We come to
another annual observance of Reformation Day.
We walk a bit of a tightrope on this day, as Lutherans. We must maintain the balance. We want to avoid chest-thumping triumphalism
and pride that Luther got it right, and we have it right, rah rah
Lutherans. We also want to celebrate
what is good about the Reformation, and the great blessing that it was, and is
to the Christian church. One of the best
ways to strike this balance is to focus especially on the words of Jesus in our
Gospel reading today from John 8.
There he
encourages us to abide in his word. There
he explains how he frees us from slavery to sin. There he calls us not to a shallow faith, but
to an abiding faith in him and his word, and to a truth that brings
freedom. Let us consider these truths on
this Reformation Day.
Here, John
tells us, Jesus was speaking to “Jews who had believed in him”. But it’s clear enough that their belief in
him is rather shallow and fragile. It
doesn’t last long or go far, and Jesus seems to know it. The conversation sort
of devolves from here. By the end of the
chapter the conversation wasn’t going so well at all. He challenged them, pressed them, called them
children of the devil, and finally they picked up stones to throw at him.
What is their
problem? Pride, it seems. Jesus talked about setting them free and they
began to balk. “We are children of
Abraham and have never been slaves of anyone!”
But their pride blinded them.
It blinded
them first to their own history. The
children of Abraham had indeed been slaves, subjugated by many different
nations, and most famously in Egypt for some 400 years. And at that moment, the
Jews were subjugated by the Roman Empire, much to their chagrin and
discomfort. So it’s sort of strange to
make the claim they’ve never been slaves – it’s not even true in an earthly
sense.
But of
course Jesus has something much deeper in mind.
The slavery to sin. A slavery
that holds all men in bondage because all sin.
And anyone who makes a practice of sin is a slave to sin. According to our old nature, we are all
slaves to sin, bound in will and spirit and our flesh is corrupted and bound to
death.
We, too,
ought to be wary of the sin of pride.
Even on a day like today, in which we celebrate our beloved Lutheran
heritage. Here I stand! A Mighty Fortress! Grace Alone!
Faith Alone! Scripture
Alone! These are all good watchwords and
themes. It is good to embrace Lutheran
doctrine and give thanks that God reformed the church through a little German
monk 500 years ago. But if any or all of
this leads us to pride, we miss the point of it. Just as the Jews bragged that they were
“Abraham’s Children” we might fall into the trap of boasting as “Luther’s
Children”. And it would be the same.
We might
even see a more explicit version of this, and cross the line between love for
our congregation – Messiah Lutheran Church in Keller – and pride that we are so
much better than others. We do liturgy
right. We have great music. We avoid the fads and funny business and do church
the way it should be done. Aren’t we so
great?
Let’s not be
blind to our own history. The Lutheran
church has always had its problems. In
the generation after Luther’s death, we had two parties fighting over whether
to compromise doctrine with the other protestants. After that, we saw the rise of Pietism, the
false idea that doctrine doesn’t matter, but only what’s in your heart. Then, we fought Rationalism, the reaction
that said, no, it’s not the heart it’s the head knowledge that counts most.
Our own
Missouri Synod has had its problems from its founding, with a pastor that was
run out as a philanderer, to a controversy about predestination. We struggled to find our place in American Christianity. We wrestled with liberal theology and saw a
seminary blow up in the walkout known as Seminex. And we’ve fought the worship wars, and
wrangled over unionism and syncretism.
And on and on it goes. Even at
Messiah we’ve seen our share of conflict, and maybe more. There’s nothing new under the sun.
But the sin
of pride runs deep and wide in human hearts.
And if we learned anything from the Reformation we ought to constantly
be reminding ourselves that anyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. Therefore our boasting is excluded. The truth of God that sets us free must first
show us our sin. We must be disabused of
our pride and the illusion of our freedom, and confess the bondage of the
will. The flesh can do no good. Our Old Adam is still pining to be like God,
his own master, never a slave of anyone.
But such is the slavery of sin.
Jesus comes
to set us free. Jesus comes to bring us
his word of truth which alone can do it.
Yes, that truth is first a diagnosis of our sin. And let that word be as harsh as it is – let
it hold nothing back – let the letter kill and the commandments condemn us
rightly. But like a field plowed and
ready to be planted, only then are we prepared to hear that other word, the
good seed of the Gospel. If we say we
have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is
faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
The truth
will set you free. But Jesus isn’t just
talking about any truth here. Not the
truth that the Rangers are in the world series or that pineapple on pizza is
gross. It’s the truth of the
Gospel! It’s the truth of him,
Jesus! It’s the truth of his
righteousness that comes by faith, apart from the law. Revealed to us and not earned by us, but won
by him and only him at the cross. It’s
the eternal Gospel that John saw the angel preaching in his vision. It’s the heart of the Reformation and the truth
on which Luther could stand firm. It’s
the free gift that keeps on giving, the baptism that is always overflowing with
blessings, the table that is always prepared with the richest fare of Christ’s
body and blood for the forgiveness of you sins.
That’s the truth that sets you free.
The law of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, crucified for sinners.
Those Jews
who had believed in Jesus were not going to stick with him very long. As I mentioned, by the end of the chapter
they were trying to stone him. The
problem was they didn’t abide in his word.
Oh sure,
they heard it – some of it – at first.
They followed him for a while.
Maybe they liked what they heard, or thought they heard. But like the seed sown in shallow soil in the
parable of Jesus, they had no root. And
so their nascent faith quickly withered and died. They went from followers of Christ to enemies
of Christ in short order.
And so is
the danger for all who hear the word.
When Jesus says abide in his word, he is calling us to do more than give
a listen once in a while. He wants us to
remain in the word. To drench ourselves
in it. To live in it and move in it and
have our being in it. To read, mark,
learn and inwardly digest it. To let it
shape our hearts and minds and words and be transformed by it.
But pride
can rear its head again here, too. “But
pastor! I go to church! I abide in the word! I even come to Sunday School! I have my kids in a classical Lutheran
school! I pray every day! I do this, I do that, I… I… I….”
“We are
children of Abraham! We have never been
slaves of anyone! We follow the law! We
go to synagogue! We celebrate the
Passover! We circumcise our
children! We don’t eat pork! We… we…. We..”
No. He, he, he.
Abiding in Christ’s word means always repenting of self and turning to
him in faith. It means stopping the
mouth and opening the ears, to hear and receive and learn. As the first of the 95 Theses says, “our
whole life should be one of repentance”.
Luther nailed it there.
And if the
Son sets us free, and he has, then we remain in the house forever. Not as slaves, but as free men, sons,
even. Children of God through Christ. Saved by grace, though faith, by the blood of
Jesus Christ.
“Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in
the house of the Lord forever”
A blessed
Reformation Day.
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