Grace, mercy, and peace be with you all, from God, our heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. The text for our consideration this day is the reading from the book of Acts. May the Holy Spirit bless us to rejoice in the Great Commission Beginnings of that first Pentecost day . . . and move us to continue to fulfill the Great Commission in our own day. Amen.
At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gave instructions to the apostles . . . instructions that have become known as the “Great Commission.” Jesus said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” At the end of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus also told His disciples that they would be His witnesses to all nations . . . but to wait for the day when they would be clothed with power from on high. The power of which He spoke was the Holy Spirit.
This is the day . . . the day of Pentecost. The fiftieth day after His resurrection and ten days after the giving of the Great Commission . . . it happened. They were all together in one place . . . and suddenly the Holy Spirit came upon them . . . with the sound like the blowing of a violent wind from heaven. Tongues of fire separated and came to rest on each of them . . . tongues of the Holy Spirit’s fire . . . tongues of fire that enabled them to speak in different languages . . . tongues of fire the empowered and emboldened them to go into the public square and give the first public proclamation of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God-fearing Jewish people from all over the world were gathered in the Holy City of Jerusalem, no doubt gathered for the Old Testament feast of Pentecost, the first-fruits offering at the Holy Temple. These God-fearing Jews were amazed at hearing the apostles speak in their now native languages. Of course not all were amazed. Some mocked in unbelief. Some claimed that they were drunk, hearing the multitude of languages at the same time. Peter then clarified that they were sober . . . and that what they were witnessing was a fulfillment of prophecy . . . what the prophet Joel had foretold over six centuries earlier.
This was the day of the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit, even as Joel had prophesied. This was the day when men and women would receive the Holy Spirit of God, even as Moses had once wished for all God’s people. This was the day of entering the “lasts days,” last days that God’s people have lived in for the past nearly two-thousand years . . . days moving toward the great and glorious, great and dreadful “Day of the Lord.” For Jesus Christ will come again in glory, accompanied by wonders in the heavens above and the shedding of blood . . . and of fire . . . and billows of smoke on the troubled earth below.
Yes, this was the day of Great Commission beginnings. You know the rest of the story of that day, don’t you? Well, let me refresh your memory. Peter went on that day to proclaim Jesus to be the Messiah. Words of Holy Scripture and prophecy rolled of his tongue, proclaiming how the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of God’s promised salvation. Fiery words inspired by the tongues of fire rolled off his lips . . . as Peter convicted the people of their sin, proclaiming that they had put to death – crucified – the very Son of God, who was now enthroned at God’s right hand as both Lord and Christ.
The people felt bad . . . indeed, they were cut to the heart at the knowledge that their sins nailed Jesus to the cross. We should be cut to the heart over our sins as well. In their Holy Spirit wrought sorrow over their sins, the people asked what they should do. Peter then again proclaimed the wonderful news of the Gospel: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far off . . . for all whom the Lord our God will call.” He pleaded with the people to save themselves from this wicked and perverse generation. Three Thousand people were saved that day, through water and the word and the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. And they devoted themselves to God’s Word. They devoted themselves to each other. They devoted themselves to partaking of Christ’s Supper. And they devoted themselves to prayer.
So much for the Great Commission beginnings. Is there still a wicked and perverse generation that people need to be delivered from? There is no doubt. Does the mission of the Great Commission continue today? Do Holy Spirit inspired words still roll off the tongues of those called to share the gospel? Is the forgiveness of sins and gift of the Holy Spirit still given in baptism today? As surely as God is faithful . . . and as surely as the Word of Jesus Christ is true . . . the answer is absolutely yes. Indeed . . . the Word of the Gospel is spoken even by one pastor . . . who has no tongue.
In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the title of the article reads: “St. Charles preacher with no tongue speaks wisdom.” His name is Scott Schmieding. He was a classmate of mine at Concordia Seminary. Ordained in 1992, five years later he noticed a sore in the back of his tongue. It was cancer. The entire tongue would have to be surgically removed. This is quite a setback for a preacher. In a pamphlet Pastor Schmieding has written entitled, “Fighting Cancer with Faith,” he writes:
When I first found out I had cancer, I was afraid. But I knew that God had, has, and always will have my life in His loving hands. Still I wanted to know my possible outcomes, my prognosis . . . . When it came right down to it, I knew my fight with cancer had two possible outcomes: God would either grant me health or heaven. I simply prayed, “Dear God, restore my health or take me to heaven. Your will be done. Amen.”
The tumor was spreading rapidly. Doctors thought his speech would likely be unintelligible. Pastor Schmieding wondered about his calling . . . and how he could spread the word of God if he couldn’t speak. They removed the tongue, replaced the cavity with a muscle from his abdomen. He went through months of agonizing speech therapy and returned to parish life. His first public act upon resuming his pastoral duties at a Lutheran Church in Baton Rouge was to preach and celebrate the baptism of his newborn son.
Pastor Schmieding never asked God “why” he got cancer, but rather “for what purpose.” He says he has been given an answer: “I have become an expert at adversity” having also lived through five hurricanes in Louisiana. “I know what people are feeling when they face trials and tragedy.” Quoting Paul’s letter to the Romans, he says he believes strongly that “we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.” Another favorite passage of his: The Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Today the Great Commission continues at Immanuel Lutheran Church in St. Charles, Missouri, a church of over 3,000 members with a senior pastor who has no tongue . . . but still proclaims the Good News. He believes that his affliction has allowed him to reach more people with the Gospel . . . and for his parishioners, they listen more attentively to the words he speaks . . . both because it is more difficult to understand his speech . . . but also because he has gone through so much . . . to continue to proclaim the Good News of salvation.
Today the Great Commission continues at the Lutheran Church of St. John in Quincy, Illinois, a church of over 800 members with two pastors who regularly use their tongues to preach the gospel and teach God’s Word . . . where members volunteer in caregiving ministries and Vacation Bible Schools, and serve on boards and committees for the furtherance of the Kingdom of Christ. The Great Commission continues at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, in York, Nebraska, where former vicar Tim McCall will be ordained and installed later this summer. The Great Commission continues at Old St. Gertrudes Lutheran Church in Riga, Latvia, where pastor Rinalds Grants, youth worker Ulvis Kravalis, and workers in a soup kitchen work for Christ, restoring people to faith through the gospel of Christ shared in word and deed. Isn’t it a great thing to be Pentecost people of God, working together to spread the Good News of salvation. And inspired by the adversities overcome by the grace of God active in the life of one Pastor Scott Schmeiding, what adversities or obstacles shall we overcome in the name of Christ in the years to come. God only knows . . . indeed, God already knows. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
-Pastor B
