sees You in us; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (1018)
I use this for the sake of argument, since everyone understands what this term denotes. I hate it, though.
If you are reading this and are not from a Western country, you will be able to consider key figures in the history of your own country and understand the same idea. Although, it may be that your country simply does not suffer from the same sort of ancestral contempt as many of us in the West, and if so, may God bless your people.
Defence of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXI (https://bookofconcord.org/defense/of-the-invocation-of-saints/)
You don’t have to agree that St Paul wrote Hebrews, but this is my pious belief.
Hebrews 11:1-40
Hebrews 12:1-2
mártures