Reformation Sunday; Oct. 28, 2012 ; Texts: Psalm
46; Revelation 14:6-7, Romans 3:19-28; John
8:31-36; Title: From Slavery to Freedom; Rev. Tim Beck
Grace to you and
peace, from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Are
you glad Luther saw the light, and not just that man, but many? It was a long dusk getting darker every
century. Part of the picture was an anti-church intellectualism among the
elite. Part of the picture was medieval
peasants lost in superstition. Part of the picture was disinterest in
Christianity by those who saw that the church was all about money. We don’t
often hear how many folks in Luther’s day, disgusted with what they heard in
God’s name, stupidly gave up on God and became skeptics, occultists or
humanists. That too is part of the picture, even if people stayed in step
because if you wanted to eat in most places you didn’t cross the king, the
nobles, the bankers, or the church. Add to that what we usually hear, about the
ignorance of Scripture, the rule of Aristotle over Scripture called
Scholasticism, and the politics of papal power. These picture-parts have an
origin: the loss of true doctrine and hence true faith, the saving, liberating
and freeing faith. The issues leading to the Reformation were many. And Luther
wasn’t the first to seek reform. He did see the full picture was much deeper
than mere morality… for the moral decline in the church went hand in hand with
losing the gospel.
Do you remember the outline of his
early life? He was going to be a lawyer to fulfill his father’s ambition to get
the family out of the mines and into the gentry. Then a terrible lightening
storm struck, and young Martin out in the fields promises if he’s spared, he’ll become a friar. He took his
vow seriously, disappointed his father greatly, entered the Augustinian order,
after some years was ordained and later became a doctor of theology. But he had emotional issues. He couldn’t get
rid of his guilt by fasting, praying, doing the monastic spiritual things that
were supposed to purify the soul. To get him out of his depressive rut, his
father confessor Staupitz sent him on a diplomatic mission to Rome Rome Rome
Then he discovered he resented God,
and saw in his heart not love for God, but hatred for a God who demands the
impossible… who demands we love him truly, purely. If only his conscience wasn’t so sensitive.
If only he could gray things up a bit.
But thank God, he was sensitive to guilt. It drove him to scoff that
kissing the upper right leg bone of St. Mark, coupled with a certificate that
cost one silver coin, forgave sin. Besides, how many upper right leg bones did
St. Mark have scattered across Europe ,
certified by papal letters and a whole school that forged such letters? The
issue wasn’t just fraud, it was can a righteous God be bought off so cheaply?
If the law condemns unrighteousness, how can we find God’s favor with bones? If
the law condemns unrighteousness, how can even a conscientious friar be saved?
That introduces our text: Therefore Jesus said to the Jews having
believed in him, if you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples. And
you will know the truth and the truth will free you. They answered him, we are the seed of
Abraham, and we have never been enslaved to any one; how can you say that we
will become free? Jesus answered them;
truly, truly I tell you that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. But the slave does not remain in the house
forever, the son remains forever.
Therefore if the son frees you, you will really be free.
These Jews believed in Jesus until…
until their self-righteousness was challenged. What, us slaves? Are we, the
devout, sinners? Behold the false church of Luther’s day and of every
generation. Let me explain. In Luther’s day, Christ’s righteousness for sinners
was displaced for faith in bones, pilgrim journeys and the power of a silver
coin to buy God’s favor. The law’s demands, and so the gift of grace, were
replaced by subtle denials that offense meant much to God. Why can’t I follow
Christ with my deeds and my intentions and make it up to God,
with an indulgence signed by the pope? What’s wrong with my devotion? And the
church encouraged that notion, saying “take the easy way, the way of self-righteousness. Trusting in
Christ’s righteousness alone is far too risky.”
Is
that like the self-justifying of this generation? If everything evolved by chance how can there
be a God, or sin before God? If there are no absolutes, what you think about
God is OK for you, what I think is OK for me and we’re both OK. If Scripture is
myth “I can do what is right in my own eyes.” And in the church we do the same
whenever we justify ourselves instead of confessing our sin, and when we think
our devotion and deeds ought to please God apart from Christ. Then we doubt if
we really need the gifts Christ offers at font, altar, and pulpit. We doubt
both grace and the means grace is promised to us. (That’s one reason why the
many who say they believe in Christ but never go to church are terribly wrong –
for they cut themselves off from the means of grace.) From such things let us
repent, since the need for repentance and grace has not changed from 33 A.D. to
1520 A.D. to 2012 A.D. Thank God the solution
has not changed either. If you continue
in my word, you are truly my disciples. Continue in my word.
How important is Christ’s word, how
important is Scripture alone? And how faith is mocked by the world that says
that the word is not enough! (I’ve heard that from high churchmen in our own
synod.) Yet Christ alone gives us a righteousness not by our efforts, but as a
gift. It alone comes from a sure source. It comes from the Christ. What does
Christ say? Your sins are forgiven. Yes,
our Lord preached the law to complacent sinners for a purpose, for repentance,
so that we confess our sins. His reason that we confess is that we receive what
He says next: you are absolved. You are forgiven. You are now mine, my
disciples. This word is to continue in us, so that we do not return to
justifying ourselves, running from a right use of the law and fleeing grace,
running to the spiritual darkness and back to the devil’s dominion. Christ says hear him – and Luther heard
around 1516. If you continue in my word you are truly my disciples.
The Reformers believed, and that faith
cost much more than self-justification. They walked through fire because the
Word of grace was not only precious, it sustained them. We too are disciples,
called to remain in the promise of life by the power of the Word that fulfills
what He says, despite all the enemies set against faith. This is the church’s
cross, to remain faithful to the promises that although unseen, give us
infinite blessing. When you consider the
cross of faith, don’t worry if you are no adventurer or fanatic. Don’t fear
being asked to march to far away deserts with the Gospel even if Christ can
take you there with joy. Don’t even ask “How can I please God by my
discipleship?” For your Lord does not command you to crawl up cathedral steps
on your knees for His approval. He says continue
in my Word.
The power to obey this imperative, to
be a disciple, does not originate in self-esteem or from a burning in your
heart or from anything else in you. The power to endure does not originate in
human flesh, because a living faith is only created through Christ’s promises,
through His Word. And what He
creates, by the Word, your faith, is living and active in you; so that you
begin to live in the blessings of the sinners’ reformation. On Reformation
Sunday let me quote Dr. Martin Luther: Faith
is a divine work within us. It transforms us and gives us a new birth wrought
by God (Jn. 1:13 ). It slays the old Adam, makes us entirely
different people in heart, spirit, mind, and all powers, and brings with it the
Holy Spirit... (SL 14, 99f)
Faith is a gift, born from hearing the
Word of your pardon. And faith receives new life. How do we know this is true?
Because our Lord promised: And you will
know the truth and the truth will free you. The truth is received by
hearing, including in the visible word with spoken words in Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper. Wherever the word is purely preached, that is true to Scripture,
Christ’s truth, the truth, works to set us free. It sets you free from sins’
delusions. It sets you free from the law’s demands. It sets you free to receive
the blessings of God as Father. What a promise! You are set free by the truth
which is found in Christ’s word! He liberates you. It was precisely this point the Jews
rejected. It was this point the monks of
the 16th century rejected. It is this point so many in the 21st
century mock that Jesus alone sets us free.
Why is that? Because Christ tells us
what we sinners do not want to believe; and who wants to admit they are in
bondage and need to be set free? We live in the USA
Those who sin are slaves to sin. And
if a slave, you cannot free yourself. Further, the slave does not remain in the house forever. The slave is sold into bondage. The slave has
no home of his own. The slave has no inheritance. But Jesus Christ sets slaves
free, giving them His inheritance to be sons of God. They are freed from the
law’s condemnation, freed from the power of sin, and given an eternal home. Jesus
brings us to His reformation. Despite our powerlessness as slaves, Jesus sets
us free. The Son is free. The Son is free to buy your freedom. The Son spent His inheritance on you slave, to
liberate you. The Son remains
forever. Therefore if the Son frees you,
you will really be free. If the Son will set you free you will truly be
free! Has He not done this? The Son sold himself for the price of your sin. The Son took within himself all your guilt. The
Son died on a cross and the Father credits you with His righteousness. The Son
rose the third day to give you His life. And in Holy Baptism the Father named
you as His own, joining you to Christ’s death and life by the power of the Holy
Spirit, one God. Yes, the Son will set you free!
The source of freedom is Christ’s
grace, unmerited and undeserved. The gift of freedom is that you are declared
righteous apart from works. There is no command to crawl up cathedral steps to
please the master. The Son purchased your freedom, giving you the inheritance
of His cross. You receive the Son’s inheritance, bid to call His Father “our
Father.” You receive the Son’s
inheritance by faith in His Word. The Son says continue in my word. This is the
church’s glory and her cross. Continue as one justified by grace. Continue
despite the struggles you face. You will inherit all that is promised. Continue
in hearing His word to strengthen your faith so that you endure, and receive
the full inheritance of grace. Continue
to eat and drink what He promises is life and salvation. Since the Son set you
free you are truly free.
Oh, but I still sin! Yes you and I do.
But you have an advocate with the Father. Oh, but I am weak! Yes we are. But
there is one who strengthens you. Oh, but I fail so often. Yes, but are you
saved by your works? Never! You are
declared righteous through Christ, and that is how the Father views you. This
is the heart of reformation: Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, Scripture
alone. This is Christ’s heart for you, your salvation by grace through faith in
Christ alone.
The peace of God which
passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord
(Amen).
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