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A sermon is a manner of oral communication and therefore words and sentence structure/order would be added, altered, or deleted at the moment of delivery. + In Nomine Jesu + The Rev. Evan Gaertner How do you see the world? Do you need help like I do to see clearly? I need glasses but sometimes I wear contact lenses, and I am sort of to someday getting corrective laser eye surgery. It was in first grade that I noticed my long range vision fuzzy. My dad took me to an optometrist who told me that I didn’t need glasses yet but I probably would by the time I was in sixth grade. Remarkably that optometrist was right on target because it was in sixth grade that I finally put on my first pair of eyeglasses. My mom okayed me in eighth grade getting contact lenses after I broke my glasses playing football. I enjoy being able to see clearly. Those of you who have glasses know how we can get used to dirty lenses, but when we finally do clean them what a wonderful thing it is to see vivid shapes and colors once again. Excuse me while I take a second to wipe my glasses clean…there that is better I can see all of you a little more clearly. The church occasionally needs to take a pause and clean her glasses so that she can see more clearly. The Reformation begun by Martin Luther in the five hundred years ago was such a moment. Martin Luther tried to look through the theology that had been given to him. But he found himself with a crisis of conscience. At the time of Luther the wisdom of the time directed people to look to their own good deeds for assurance that they had received the grace of God. But when Luther looked at himself he saw the work he was doing but did not find any assurance or comfort. He saw many reasons why God would be justified in sending his anger. The motivation for doing the right thing was because otherwise you were going to the ever lasting place of burning and gnashing of teeth. Motivating by fear may work for some football coaches but is not the way I want to live my life. Living by fear was not leading Luther towards any sign of hope. Luther looked into the scriptures to find hope, because he was not finding it in the teaching of the church during his time. He read the book of Romans and found the cloth to clean his glasses. Martin Luther found in the writing of Look with me at verse 20 of Romans chapter three, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” The law of God cannot move you to live and act in way that makes you right with God. I know that when we examine the lives of notable people we will find many good deeds that are done for the benefit of society. But being justified by others is not the same as the righteousness of God. The smudged glasses of our world today look at the just life and define it as a life that is lived with wisdom. This wisdom would be measured by certain benchmarks of decision making and good deeds, the habits highly effective people. The success of this so called just life is measured by moral achievements, reaching certain benchmarks. If I go to a bank to cash a check they will ask for my credentials to demonstrate who I am. What are the credentials of the person in our society who would be labeled as living the just, moral life? Probably a record of good decisions and serving others. The credentials of today’s society for the just and righteous is the same pair of dirty glasses that Luther looked through. Luther looked at his works and deeds as an assurance of living in the grace of God. His good works were the evidence of God in his life. Unfortunately this viewpoint does not bring comfort but doubt and fear. The Reformation that Martin Luther began was about cleaning our viewpoint. Instead of looking to our own tarnished and ultimately worthless actions we look to Christ. Jesus is the one through whom God has made manifest his grace. The credentials that we bring to the Listen to verses 21 and 22 “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.” Martin Luther a monk in Instead of looking to himself to find the power of righteousness, the Word of God changed his view. Walter Wangerin, Jr tied together in a story about his son stealing comic books the themes of atonement and the “wrath of God.” (see The Manger is Empty, chapter 17, “Matthew, Seven, Eight, and Nine”). It is the story of a three year drama of trying to get his son Matthew to stop stealing comic books -- to which the final resort had been a spanking, a measure so drastic for Wangerin that he had needed to leave the room and cry. Matthew didn't cry; he cried. Matthew did finally stop stealing from that day onward, but it wasn't because of the law. Here's Wangerin's conclusion to the story that so perfectly fits this day of marveling at God's righteousness revealed as mercy instead of the law: What wasn’t true, however, was how I thought the change had occurred in my son. I thought it was the spanking. I thought the law had done it. The law can do many things, of course. It can frighten a child till his eyes go wide. It can restrain him and blame him and shame him, surely. But it cannot change him. So it was with For this is the final truth of my story: Years after that spanking, Matthew and his mother were driving home from the shopping center. They were discussing things that had happened in the past. The topic of comic books came up. They talked of how he used to steal them, and of how long the practice continued. Matthew said, “But you know, Mom, I haven’t stolen comic books for a long, long time.” His mother said, “I know.” She drew the word out for gratitude: “I knoooow.” Matthew mused a moment, then said, “Do you know why I stopped the stealing?” “Sure,” said his mother. “Because Dad spanked you.” “No, Mom,” said Matthew, my son, the child of my heart. He shook his head at his mother’s mistake. “No,” he said, “but because Dad cried.” Hereafter, let every accuser of my son reckon with the mercy of God, and fall into a heap, and fail. For love accomplished what the law could not, and tears are more powerful than Sinai. Even the Prince of Accusers shall bring no charge against my son that the Final judge shall not dismiss. Satan, you are defeated! My God has loved my Matthew. Do you know why I stopped the stealing? Sure. Because Dad spanked you. No, Mom. No. But because Dad cried. (pp.131-132) I invite you today to take a moment and clean your glasses. Look at the credentials you hold in your hand that you will present to God. It is not by works so that no one can boast, by Jesus Christ. Soli Deo Gloria -->> Home |
