Friday, October 31, 2014

Festival of the Reformation

Today is the Festival of the Reformation.  In October 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five theses – or statements – to the church door at Wittenberg, Germany.  By this simple action, Luther initiated the Reformation.  Through the work of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s Church was called back to the truth that she can only live by Scripture alone, grace alone and faith alone.  Today, we are reminded again that Scripture alone is the source of doctrine and practice in the Church.  We are reminded that salvation occurs on the basis of God’s grace alone – His undeserved love and favor towards us.  We are reminded that salvation occurs on the basis of faith alone – faith in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection for us.

Scripture reading:
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
(Romans 3:19-28)

Collect of the Day:
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people.  Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.




Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude


Today is the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles.  The New Testament contains four lists of the apostles (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13).  In these lists the tenth and eleventh places are occupied by Simon and Jude.  Simon is a called “the Cananean” which may mean that he was from the city of Cana.  However, it may also be a transliteration of the Aramaic word for “zealous,” which is what Luke and Acts call him (“the Zealot”; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13).  It is unclear whether this describes his character or associates him with a later group in Judaism that opposed Roman rule. Jude was apparently also known as Thaddeus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18).  According to Church tradition, Simon and Jude journeyed together as missionaries to Persia and were martyred there.

Scripture reading:
These things I command you, so that you will love one another.  If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. (John 15:17-21)

Collect of the Day:
Almighty God, You chose Your servants Simon and Jude to be numbered among the glorious company of the apostles.  As they were faithful and zealous in their mission, so may we with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.



Sunday, October 26, 2014

Sermon for the Festival of the Reformation



                                                                                    Reformation
                                                                                    Jn 8:31-36
                                                                                    10/26/14
           
            Maps can be deceptive.  And I’m not talking about those times when the GPS directions you are receiving on your navigation device or phone are wrong.  That’s another matter altogether when you have a computerized voice talking to you that has no idea about what the situation really is.
            No, I’m talking about the way that maps can give us a false impression.  Awhile back there was an interesting piece on the internet about how maps distort our perception of how big the continent of Africa is.  This is caused by the fact the world is a sphere, but maps are flat.  This fact along with the positioning of Africa on the globe means that it seems smaller than it really is – for in fact you can fit the continental United States, China, India, Eastern and Western Europe and Japan within the continent of Africa.
            A different kind of false impression is given when you look at a map of ancient Israel and the surrounding area.  At first glance it appears that Israel is simply part of the land that extends east from the Mediterranean Sea.  However, what you don’t see when looking at the map is the topography and climate of that area, and what this meant for Israel as it related to the surrounding regions.
            Northeast of Israel you have the region of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  These rivers nourished a land that supported agriculture and produced great societies like the Sumerians, the Assyrians and the Babylonians.  Northwest of Israel you have Asia Minor, or what is today called Turkey.  This too had successful peoples and it bordered Greece. To the south you have Egypt, where the Nile River’s annual flooding produced bountiful crops and supported the kingdoms of the Pharaohs.
            What the map doesn’t really make clear is that as you head east from the Israel you encounter dry conditions that don’t really support agriculture, until finally you are in a desert.  On the west of Israel is the Mediterranean Sea.  On the east is land that is uninhabitable and impassable.  And there sits Israel – a land bridge that connects the great regions of Mesopotamia, Asia Minor and Egypt.
            It was inevitable that the great powers that arose in these regions would come into conflict as they vied for supremacy.  And it was inevitable that Israel would be caught in the middle of these struggles that always involved Egypt.  And so a “who’s who” of great ancient powers conquered the land of Israel during the centuries: the Assyrians, the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Ptolemies, the Seleucids and the Romans.
            It is this history that makes the statement in our text this morning so comical as the Jews opposing Jesus say, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”  That’s rather like a Chicago Cubs fan saying, “We’ve never had an unsuccessful season.”  It’s absurd.
            Of course, Jesus is talking about a different kind of slavery – slavery to sin.  And on this point these first century Jews, like many others, were also self-deluding.  They did not see themselves as slaves of sin.  In fact research during the last thirty years or so has shown that Jews during this period had a positive estimation of their spiritual abilities.  They certainly had a positive evaluation of their status as the descendants of Abraham and as God’s chosen people.
            It is this background that makes our text relevant for today, our observation of the Festival of the Reformation.  Martin Luther lived at time when the teaching of the Church also attributed to people a very positive estimation of their spiritual abilities.  In one system associated with a theologian named Gabriel Biel, it was believed the person had to make the first move. Then God gave his grace in a way that equipped the person to work with God in achieving salvation.  In another system associated with the theologian Thomas Aquinas, God made the first move with his grace.  Yet then, like in the other system, this grace equipped the person to work with God in achieving salvation.
            Martin Luther embraced this teaching about working with God.  He did it all the way.  Not only did he become the medieval definition of “religious” by leaving the world and entering the monastery, he was then “the monk’s monk.”  He went after it with all that he was.  In fact his biographer’s believe that the poor health that he often experienced during the course of the Reformation was caused by the physical damage he had done to himself during these years.
            Luther wanted to have a righteous standing before God.  In the midst of all his religious efforts, that was his goal.  But he found that his efforts could never give him peace. They could never bring comfort. Because when salvation involves some element of human doing, you can never escape the question, “How do I know that I have done enough?”  Beyond that, when we honestly probe our actions we find that they are never free from sin.  Mixed in with the most noble of intentions, desires and deeds are selfish and sinful motivations.  It became clear to Luther that his efforts could not free him from sin.
            There are those who say that the Luther’s Reformation rediscovery of the free gift of forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ is no longer relevant.  It is no longer relevant because people are no longer concerned with sin.  They are not trying to find a gracious God because they don’t believe sin exists.
            To be honest … there is an element of truth to this.  For it is true, that much of our world has done away with right and wrong.  There is only what is right for me and what is right for you – and who am I to judge?  Right now in Bible class we are looking at the Sixth Commandment, and it has made for some very interesting discussion.  Because in the areas that relate to the use of God’s gift of sexuality the world has said that there is basically nothing that is wrong.  As long as the people involved give their consent, it doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t matter if you are not married.  It doesn’t matter if the person is someone else’s spouse.  If doesn’t matter if the person is of the same sex.  It doesn’t matter how many people are involved. 
            That’s the way it is and I certainly don’t expect this to change.  Yet in spite of this, there are two realities that will not go away.  The first is that when you choose to reject the way God has ordered his creation, you will pay a price.  You will bring harm upon yourself.  And the evidence of this is all around us in the wreckage of families and marriage itself; in the harm done to children deprived of a father or a mother; in the destructive chaos that is now called sexual assault on college campuses.
            Yet there is an even more significant reality that does not change.  Just before our text, Jesus says to those who reject him, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”  Sin is like gravity.  You can say it doesn’t exist, but that doesn’t change the fact that if you fall out of the window of a tall building you will go splat.  Sin brings death.  And those who die in sin don’t simply die.  They are cut off from God in damnation.
            Like Luther, you know that sin is real.  That’s why you are here today.  You know the ways that you fail to love God.  You know the ways you fail to love your neighbor.  You know the harm this causes to yourself and others.  And like Luther, you know that your efforts can’t do anything about it.  They can’t remove guilt. They can’t remove shame. They can’t bring peace.
            In our text this morning, our Lord speaks very bluntly about sin.  He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”  But he also says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus says to abide in his word – his word of the Gospel.  He says that we are to center our life around the good news of his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins.
            That’s what Martin Luther discovered.  The Gospel came clear as he recognized that the heart of God’s word is not about what we must do.  It’s not about Law.  Instead, it is about what God has done for you in his Son, Jesus Christ.  It’s about the gift of forgiveness and righteousness and peace that you could never earn.  It’s about the Gospel.
            And because it is about God’s doing, it is certain and sure.  There is no doubt. There is no uncertainty. There is only the peace of knowing that we are the forgiven children of God. For as Jesus says in our text today, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
           
             
 


           


Thursday, October 23, 2014

Feast of St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus and Martyr




Today is the Feast of St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus and Martyr. St. James of Jerusalem (also known as “James the Just”) is identified as “the Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:19).  Much of the Church has considered James to be a kinsman of Jesus, but he may in fact have been a later child born to Mary and Joseph.  James did not believe in Jesus until after His resurrection (John 7:3-5; 1 Corinthians 15:7).  He quickly became an important leader in the Jerusalem church and played a significant role in the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15).  He authored the letter that bears his name in the New Testament.  The ancient Jewish historian Josephus reports that James was martyred in 62 A.D. when he was stoned to death by the Sadducees.

Scripture reading:
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:1-12)

Collect of the Day:
Heavenly Father, shepherd of Your people, You raised up James the Just, brother of our Lord, to lead and guide Your Church.  Grant that we may follow his example of prayer and reconciliation and be strengthened by the witness of his death; through Jesus Christ, Your  Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one  God, now and forever.