The Easter season in the Year of Luke includes an extensive selection of readings from St. John's great revelation, and this Sunday is no exception, as the Second Reading appointed for this Fourth Sunday of Easter is Revelation 7:9-17, the vision of the great multitude. The text is a visual one, giving us a "heavenward" glimpse of the innumerable saints of God who have endured tribulation and now stand before the throne of the Lamb, praising God forever. This glorious vision of praise will be one which the preacher is privileged to lift up and enter into, as well.
(The following questions have been developed to unearth the way the Word functions in the text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers. These questions are best used in conjunction with other fine sets of questions available to exegetes. For more on this particular method and on Law and Gospel preaching, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com and amazon.)
1. How does the Word function in the text? The Word is showing us a great vision of the people of God through time who have endured a great tribulation and now stand in God's presence praising. There is also the assurance that the Lamb on the throne will be their shepherd, leading them to springs of living water, and wiping away every tear from their eyes. All of this is the Word in Gospel function.
2. How is the Word not functioning in the text? There is no word of Law here, no call to repentance or word which exposes our need for a Savior. This will need to come from other texts.
3. With whom are you identifying in the text? We are invited to identify with the multitude who have come through the great ordeal. We may be hesitant to do so, wondering what ordeal that would be for us who have no experience with martyrdom. Yet, the text reminds us that those assembled are washed not in their own blood, but the blood of the Lamb, as are we in the sacraments.
4. What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text? The Word does not function here to invite us to live in response to the Gospel. That call to obedience can be heard in other texts.
5. What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text? Without a Law component to this text, we shall need to use our imaginations to create couplets. Some ideas: in tribulation/in ecstasy; doubt/faith; despair/praise.
6. Exegetical work: In Kittel's analysis of thilipsis "tribulation", he says this: "The martyrs before the throne of God, whom the divine sees coming out of the great tribulation, have also suffered in the sufferings of Christ. They are the host of those who in the tribulation of the last time have been washed, not in their own blood, but in the blood of the Lamb, i.e., who in their own sufferings for Jesus Christ have borne witness to the sufferings which he himself endured." (TDNT, vol. III, p. 144). Kittel goes on later in his discussion to remind us that Scripture shows that tribulation "is inseparable from Christian life in this world." (Ibid.) Ancient writers also remind us that it is not only the martyrs who stand amongst this great throng, but the whole people of God. Caesarius of Arles, 5th century bishop, writes, "These are not, as some think, only martyrs, but rather the whole people in the church. For it does not say that they washed their robes in their own blood, but in the blood of the Lamb, that is, in the grace of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord." (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. XII, p. 114.) Primasius, 6th century African bishop, says this: "There are those who are proven to be martyrs before God by their inner character, even though they are not martyrs by way of a public act." (Ibid.) Eugene Boring, in his contemporary commentary suggests the same: "The robes of the martyrs are white because they are washed in the blood of the Lamb... It is Christ's death, not their own courage and determination, which has given them their victor's garment." (Interpretation series, Revelation, p. 131).
7. How does the Crossing Community model work with this text? Robin Morgan's 2014 analysis lifts up the "great ordeal" as the presence of the Law in this text, highlighting how prone we are to despair and doubt in the face of any tribulation. Waiting proves fruitful, however, as the Lamb emerges to shepherd us and wipe the tears from our eyes. See the entire analysis at crossings.org/text-study, archived under its reference.
8. Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic? George Mitchell's advice is most appropriate here in that Mitchell consistently reminded us of the need for celebration in a sermon. Since this text is all celebration, our sermon should be that as well.
Blessings on your proclamation!
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