Reformation Sunday - October 30, 2011

The Church Season of Trinity
Reformation Sunday (Observed)
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (October 30, 2011)

Readings:  
    Psalm 46
    Revelation 14:1-6
    Romans 3:19-28
    Matthew 11:12-19

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 11th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses:

Matthew 11:12-19 (ESV)

[Jesus said]12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, 17 “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Today we note the 494th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Our banner here in the chancel reflects Luther’s Rose.  Here is what it means as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther explained it, “Grace and peace from the Lord. As you desire to know whether my painted seal, which you sent to me, has hit the mark, I shall answer most amiably and tell you my original thoughts and reason about why my seal is a symbol of my theology. The first should be a black cross in a heart, which retains its natural color, so that I myself would be reminded that faith in the Crucified saves us. "For one who believes from the heart will be justified" (Rom. 10:10). Although it is indeed a black cross, which mortifies and which should also cause pain, it leaves the heart in its natural color. It does not corrupt nature, that is, it does not kill but keeps alive. "The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17) but by faith in the crucified. Such a heart should stand in the middle of a white rose, to show that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace. In other words, it places the believer into a white, joyous rose, for this faith does not give peace and joy like the world gives (John 14:27). That is why the rose should be white and not red, for white is the color of the spirits and the angels (cf. Matt. 28:3; John 20:12). Such a rose should stand in a sky-blue field, symbolizing that such joy in spirit and faith is a beginning of the heavenly future joy, which begins already, but is grasped in hope, not yet revealed. And around this field is a golden ring, symbolizing that such blessedness in Heaven lasts forever and has no end. Such blessedness is exquisite, beyond all joy and goods, just as gold is the most valuable, most precious and best metal.  May Christ, our beloved Lord, be with your spirit until the life hereafter.”

 

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 500 years since Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, an ordained priest of the Roman Catholic church, challenged the powers of the known world by tacking those 95 thesis to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.  There he questioned the authority of the Holy Roman Catholic church and King Charles Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.  And to this machine of churchly and governmental authority Luther’s challenge was met with words similar to that which Christ spoke in our Gospel lesson, “He is a demon.”(v. 18)

 

When Luther was confronted by excommunication which by nature included threat of death, Luther stated, "Unless I shall be convinced by the testimonies of the Scriptures or by clear reason ... I neither can nor will make any retraction, since it is neither safe nor honorable to act against conscience."  He also famously is said to have added, "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."  Against all odds, Luther stood on the Word of God and not the word of men.  On this day of remembering the Reformation it is all too easy to think of Luther, and to quote Him or to insult and belittle those who opposed him.  But if he were here today, that would not be Luther’s point.  Rather Luther would point to Christ just as he did in that seal. 

 

Jesus said to the crowd gathered around Him, “12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. ”(v.12)  John the Baptist preached, prayed, and pointed to Christ.  And for this proclamation John his head became a birthday bidding gift of Herod’s niece.  Herod like the crowd either did not believe the prophecy of John or he chose to ignore it.

 

And Jesus paints the people around Him in the same light, like children who want to call the tunes and feel snubbed when their partners do not want to dance with them. But we humans are quite fickle, aren’t we?  We do not want to hear about Moses and the Ten commandments.  We don’t want to hear about the destruction of all of God’s people who failed to listen to the prophets.  We do not want to hear John the Baptist say to us, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”(Mt. 3:2)  That’s Law and it’s all to stern, isn’t it?  Can’t we just have the Word of God and the Gospel the way we want to hear it, without so much pain, suffering, and violence?

Well, truthfully, if that is what we proclaimed, all Gospel and no Law, then we would be changing God’s Word in scripture to meet our needs, and we see that happen throughout scripture.  From Adam and Eve, to the church in Luther’ time, man has been quite consistent in turning from the whole of God’s Word and wanting only to hear the portions we want to hear.  And quite frankly the first desires in Garden did bring about suffering and the violence of death.  In this world we know of violence we suffer from it for we live in a fallen world and we feel the results which are pain, suffering, and ultimately we too shall one day die. 

But lest we be depressed, by all that we face, hear again what Christ said, “The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”(v. 12)  Jesus Christ suffered the ultimate violence for us as He died on the cross.  His suffering and death overcomes our all our pain, all our suffering, all hate and angst that we face in this world. 

 Today we celebrate the Reformation not out of party spirit nor because we hate Catholicism or because we enjoy bashing the pope.  We celebrate the Reformation in a spirit of grateful humility that God still allows His good news of forgiveness to be preached to us, and we ask that He would preserve His Church on earth for the sake of Christ, so that many more might hear the pure doctrine that God forgives sinners all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and all that is a free gift, no strings attached.

So today, in remembering the Reformation we are reminded that we do not find salvation in the promises or works of men, traditions, or feelings.  We do not find the promise of salvation in the scribbled words written on a piece of paper tacked to a church door by a man named Martin Luther. We honor Luther for standing up against incredible forces and we stand here today to confess that our salvation is revealed in Jesus Christ nailed to a cross.  Salvation is promised by Christ, and confirmed in your Baptism, there you died to sin and now live to Christ.  Today in the Holy Sacrament of our Lord, Jesus Christ pours Himself out for you in His body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.  Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God to whom all Holy Scripture points.  Today, we fondly recall the beauty and details of Luther’s seal placed on a banner and the memory of that door to the Castle Church in Wittenberg.  But even greater still, for all eternity we will recall the Gospel Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.  For Jesus Christ is for you the seal of your salvation and He alone is for you the one and only door to eternal life.  Amen.

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