"Faithful Witnesses: Emulating St. Bartholomew in a Modern World"

🕇 The Feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle – 1928 BCP – 8/24/2025

Preached at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Bellville, TX

Fr. Mike Keppler, Rector – "Faithful Witnesses: Emulating St. Bartholomew in a Modern World"

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable to thee, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer, and Lord, give us here today, eyes to see and ears to hear so we can learn your word together as a family. We offer you all the praise, honor, and Glory for it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Good morning, my fellow encouragers! Today we gather to commemorate the Feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle. He was one of those twelve men chosen by our Lord to be the foundation stones of His Church. In reflecting on this saint's life and witness, we are reminded that "The Sacred Still Speaks" in and through the Apostles' examples of faith.

Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael in John's Gospel, remains somewhat of a mysterious figure in Scripture. However, what little we do know about him speaks volumes about genuine discipleship.

When St. Philip first told Nathanael about Jesus, his response was skeptical: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" But upon meeting Christ, his confession was immediate and intense: John 1:49 recounts what he said. "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

Our Lord's response to Bartholomew remains one of the most beautiful promises in Scripture: "You will see greater things than these... you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man" (John 1:50-51). This reference to Jacob's ladder, which we heard in our Old Testament reading, connects Bartholomew's call to the ancient promises of God.

In Genesis 28, Jacob, sleeping with a stone for his pillow, dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending. Upon waking, his response mirrors what a true encounter with the divine always produces: "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it... How dreadful [meaning how awesome] is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

This, my fellow encouragers, is the first lesson we draw from St. Bartholomew: the capacity to recognize divine presence where others see only the ordinary. Bartholomew moved from skepticism to recognition, from "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" to seeing Christ as the true ladder between heaven and earth, our mediator and advocate between God and humanity.

In our modern world, where skepticism is celebrated and faith often ridiculed, Bartholomew's journey reminds us that encountering Christ transforms our perception. Like Jacob, we are called to recognize: "Surely the Lord is in this place." Like St. Bartholomew, we are invited to see beyond superficial appearances to the divine reality that undergirds all creation.

Our Epistle reading from Acts 5 describes how "many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles." Tradition tells us that after Pentecost, Bartholomew carried the Gospel to Armenia, India, and parts of Mesopotamia.

Ancient accounts describe him as a man of such spiritual discipline that demons trembled at his approach. In Armenia, he is said to have converted the king and many nobles, which ultimately led to his martyrdom. Tradition holds that he was flayed alive and then beheaded.

The apostles' ministry in Acts demonstrates what happens when ordinary men are filled with extraordinary power: "More than ever, believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets... that Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he came by."

The second lesson we can learn from St. Bartholomew is that genuine faith is shown through tangible power. While the miracles of the apostolic era may not always appear in dramatic forms today, they do still happen. Nowadays, miracles more often take the form of transformative power in lives that have fully surrendered to God. Bartholomew’s deep faith was so authentic that it brought healing and hope to everyone around him.

Here at St. Barnabas, we might ask: Does our faith manifest in tangible ways? Are we, as "The Encouragers," channels through which Christ's healing presence flows into our community? Do we, like St. Bartholomew, carry Christ's presence so authentically that others feel the warmth of His light?

Our Gospel reading provides the third and perhaps most challenging lesson from Bartholomew's life. In Luke 22, we find the disciples arguing about who among them was to be regarded as greatest. How deeply human this moment is! Even at the Last Supper, as Christ prepared to offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice, His closest followers were preoccupied with thoughts of status and recognition.

Our Lord's response cuts to the heart of true discipleship: "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them... But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves."

Tradition tells us that St. Bartholomew embodied this servant leadership. Some traditions suggest he was of royal Persian lineage, but despite his noble background, he embraced the humble call of apostleship.

He could have claimed his nobility, but instead, he chose to be known simply as Christ's servant. His martyrdom testifies to a life poured out in service rather than preserved for comfort. The apostle whose name means "son of Talmai" became known instead as Christ's faithful witness.

One of the most unique lessons we can learn from St. Bartholomew in today's world is the importance of humility. In a time when being seen, having influence, and building a personal brand are so highly valued, Bartholomew reminds us that real greatness in God's kingdom often takes place away from the spotlight. In a culture that celebrates "influencers," we should reflect on whether we are leading others toward Christ or toward worldly pursuits.

Our collect today prays that God would "Grant unto thy Church to love that Word which he believed, and both to preach and receive the same." St. Bartholomew experienced a living encounter with the Son of God and saw firsthand the Word made flesh. He both preached and received this Word, allowing it to transform him from skeptic to martyr.

How, then, might we, here at St. Barnabas, emulate Bartholomew's faithfulness today? I suggest three applications:

First, cultivate holy recognition. Bartholomew recognized Christ when others saw only "Jesus of Nazareth." In our secularized age, we must train our spiritual senses to perceive divine presence where others see only coincidence or natural phenomena.

Like Jacob, we must develop the capacity to say, "Surely the Lord is in this place", to see Him in our workplaces, our schools, our homes, and even in our suffering. It’s recognizing the reality of God’s presence.

Psalm 91, which we recited today, reminds us that "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." St. Bartholomew saw these angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man at Jesus’ Ascension.

Do we recognize the divine protection and guidance that surrounds us even now? Do we perceive Christ's presence in the Eucharist we will shortly receive? Do we recognize Him in "the least of these" whom we are called to serve?

Second, pursue authentic power. The apostles in Acts did not wield power through political influence or financial strength. They manifested power through lives so yielded to God that healing flowed through them. Bartholomew's witness reminds us that true spiritual power comes not from asserting secular change but from surrendering our lives.

This means recognizing that our parish's influence comes from our shared commitment to following Christ. When we as “The Encouragers” fully dedicate ourselves to God, His strength works through us to foster healing in our community.

Finally, embrace servant obscurity. What I mean by that is, like St. Bartholomew, we are called to serve without concern for recognition or status. This may be the hardest of the three to do, because in our social media age, the temptation to broadcast our good deeds is constant.

Yet Christ calls us to a different path: "When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret" (Matthew 6:3-4).

At St. Barnabas, we embrace the identity of "The Encouragers," which highlights our mission to uplift others rather than seeking recognition for ourselves. Inspired by our namesake, St. Barnabas, known as the "Son of Encouragement," and St. Bartholomew, whose personal identity was focused on spreading the message of Christ, we discover our true purpose in guiding others towards Him, rather than seeking the spotlight ourselves.

So, my fellow encouragers, as we commemorate St. Bartholomew today, let us remember that "Ancient Faith" produces "Real Love." The same Christ who called Bartholomew calls us. The same Spirit who empowered his witness empowers ours. The same Father who received his martyrdom receives our daily sacrifices of praise and service.

May we, like St. Bartholomew, move from skepticism to recognition, from self-promotion to Spirit-empowerment, from status-seeking to servant leadership. And may we, through lives of authentic devotion, become channels through which the ancient faith speaks to our modern world.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

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