Polycarp of Smyrna

Today in the Treasury of Daily Prayer we're remembering Polycarp of Smyrna. Today's writing is from Valerius Herberger.

Polycarp means a Christian who bears much fruit. This is a true, Christian name, for the Lord Jesus said in John 15:16, "I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide." For them, the noble seed of the Holy Gospel falls on good ground; they hear the Word and keep it in a good heart and bring forth fruit in patience (Luke 8:16). This Polycarp was a disciple and diligent hearer of John the apostle and evangelist, and he called the heretic Marcion, who met him once, a "child of the devil" without any fear. You see, no one should betray the truth with silence. When people demanded that he deny the Christian religion, he said, "For eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He has never injured me. Therefore how could I curse and blaspheme my King, who has given me salvation?" When he was ninety years old, people wanted to burn him. In the midst of the fire, he prayed, "O God, the Father of Your Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we have received knowledge of You, the maker of all creation, I call upon You, I confess You, that You are true God; I glorify You because of the high priset, Your beloved Son, with the Holy Spirit; recieve me and make me a sharer in the resurrection of Your saints. Amen." Now since the fire spared him, as it did for the three confessors in Daniel 3:23, he was stabbed with a sword. Three days previously, he had dreamed that his pillow was burning; from this he quickly concluded that he would sit in the fire and would sweat. Dreams that cause us to pray and pursue Christian devotion, for which we also have clear admonitions in God's Word, are not to be despised.