A Temporary Tribulation

by David Haberstock

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” | Revelation 2:8-11

When you die and come back to life, many things that bothered you in this world and seemed important will no longer matter. Let me say that again: if you die and come back, stuff no longer bothers you. You let things slide. For you have seen the beginning and the end, the first and the last of this life. And in Christ, you’ve won!

So, people’s slanders of you pass away. It sure hurts the moment it happens, but it doesn’t matter anymore when you’ve gone to be with the Lord and come back to life in the resurrection of the dead. It hurts especially, in this life, when those who claim to be of the Lord slander and say of you things that only Satan would say. But in the end, their words do not matter. For it is the Lord who justifies. Their words pass away. His Word endures forever. 

In this life, the powers that be can take your wealth, your reputation, your freedom, and even your life from you. And through the ages, the powers that be have done just that to many Christians. Many, in recent years, have wondered if we are experiencing the beginning of such things here too. No matter your view of all this, it is certainly true to say that much worse than the last two years has happened to Christians before… and will happen again. For we have not yet resisted to the point of shedding our blood.

[The Lord] supplies all that His Church and therefore you too need at this present time, having called you by name in Holy Baptism, supplying you with life and salvation weekly in His Supper, and lifting you up and constantly restoring you by His Absolution.

One day, the world might take our freedoms or even our lives. This is nothing new. The world and her prince always seek to test you. To break you. To shut you up and to tempt you to give up on faith in Christ our Lord. Over the ages, many have been tested in this way. Some have not endured. But the trials and tribulations which the world and its prince put you through are weak and minor and short… just a mere “ten days” (which was the length of time some Christians in Smyrna suffered).

Ten is a symbolic number. A complete number. It is a number of judgement and testing linked with our Lord’s ten commandments. But it is also a short number. Within ten days, the world always moves on to the next issue of the moment. And so, the suffering of this present time is not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. Our sufferings are light and momentary compared to the glory which resides in Christ, our soon coming Lord, who has conquered sin and death, triumphing over it in the resurrection. 

In these Last Times we are grieved by various trials, and yet we rejoice for Christ has granted us His grace to stand firm. Even in the midst of the world’s slanders we stand firm, proclaiming that our risen Saviour is the answer to all the world’s ills—just as Stephen the first martyr proclaimed even as they stoned him to death. He received the crown of life. It is interesting to note that the first Christian martyr’s name “Stephen” literally means “crown,” or a “victor’s wreath” that encircles the head. That is what he has now: the crown of life.

You too shall receive a crown. For the Lord will see you through the days ahead. He supplies all that His Church and therefore you too need at this present time, having called you by name in Holy Baptism, supplying you with life and salvation weekly in His Supper, and lifting you up and constantly restoring you by His Absolution. They can take everything away from us, but they cannot take our salvation!

So, hear and receive the Word of power by which you overcome and conquer the Second Death, eternal death: your risen Lord has paid the price for your sins. And He has paved your way to life everlasting in His kingdom of everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

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Rev. David Haberstock is Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s Central Regional Pastor. This column is adapted from Rev. David Haberstock’s sermon at the 2022 LCC Synod Convention.

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