The Lutheran Review

Golden Tongue

By. Rev. Ronald Jansen

How did it happen that a preacher and church leader, so well spoken that he is called Golden Tongue and was often applauded after his sermons, ended up being sent into exile and dying during a forced march? How did such a one who was a prolific writer that he penned 90 homilies on Matthew, 88 on John, 55 on Acts, 67 on Genesis, 59 on the Psalms and all of Paul’s epistles end up forced to march until he dropped. How did this happen to him whose last words that came off his tongue were truly golden, “Glory to God for all things?”

This all happened to John Chrysostom (Golden Tongue) who was born in Antioch in 347 and died in exile on September 14, 407. After receiving a classical education he began studies of the scriptures and entered the ascetic life, even living in a cave for two years. He later became a Lector (reader) in the church, then a Deacon where he assisted with the liturgy and then a priest in 386.

On February 26, 398 he was installed as Bishop of Constantinople, the capital of the Roman empire, much to the disappointment of numerous other interested candidates. He immediately began a reform, “Sweeping the stairs from the top down.” He cut expenses, eliminated frequent banquets, forbad clergy to keep housekeepers who had taken a vow of virginity, told monks to stay in their monasteries instead of wandering aimlessly. He assailed the wealthy women for their extravagant finery and men who conducted business during the service. With the money he saved from his household budget in just one year he built a large hospital.

However, he was ill suited to church and empire politics. You can attempt to untangle the web of political intrigue by going online to the Catholic Encyclopedia.

On the presence of Christ in the sacrament he wrote,

The Magi worshipped this body even when it lay in a manger. Those heathen foreigners left home and country and went on a long journey, and came and worshipped him…We are citizens of heaven; let us imitate those foreigners…For you behold him not in a manger; but on an altar; not with a woman holding him, but with a priest standing before him: with the Spirit descending with great bounty upon the oblation.

(For me personally, John Chrysostom along with the prophet Jeremiah have had the greatest influence on me when I undertake to step into the pulpit and boldly preach God’s Word.)

Drive-Thru Devotions: St James Day

July 25^th is the day set aside for James, a fisherman, son of Zebedee and brother of John. He is the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in Scripture (Acts 12:2). He was beheaded by Herod Agrippa near Easter in 43 or 44. However, it was not his death that made him a saint. Like you and I, he was a saint only by the blood of Jesus Christ.

However, his life was less than saintly. He and his brother John wanted Jesus to call down fire from heaven upon some Samaritans who didn’t show hospitality to Jesus. That would show ‘em. Their mother lobbied Jesus about giving her sons the most powerful positions in his kingdom. Though a member of the inner three disciples, he too slept while Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. He also fled at his arrest.

Jesus paid the price of his own life as a ransom for James from the power of sin, Satan and eternal destruction. Thus on this day we do not remember the great and wonderful things that James did. Rather we remember the great and wonderful salvation that God gives to his tarnished saints, including you and me.

By Rev. Ronald Jansen