Sunday, October 30, 2022

Reformation Sunday
Revelation 14:6-7
Psalm 46
Romans 3:19-28
John 8:31-36

Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, 'If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'

This devotional reaches across national borders and across denominational lines, touching the lives of Christians around the world. It is unlikely that we would ever be found worshipping in the same church building, not just because of geography, but also because we see the world from much different perspectives. We like different types of worship styles. We have different ways of focusing our faith. We have doctrinal differences. It doesn't help to ignore the reality, but we are reminded that despite all our differences, there is something that holds us together. Though there are divisions among us, the Holy Spirit makes us one. We who are saved by faith in Christ Jesus are one body, no matter where we live, how we worship, or how we serve God in the world.

I try, in this writing, to speak with a voice that reaches across the national borders and denominational lines. I try to speak to the heart of the body of Christ, to the place where we all live, in His grace. I am human, of course, and I have my own style, focus, and doctrines which I believe and follow, and it is impossible for me to keep those separate from the messages I share. I pray every day that God will use my limited vision to touch the readers with a message that will reach them where they live.

That said, I can't help but focus this week's Midweek Oasis on a moment in time that helped mold my life and faith: October 31, 1517. Lutheran churches will celebrate that day on Sunday. A few others will remember what happened five hundred and five years ago. That is the day when Martin Luther posted the Ninety-five thesis on the door of Wittenberg Church and kicked off the Reformation. The theses were written to open debate between scholars about the abuses in the Church at that time, particularly the sale of indulgences. This began a conversation that led to a movement that sought to restore the Christian faith to a simpler time, to a time when the work of God, His grace, was the center of the faith.

My husband and I stood in front of that door when we visited Germany in June. Of course, the original door is long gone. A new one was installed in November 1858; it is a bronze door inscribed with the ninety-five theses created by Friedrich Drake. One of the things we learned during our pilgrimage to the Luther sites is that very little is actually as it had been five hundred and five years ago. You can visit his childhood home, except that the actual building was destroyed by fire long ago. You can visit the place where he died, except the information available when it became a pilgrimage site soon after Luther's death was incorrect, and Luther's Death House Museum is actually in the wrong building. You can still see where Luther was baptized, but the font is only partially original. It is not that they are trying to deceive visitors, the same thing is true in all ancient places. Even in Israel the tourist sites are the best guesses of those who wanted to honor the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Still, it was quite an experience to walk where Luther walked, to see the world through his eyes. The Wartburg included an hour long tour of many beautiful rooms as they might have been when Elizabeth of Hungary lived there, but the only thing I really wanted to see was the room where Martin Luther lived as Junker Jorg when he was in hiding. This room has not been renovated. The plaster on the walls was falling down. There was a few pieces of furniture and a copy of the Lucas Cranach painting of Junker Jorg. The room was even dusty. However, it was the actual room where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German, so it was a highlight of my trip.

Martin Luther is definitely an important figure for the German people. The celebration for the five hundredth anniversary of the nailing of the theses lasted ten years. It has actually lasted longer, because you can still see the museum exhibits that were created, and the tourist sites are much better because of the renovations that were done to prepare. In the years leading up to 2017, the Germans did a lot to make everything like new, including relations with those who might not appreciate Martin Luther very much.

An author wrote an article a few years before the celebration that began, "It's rare to be invited to an event five years off and even rarer to bicker about its details, but Germany's Catholic Church finds itself in that delicate situation thanks to an overture from its Protestant neighbors." The article described an invitation from Germany's Protestant community to its Roman Catholic Christians to join in the celebration. After all, they lived together, worked side by side, and the Reformation impacted their world in more ways than just religion. The churches are equal in size, and they are equally active in public life. Intermarriage is common. It is not surprising that the Protestants might want to involve their neighbors, even if they are Roman Catholic.

Of course, we know that the impact of Luther and the other Reformers was not always positive. It was, in essence, a divorce. How do you celebrate a tragedy with merriment? While Luther's translation of the Bible made it available for the average person and his work shaped the German language, the Reformation caused wars in which a third of the German population was killed. In the past five hundred years, hundreds, if not thousands, of new denominations have formed, further dividing Christ's church. It is no wonder that the Roman Catholics of Germany were hesitant to join in the jubilee, but they have embraced the idea that they are Catholic in Lutherland. We even passed a Catholic church in Wittenberg that had a sign that said, "Katholisch in Luther stadt."

Luther never wanted the church to split, he simply wanted some aspects of the church to be restored to the way they had been in the beginning. He always wanted reconciliation, even if he refused to concede the points that he believed mattered to the Christian faith.

The Christian faith is about reconciliation and forgiveness, and Roman Catholics are still trying to find some common agreement. Groups have met over the years to discuss the historical reality of the Reformation, an event for which we all need forgiveness. We see it differently, of course, but the truth is somewhere in the middle of our opinions, and we have to find a way to agree on the history before we can ever really forgive one another. Luther was imperfect, but so were those on the other side.

Some might wonder, "Why bother?" after all, it isn't just the Lutherans who have found Christian faith apart from the Roman Catholic Church, and those who are Roman Catholic might wonder why we should find any agreement. Martin Luther never wanted division; he wanted reformation and restoration. Our ultimate goal, even today, is for unity in Christ's Church. It may be difficult, it might even be impossible, but the Christian faith is founded upon forgiveness and reconciliation. If we can't forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ, how will we ever preach forgiveness to the world?

Most of you who are neither Lutheran nor Roman Catholic might wonder what this has to do with you. Some of you come from Christian churches that were not even formed out of the Reformation. Reformation day is meaningless to you. This may be true, but the lessons we learn from the texts chosen for this Sunday are applicable to all of us, the entire body of Christ, no matter our differences. The texts, which focus on God's saving grace, are the foundation of our faith.

Martin Luther was an educated man who studied the scriptures and had a good sense of God's love, but he was so riddled with guilt that he spent hours confessing his sins and seeking forgiveness. He was a priest, and he was afraid that if he was not justified before God, then his entire congregation would be condemned forever. He included every minor and trivial thought, word or deed that was not perfect. He suffered great pains spiritually. He tried to be perfect, but when he was not perfect, he obsessed over receiving forgiveness for himself for the sake of his congregation.

One day, however, Martin Luther realized that he could never confess himself into salvation. He rediscovered the foundation of the Gospel message in Romans 3: it is not by our works that we are saved, but the amazing grace of God saves us.

When Martin Luther read the passage from Romans 3, he rediscovered the foundation of the Gospel message: it is not by our works that we are saved, but by the amazing grace of God. It is so much easier for us to do good works than to accept the humbling reality that we can never make ourselves good enough to enter into the presence of God. We don't want God to see our imperfections and we fear what will happen when He does. It is much, much harder for us to cry out to God in our imperfections because we are truly afraid of what He might say. Yet, the true path, the better path, is to cry out in faith knowing that God is gracious and merciful, full of forgiveness. There is nothing we can do to earn His grace, but in faith we can boldly approach Him with our needs. He will stop and listen. He will heal. In Him and in Him alone, we have joy and hope and peace.

The turning point for Luther's faith was the reminder of God's grace. He realized that there was nothing he could do to make himself right with God. He was a sinner in need of a Savior, and only Jesus Christ could bring justification and sanctification to his life. This knowledge made Luther free. It makes us free, too, to live and love and work according to God's righteousness, following the passions of our heart which by faith will be in line with God's will. He calls us from the inside, through the gift of faith we receive as we believe in Jesus. The new attitude we have in the New Covenant will make us long to be actively involved in God's creative and redemptive work. We are not forced to be righteous according to some man-made expectation. God has made us righteous and in that righteousness, we'll do what is right. He has set us free.

Martin Luther's nailing of the Ninety-five Thesis began something that he never intended: division in the body of Christ. But on this Reformation Day, we can talk about forgiveness and reconciliation with our brothers in sisters in Christ across the national and denominational boundaries. We are bound together by something that cannot divide us, the grace of God. We can, as John writes, "Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!" together in our own places, in our own ways, despite our differences. The God who formed the earth has saved us and given us the faith to live in the here and now until that day when we will be reconciled for eternity.

In the texts for today we see a strong and powerful image of God. He is "our refuge and our strength." We need not fear, like Martin Luther feared for himself and for his congregation, because God is a very present help in trouble. It was Psalm 46 that Martin Luther used as the basis for one of his most important works: the hymn "A Mighty Fortress." God is always there. He is a fortress in times of difficulty and a refuge in times of need. When things are looking bad in the world in which we live, as they must have looked to Luther in 1517, we can rest assured that God is present, active and faithful.

The Old Covenant included list of laws that were required for righteousness. Leaders demanded obedience, and they made threats or bribes to keep the people in line. The leaders laid heavy burdens on the people, and the people failed. That's why God made the New Covenant that gives the believer the faith to live according to God's Word.

Jesus told those listening that the truth would set them free, but the Jewish leaders didn't understand what he was talking about. "We are Abraham's offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, 'You will be made free'?" They relied on their heritage; they relied on Abraham and Moses for their salvation. But since they could not keep the Law perfectly, they would always fail to live up to the expectations of that Law. Jesus said that whenever you sin, no matter how small or insignificant, you are a slave to sin. This is what Martin Luther discovered when he was trying to confess himself into salvation.

The New Covenant gives us a new attitude; it reforms our thinking about God's Law and God's Word. In faith we respond to the call of God. The Old Covenant, which comes from outside, is replaced with a covenant that comes from inside. The Law still has a purpose, in that it helps us to see that we are in need of a Savior. When we hear the Gospel, God's Word is placed in the heart; faith is given so that the believer can act out of love rather than fear. We are no longer burdened by that Law, but we are set free to live out God's Word by faith.

The main feature of the Ninety-five Theses was the argument against indulgences. The Church and secular authorities used the superstitious fear of the people to sell indulgences to raise funds to build a massive new church building in Rome by feeding the fears of hell that were held by the people. The Church was selling entrance into heaven; according to them the only way to end up in heaven was to pay for it. The sellers of indulgences convinced the people that they could also pay for those already dead, so the poor became poorer by paying to set loved ones free from the bondage of purgatory.

People were ignorant of God's Word, they received only what was given to them by the priests. The priests were often uneducated and heretical in their understanding of God, partly because they were ill-informed and partly because so many pagan thoughts had entered into the Christian understanding of God. It was a time of fear. Those who were faithful were so afraid of the wrath of God that they could not find peace or hope in their life. Guilt was a tool used by the Church to convince the congregation to purchase indulgences. They even had a cute jingle: "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs."

I suspect that the Church leaders five hundred years ago did not understand that the indulgences they were offering were just a type of slavery. By demanding that the people pay for grace, they were burdening them with a law that could not be kept. How would the poor buy bread for the day if they were buying indulgences for those they loved? But we are not much different today. We burden people with demands that they can't keep, making them slaves to our own ideas or practices. How many Lutherans and Roman Catholics fear for their neighbors because they are afraid that they have not adhered to the right faith? This is true also of the other Christians that disagree with both the Lutherans and the Roman Catholics. We all need to be freed by the Gospel of Christ that binds us together despite our differences.

I once listened as a church leader give a message about stewardship using the theme of loyalty. He demanded that every member should be loyal to that church, to that building, and to that ministry. He missed the mark in that speech, and in doing so laid a heavy burden on the congregation. Our loyalty is not to a building or a pastor or a denomination. Our loyalty is to God. It is good that we find a place to practice our faith with others who have similar ideas, enjoy similar worship, and are able to focus our faith on the same things. It is good to join our offerings, our good works, and our gifts with others of like mind so we can work together in common purpose. In the meantime, people in other places with other ideas and styles and focus will do things together, too, all for the glory of God. But we have to remember that we are not serving the church or even the people; we are serving God and doing these things for Him. When we focus our loyalty on the world, we lose touch with God, and we are once again a slave to sin.

The foundation of all our faith is forgiveness and reconciliation, first from God and then with one another. Yes, the differences are great, and it is unlikely we will ever be one visible Church in this world, but the invisible church is one Body, Christ's body by faith. When we rely on our own righteousness, we will fail; we will never really be free. Freedom comes from God; faith is the gift that is planted in our hearts and that changes our attitude. Faith distinguishes the slaves from the children of God. By faith you are a son or daughter of the Most High. This is the truth that both sets us free and makes us one with other Christians.

This life of grace is what Martin Luther discovered as he searched the scriptures for relief from his burdens. He longed to be freed from the fear, guilt and pain he experienced when he recognized himself as the sinner that he was. He knew there was no way he could be good or enough for the gifts of God. His fears threatened to affect his ministry, because he thought his lifetime of sin would invalidate the work he was called to do in the church.

There is a rock opera about the life of Martin Luther. It was written by the group Lost and Found, based on a graphic novel that was published by Dr. Rich Melheim. The songs tell the story of the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation and ends with a song that makes us all consider how the Reformation continues today. The refrain goes like this, "If I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would plant a tree today. There is hope amid the sorrow and there's joy along the way. There's a world in every moment and a moment when we find that the tree of life is growing all the time."

One of the stanzas from that song goes like this: "Stumbling through the dark, when this all began, seeing what was wrong, yet without a plan. Now, we've come so far, it seems as though we're done, but God's reforming word has only just begun." Every day is a day for reformation. Every day is a day to trust in God. Every day, even the final day, is a day to plant a tree, always hopeful and joyful that God will keep the tree of life growing for eternity because God has set us free to truly live as we were meant to live.

The grace of God is the incredible truth that the work of salvation is not dependent on man but rather on the mercy of God. When we realize that we are sinners in need of a Savior, our whole world is turned upside down. We are set free from the burdens of the law so that we might live to the glory of God in His grace. This is what happened to Martin Luther when he read Paul's words to the Romans, "We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law."

I sometimes wonder if it is time to have another Reformation, and there are others who think the same. Unfortunately, the focus of a new Reformation for many is a personal freedom to do what they feel is best according to their hearts. However, the Reformation we need is the reminder that we are sinners saved by grace and that God has mercy on us so that we might glorify Him with our lives. We need to recognize God's grace. We need to remember that God's grace does not set us free to live as we want; He sets us free to live to His glory. In that grace we are called to live in a manner in which our faith will grow and that our love for one another will increase.