Patrick (19)

The Lord chose him so that he might teach the barbarian
nations, so that he might fish with nets of doctrine;
so that he might draw believers out of the world to grace,
and they might follow the Lord to a heavenly seat.

He sells the precious talents of the Gospel of Christ
and demands them back, with interest, from the pagans of Ireland.
As his payment for the toil of this laborious voyage
he will share with Christ the joy of the kingdom of heaven.

A faithful minister of God, and a splendid messenger,
he gave to the good the example and form of an apostle,
preaching to the people of God with both words and deeds
so that he might with a good act inspire the one whom his words did not move.

 - Sechnall, Audite Omnes Amantes

The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

 - Acts 10.36-38

Sechnall employed two familiar images and a summary description to describe and celebrate Patrick and his work.

The first image was of the fisherman. This would connect Patrick with certain of the apostles (“form of an apostle”) and described Patrick’s calling as a messenger of Good News. Patrick used no gimmicks or familiar cultural tropes to call the Irish “out of the world to grace”. He “fished with nets of doctrine”—sound teaching—proclaiming Jesus as Savior, Lord, and King and calling the Irish to put aside their pagan deities and ways that “they might follow the Lord to a heavenly seat.”

Patrick would have been very familiar with the beliefs and ways of the pagan Irish. He had lived among them for six years. He knew their deities and all the rituals that attached to these. He understood their warlike and ribald ways. He showed them Jesus as the holy Son of the one God of heaven and earth, explained His death and resurrection, and called on the Irish to repent of their familiar ways and give themselves wholly to Him. Which they did by the thousands.

The second image is of the master in the parable of the talents and addresses Patrick’s role as a minister or shepherd of God’s people. Here again, Sechnall emphasized Patrick’s expectations for those who “bought” the Gospel from him. God had invested them with grace—"precious talents”—and He expected a return on investment—lives of faith, obedience, and service unto the glory of God. Lives like Patrick’s. It would not be easy. They would have to devote themselves to working out their salvation in fear and trembling and to discovering and using their gifts as ambassadors of grace to the people around them.

And Patrick demonstrated just what that entailed by his own example. He not only preached and taught, Sechnall explained, but he also, following the example of Jesus, did many good works. Sechnall says that if Patrick’s preaching and teaching did not persuade people, his good works would “inspire” many to come to the Lord.

Later biographies and legends concerning Patrick tend to emphasize various miraculous works. Besting the druids at Tara, for example, or driving the snakes out of Ireland. Neither Patrick nor Sechnall report any such activities. The emphasis in Patrick’s report and Sechnall’s hymn is on the Word of God, preached, taught, and lived, and on Jesus Christ as the only Savior and High King.

To put it another way, the great blessing God poured out on Patrick’s ministry was the result of continuous hard work in the form of a holy and loving life and the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God. While later generations of biographers and, still later, hagiographers, would give more weight to visions, miracles, and other extraordinary works, Patrick and Sechnall show us that the Celtic Revival, which lasted nearly 400 years, was the result of diligent, faithful, self-denying messengers and ministers of the Lord.

This is the example which comes to us today. Each of us is called, like Patrick, to bear the message of Jesus to our lost neighbors and to minister the grace of the Gospel for making disciples. As the “Lord chose” Patrick for this great work, so He has chosen all who believe in Him as well.

For Reflection
1. How are you serving the Lord as a messenger of His grace?

2. How are you serving Him as a minister of His grace?

Psalm 22.27, 28 (Darwall: Rejoice, the Lord Is King)
All nations shall repent and hasten to the LORD.
All those to whom His truth is sent shall praise His Word.
The LORD is King!
His sovereign rule on high now we His people sing!

Use me today, O Lord, as messenger and minister to…

T. M. Moore

Patrick’s Legacy
You can read more about the impact of Patrick’s ministry in our book, The Legacy of Patrick. Here you’ll learn how Patrick’s work has affected generations of Christians down to our own day. Order your copy by clicking here.

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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.