Publicity

Jesus, when He began His ministry, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph . . . . -Luke 3:23

Public proclamation on a wide scale seems to be the dream of the everyman, and there is way too much of it. If holding public office does not represent the dreams of human ego, being a public broadcaster and/or public performer does.

Publicity. Power. Glory. These guys bring home a good paycheck, too. The louder and more wide-ranging is my speech, the wider and more wide-ranging is my power. "Gimme that mic!" "Look at me!"

There is a proper place for public office, public broadcasting, and public performance, but not for the sake of self-service, and certainly not at the expense of truth. Take a look at the current condition of these vocations today and ask yourself what's happening there. Do you hear and see eternal things; higher things? The things of our crucified and risen Christ?

What kind of things would you like to say if given the opportunity to speak to the whole world at once? There are some who to this very day have this as their chief aspiration in life. And you know what? To the extent we want to exalt ourselves over God, we all do. "My will be done." That's the ticket!

Or, if that isn't enough, we'd be so fearful of what everyone else thinks, the last thing we would want to say out loud to the whole world is, "Jesus loves you." How many yo-yos in Moses's camp would have liked to blurt out notions of their own? And they did. And we read of the result: A golden calf out of "nowhere." Sudden death, and we're not talking sports.

Orders pertaining to the Church and presence of God are not subject to our egos. The line of publicity instead derives from above, from the One I AM, to whom all flesh is subject for all time. That line of publicity takes place through the most humble of means, yet is clearly delineated. It is found in the Pastors of the Church who have been given to preach the Gospel of the LORD Jesus Christ, whose life and blood were given up as eternal satisfaction for the sin of the world.

Believe me, you will not hear that shouted into microphones and broadcast on TVs. If you do, watch for a public crucifixion, if not literal, then figurative. Jesus, the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, was no publicity hound, but spoke an acted perfectly in accord with the Father for your sake.

But you will hear it spoken softly, both in public and individually in those places where the Word of Christ is faithfully preached, His body and blood and distributed to poor sinners, and His Baptism washing over the sworn enemies of God to bring them over into His body, the Church.

Jesus explicitly made it a point at times to tell His disciples NOT to speak. The Prophet Isaiah and Apostle Peter explicitly testify concerning the Christ that He "did not open His mouth." That is because His every Word is one by which we must live, and they are not egotistical words. They are not human ideas. He does not open His mouth to defend Himself or exalt Himself, but to becaome a sacrifice for sin and to forgive sin. All of it.

Be still and know that I AM God. It's a polite way of saying "shut up." Not just your mouth, but your rambling and idle thoughts all tangled up in who you are and what you are about, which is nothing but sin and death. It's also a way of saying you do not need a microphone. You do not need to be famous.

You are a beloved child of God despite all evidence to the contrary. The crucified and risen Christ is not just evidence. He is the Maker of Heaven and earth come down to suffer and die in your place, and to be raised again for your justification.

He is not ashamed to call you family. Quietly. Laying down His life. Forgiving sins. No boasting or publicity here except of just the right kind in just the right place, accompanied by weakness and service to others.
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