Jars of Clay, Treasures of Jesus

Today we remember St. Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is not the most famous of the Apostles. In fact, in the Gospels we only hear his name mentioned in the lists of the Twelve. Few of his words are recorded in Scripture. In fact, he does not stand out from the Twelve like Peter or John. But Church history tells us that Bartholomew carried the Gospel far and wide, perhaps as far as Armenia, appearing before the king of that nation, and that he died a martyr, giving his life for Christ, being flayed, that is skinned, alive.

In the Scriptures, Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, gives a great confession of Jesus, calling Him the Son of God and the King of Israel. But Bartholomew does not have much else that we can say about him biblically. It would be fair to say that, despite his great confession on the occasion of his conversion, there is little else that can be said with absolute certainty. It is fitting, then, that on his day we hear readings that speak of wisdom, of weakness, and of the strange greatness of the kingdom of God.

Find out more in this sermon from St. John's Lutheran Church of Oakes, ND!