Feast of St. Matthew—Confessing Christ Before Men
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Not much is certain about the exact circumstances of St. Matthew’s martyrdom, but one popular tradition that has come down to us speaks of his preaching ministry in Ethiopia. This tradition says that many were converted, including a king named Agippus and his daughter Ephigenia, who committed herself to a life of singleness and chastity after her father’s death. King Herticus succeeded Agippus and desired to marry Ephigenia. He promised St. Matthew half of his realm if he would persuade her to marry him.
The apostle invited Herticus to attend Sunday Divine Service to hear what he would say concerning the matter. In his sermon, St. Matthew preached about the goodness of marriage, but he also rebuked Herticus for his lust and for seeking to pull Ephigenia away from her chosen way of life, which St. Paul commends in 1 Corinthians 7 as a good and noble gift. Paul says, “He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife.” Paul adds that not many are given this gift, but that it is good and noble to live the Christian life in singleness and chastity. In response to this rebuke, King Herticus had St. Matthew murdered before the altar as he was conducting the Divine Service.
On our website you can see a piece of art by Caravaggio depicting this account of Matthew’s martyrdom. It shows a man murdering him with a sword, while an angel descends with a palm branch. Matthew does not look at the sword but at the palm branch, reaching for it, calling to mind Revelation 7. It is a beautiful image, even if the story is uncertain. This version of Matthew’s death comes from The Golden Legend (1275), which may be little more than medieval folklore. But the account illustrates a very biblical reality: the witness of martyrdom in the Scriptures.
Of course, we do know of martyrdoms that certainly took place—most especially that of St. John the Baptist. Why was he imprisoned and eventually beheaded? It was not for preaching the Gospel in the narrow sense, saying that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” or that “the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.” John was imprisoned because he told Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” He died not for preaching the Gospel in the narrow sense, but for proclaiming God’s Law in the narrow sense—how we are to live our lives.
There are echoes of this certain martyrdom of John the Baptist in the uncertain tradition of Matthew. In that account, he was killed while serving at the altar for calling a pagan king to repentance, rebuking his lust, and defending a woman who had committed herself to chastity. If true, it means Matthew was martyred not for preaching the Gospel in the narrow sense, but for preaching the Law in the narrow sense.
We cannot be certain how Matthew met his end, but we can be certain that he and the other apostles, along with John the Baptist and the prophets before them, often suffered for preaching God’s Law in truth—even unto death. And this fact ought to remind you of the biblical truth of the Christian life, a truth that was illustrated again this past September 10, when Charlie Kirk was murdered. Scripture says, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
I will not stand here and tell you lies about either St. Matthew or Charlie Kirk. We do not know for sure whether the traditional account of Matthew’s martyrdom is accurate. And it is true that Charlie Kirk was a sinner like you and me, just as Matthew was a sinner. Kirk’s work as a political commentator often involved breaking the Eighth Commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Luther explains in the Small Catechism that this means we should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies, betray, slander, or harm our neighbor’s reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way. Political media, by its nature, often thrives on clickbait titles and clips designed to “own” opponents, sometimes at the expense of truth.
So after Kirk was murdered, there were many examples of times where he had crossed the line. I will not pretend that was not the case. Yet in the wake of his death, if you listened carefully, you may have noticed something else. Many voices within and outside of Christendom accused him of being misogynistic, transphobic, and homophobic. Reports suggest that his alleged assassin may have been motivated by this supposed “hate.” Yet the evidence often amounted to little more than Kirk calmly admonishing Taylor Swift to submit to her husband, or saying that transgenderism is an abomination in the sight of God. Those words, while offensive to the world, are directly in line with Scripture.
I have heard some Christians say, “If they go after him, they can go after us.” But most of us are not in the habit of speaking to thousands of people, calling rulers to repentance, or challenging cultural norms from a public platform. For us, it is frightening enough to invite a neighbor to church, let alone confront someone we know about open sin. Even pastors, after years of practice, feel the same fear.
Of course, it is not impossible that someone could target us. Sometimes cheerleaders on the sidelines are tackled when the game spills out of bounds. But for the most part, we are safe if we remain spectators. St. Matthew was safe in his tax booth until Christ called him to follow. John the Baptist might have been safe had he limited himself to words that entertained Herod. Charlie Kirk would have been safer if he had softened his message or stayed silent on biblical morality. Many celebrities manage to be Christian without ever confessing Christ publicly in any challenging way.
But this was not the way of Christ. He surrounded Himself with tax collectors and sinners. He endured constant challenges from Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and lawyers. He spoke the truth in love, no matter how it offended, and for this He was betrayed, abused, and crucified. Why? He Himself gives the answer: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Confessing Christ means not only proclaiming forgiveness but also naming sin and calling to repentance. An unbeliever does not care that Christ died for his sins if he does not yet believe he is a sinner. That is why we confess Christ when we speak God’s Law as well as when we proclaim His Gospel. We confess Christ when we say, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” We confess Christ when we repeat God’s Word about marriage, chastity, and the ordering of the household. We confess Christ when we invite others to church and urge them to come hear His Word, even compelling them to come, as in the parable of the wedding feast.
You are here today because Matthew and the other apostles confessed Christ before men. We give thanks for Matthew’s ministry and for the Gospel he wrote, which tells us what our Lord Jesus did to save us and how to live a godly life. You, too, are called to confess Christ in your place and time, even when it is risky and uncomfortable.
But hear your Lord’s consolation: “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household? Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”
Even if confessing Christ should mean that your last earthly memory is of a sword piercing you, your next moment will be to see Christ confess your name before His Father. You will rise and stand before the judgment seat of God, with Jesus standing beside you. And then you will understand St. Paul’s words: that present suffering is not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Let us pray. O true and only wellspring of all comfort and aid, Lord Jesus Christ, You who called dear Matthew to Yourself with Your mighty Word as he sat at the tax booth, we poor sinners ask that You would send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts. Plant Your Word in us with strength and sweetness, that we may cheerfully follow You in prosperity and adversity, cling to You, find comfort in Your merit, and be saved. For You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen.
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