Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Genesis 18,20-33. Trinity XXIII

Genesis 18,20-33 5724

Trinity xxiii 70; All Saints 82

Pirmin, Abbot, Bishop and Apostle of Alsace, Upper Rhine and Danube ✠ 753

3. November 2024

1. ℣ I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh:

℟ Thoughts of peace, and not of affliction, so that I give you hope and peace (Jeremiah 29,11 vul).

Ego enim scio cogitationes quas ego cogito super vos, ait Dominus:

cogitationes pacis et non afflictionis, ut dem bovis finem et patientiam. lxx mas

Give me an obedient heart, O Heavenly Father, that I may not offend my parents or knowingly and willingly grieve them. Guard me, lest by disobedience and obstinacy I bring on myself the curse and unhappiness with which wicked children have been threatened, but let it be well with me here in time and there in eternity. Amen. (Stark 197; English 174).

2. »Then Abraham said: „O let not Adona be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found in Sodom.“ He answered: „For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.“«

3. This past Friday the church commemorated the Saints on All Saints day. The exact date moved about the liturgical calendar until it finally settled on 1. November. As early as 373 the Church set a day aside remembering the saints. In 417 it was on the Friday after Easter. Boniface IV (608-15) moved it to 13. May in 610, then a century later Gregory III (731-41) moved it to 1. November, and Gregory IV (827-44) reaffirmed this date a century later; and so it has remained on this date for the Western Church. As Lutherans, we remember all the commemorated martyrs and saints throughout the year on that day.

4. Martin Luther chose the eve before All Saints Day to post his 95 Theses in 1517. He specifically chose this date because 1. November was when Frederick the Wise brought out his 19,000 relics of the saints for people to venerate and reduced time off from purgatory. Luther Theses had the relics and indulgences squarely in its sight for critique. In 1530 the Lutherans confessed this about the saints:

1] Concerning the Worship of Saints our churches teach that the memory of saints may be set before us, that we may follow their faith and good works, according to our vocation, as the Emperor may follow the example of David in making war to drive away the Turk from his 2] country. For both are kings. But the Scripture does not teach the invocation of saints or to ask help of saints, since Scripture sets before us the one Christ as the Mediator, Propitiation, High 3] Priest and Intercessor. He is to be prayed to, and has promised that He will hear our prayer; and He approves this worship above all, namely, that in all afflictions He be called upon, 1. John 2,4] 1: If any one sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, etc. (Augsburg Confession XXI,1-3)

5. Clement of Alexandria said: A true Christian is always pure for prayer when the Christian also prays in the society of angels, as being already of angelic rank, and is never out of their holy keeping and though he pray alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him in prayer (Miscellanies 7,12; Ante-Nicene Fathers 2,551).

6. Martin Chemnitz wrote:

and the saints live with Christ and know that God has „foreseen ... that apart from us they should not be made perfect,“ but must wait „until the number of their servants and their brethren“ on earth „should be complete,“ these are pious and good thoughts, that the blest in heaven, although they may not see the particular circumstances of individual persons living on earth, are nevertheless in a certain way of their own concerned about the general condition of the church, of which they know that it is fighting on earth under the cross, because they themselves have experienced how many and great are the difficulties and miseries of mortal life, and that they therefore are of good will toward the living, as their own members, and that they desire and wish all good things from Christ, in whose presence they live, so that those on earth, preserved and set free from evil, may be transferred to the society of the heavenly Fatherland. Such pious and good thoughts we neither disapprove nor condemn (Examination of the Council of Trent Vol. 3, 368-69).

7. All this brings us roundabout to Genesis 18. Abraham and his family fear, love and trust Yahweh; Lot and his family also fear, love and trust Yahweh. They were righteous on account of Yahweh, and thus they were saints. But Lot’s family lived in Sodom. Even saying the name of the city evokes images in our minds of their depravity and wickedness. How vexed and tormented Lot’s family must have been living amongst those who feared neither God nor man! The cries of their victims had reached the height of heaven where Yahweh sat on His throne. Like the wickedness of Noah’s day, the wickedness of Sodom, Gomorrah and the other cities in the valley had to be punished.

8. Christians living 4000 years after Abraham and Lot are likewise vexed and tormented by the vile wickedness and depravity often on public display in Western civilization. Like the citizens of Sodom, our culture’s wickedness is often proudly boasted. God merciful steadfast love stays His avenging hand upon this nation’s many evils. He is longing for repentance, but those who test His mercy too long and take it for granted do so at their own peril, as the Psalmist proclaims: »For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man« (Psalm 5,4-6).

9. But Abraham pleads: »„Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?“« The prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5,16). Thus have all the saints down through the ages petitioned God to spare the wicked, bring them to repentance and give them faith in Christ.

10. Now Abraham stopped at 10. What if he had asked God to spare the cities for the sake of 5 … or even just a single, solitary righteous person?

11. Indeed, for the sake of one, God the Father did indeed spare the wicked world. It was His Heilsgeschichte (salvation plan) all along, and the Son of God had appeared to Abraham to promise Sarah and him that a year following the destruction of the cities their son would be born; they named him, Isaac. The very Deity who spoke to Abraham would one day, thousands of years later, be incarnate in human flesh from the line of Isaac to redeem all poor miserable sinners such as you and me.

12. God gives, and we are given to (Norman Nagel). Lot and his family were given to by God deliverance from destruction. Abraham and Sarah were given to by God joyous laughter at the birth of Isaac. Bound men under the law laugh at others; free men under the gospel laugh at themselves (Norman Nagel). When we are given to the gifts of God we laugh with joy and thankfulness. We deserved Sodom’s destruction, but we have been given our Redeemer’s rescue.

13. God gives to us His Word of promise. God gives to us Baptism’s flowing water of forgiveness. The Son of God gives to us His own body and blood in His Supper. God gives to us the joyous words of Absolution. God gives to us the inheritance as sons and daughters of our father Abraham and our mother Sarah. God gives to us the gift of His righteousness. God gives to us the gift of being His saints. What is there to do but laugh at the bountiful giving-ness of our merciful steadfast loving Triune God!

14. My heart with joy is springing;

I am no longer sad.

My soul is filled with singing;

Your sunshine makes me glad.

The sun that cheers my spirit

Is Jesus Christ, my King;

The heaven I shall inherit

Makes me rejoice and sing.

(Ist Gott für mich, so trete elkg 529,15 2021 Paul Gerhardt 1607-76)

This is most certainly true.

15. Et pax Dei, quæ exuperat omnem sensum, custodiat corda vestra, et intelligentias vestras in Christo Jesu. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.

16. Let us pray. Grant, O God, that the meek and humble spirit of the lowly Jesus may dwell and reign within our hearts, and in following the steps of His most holy life may we enjoy that peace which passeth all understanding and know the power of Thy Spirit, bearing witness with our spirits that we are indeed Thy children. Amen. (Trinity xxiii, 2^nd Matins Collect. The Daily Office.)

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Septuaginta, Vol. I and II 2. Revised Edition © 2006 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Micah 6,1-8. Trinity XXII. Reformation Sunday

Micah 6,1-8 5624

22. Trinitatis. Trinity XXII 69

Reformationsfest 78

Claudia Procula, wife of Pontius Pilate, 1^st c.

Frumentius and Aedesius, Apostles of Ethiopia, 4^th c.

ἐν τούτῳ νίκα. in hoc signo vinces. In this conquer. Constantine’s sign and dream of Christ. 312

27. Oktober 2024

1. ℣ If You observe iniquities, O Yahweh, who will endure:

℟ For with You there is propitiation (Psalm 129,3-4a vul lxx mas).

si iniquitates observabis Domine Doine quis sustinebit: quia apud te proptiiatio est propter legem tuam sustinui te Dominum lxx

si iniquitates observabis Domine Doine quis sustinebit: quia tecum est proptiiatio cum terrribilis sis sustinui Dominum mas

O God, we confess that we have provoked You to anger in many ways in the past. We have not always used our days for Your glory, for attending Divine services, for our growth in Christian faith and godliness. Forgive us that we have not loved You more fervently, and have not lived a more godly life. According to Your mercy, remember me for Your goodness’ sake. Amen. (Stark 348; English 252).

2. »With what shall I come before Yahweh, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does Yahweh require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?«

3. „Whatever we say about the catholic church must have Jesus Christ as its center. Apart from Jesus Christ there is no catholic church, and there is only one catholic church, for there is only one Jesus Christ. Although we may muddle and contradict this fact, Jesus has His one church. … All who were and are with Jesus Christ at any time or place are in His one catholic church“ (Nagel 303).

4. Like many Christians in his day, Luther saw Christ as the Judge of the the day of wrath (Dies irae), and it frightened him (Olivier 52). And like everyone in his day, Luther relied on the catholic Church to lead him to salvation (Olivier 53). Eventually, Luther joined the Augustinian Order, but becoming a monk did not relieve his fear of Christ or comfort his guilty conscience. The monastic life with its humbleness, the 8 Daily Offices of prayer and his constant confession (sometimes for 6 hours!) never delivered for Luther what he desperately sought: „the external purity of the monk was unable to suppress the sinful tendencies of the heart“ (Olivier 54).

5. The man who endured Luther’s hours-long, meticulous confession of his every sin, Johann von Staupitz, sent Luther to the fledgling Wittenberg University in 1511 to teach the Bible; he taught courses on the Psalms in 1513, Romans in 1515 and Galatians in 1516. Luther later wrote: If it had not been for Dr. Staupitz, I should have sunk into hell (Bainton 40).

6. But in Wittenberg, Luther became even more concerned with the Medieval Church’s remedy for sin. By Luther’s day, the gathering of holy relics had flourished. Frederick the Wise, the elector of Saxony, had financed the building of Wittenberg University; he had also obtained from the pope the privilege of having his Castle Church at Wittenberg of being a dispensary of indulgences. The average Christian in the Medieval Church could not do enough works to pay off his or her temporal debt of sin, so to reduce time in purgatory for that, one could obtain indulgences. In 1509, 2 years before Luther arrived at Wittenberg, Frederick had collected 5005 holy relics which could take 1443 years off time in purgatory; by 1520, his collection had amassed 19,013 relics! that could reduce 1,902,202 years and 270 days! from purgatory (Bainton 53). Luther realized this indulgence traffic was a scandal:

21. Errant itaque indulgentiarum predicatores ii, qui dicunt per pape indulgentias hominem ab omni pena solvi et salvari.

66. Thesauri indulgentiarum rhetia sunt, quibus nunc piscantur divitias virorum.

21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;

66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they now fish for the riches of men.

Luther preached 3 sermons about this in 1516 at the Castle Church, and then posted his 95 Theses in 1517 (Bainton 54).

7. You see, Luther’s view of Christ changed as he taught on the Psalms, Romans and Galatians from 1513-16. He was now seeing Christ as He truly is—the All Merciful Savior.

Donec miserente Deo meditabundus dies et noctes connexionem verborum atteuderem, nempe: Iustitita Dei revelatur in illo, sicut scriptum est: lustus ex fide vivit, ibi iustitiam Dei coepi intelligere eam, qua iustus dono Dei vivit, nempe ex fide, et esse hanc sententiam, revelari per euangelium iustitiam Dei, scilicet passivam, qua uos Deus misericors iustificat per fidem, sicut scriptum est: Iustus ex fide vivit. Hie ine prorsus renatum esse sensi, et apertis portis in ipsam paradisum intrasse. Ibi continuo alia mihi facies totius scripturae apparuit. Discurrebam deinde per scripturas, ut habebat memoria, et colligebam etiam in aliis vocabulis analogiam, ut opus Dei, id est, quod operatur in nobis Deus, virtus Dei, qua nos potentes facit, sapientia Dei, qua nos sapientes facit, fortitudo Dei, salus Dei, gloria Dei (WA 54,186.3-13).

„At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely: »In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written: He who through faith is righteous shall live.« There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written: »He who through faith is righteous shall live.« Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. There a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me. Thereupon I ran through the Scripture from memory. I also found in other terms an analogy, as, the work of God, that is what God does in us, the power of God, with which he makes us wise, the strength of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God“. When Luther recognized this, the Reformation was off and running!

8. I love Nagel’s definition of the Reformation from a 1963 sermon: „The Reformation may be described as cleaning out the human factors that had been intruded into the church and her message. On Reformation Sunday we most often consider what this meant in the basic relationship of God and us. This was expressed in the doctrine of justification by faith alone with its affirmation that we cannot stand before God on the basis of any human factors but only on the basis of Jesus Christ, His atoning death and His victorious resurrection“ (Nagel 305).

9. The Prophet Micah recorded Yahweh’s question to His people »With what shall I come before Yahweh, and bow myself before God on high?« Micah tells Israel that God is calling out their works of satisfaction. Israel was attempting to appease God through extravagant sacrifices and offerings. They believed that by giving more animals, more oil and even sacrificing their own children that they can appease their sin before God and earn His favor and forgiveness.

10. Luther saw the same spirit of self-appeasement in the Church: venerate these relics, pray 50 Lord’s Prayers, buy these indulgences—and you will pay down your debt of temporal punishment. Luther realized through his own personal Anfechtung (agonizing struggle) over his sins that this medicine offered by the Church was a snake oil or placebo; it did not, could not and would not deliver what it offered. Rather than give a Christian comfort, it left one uncertain: have I done enough? can I even do enough? That was Luther’s agonizing struggle, and also the agonizing struggle of many in his day.

11. When one starts thinking out the theological consequences, it becomes quite bleary. If someone in 1520 went to Wittenberg on All Saints Day and venerated the 19,000 relics Frederick had collected, one could erase almost 2,000,000 years from time spent in purgatory paying off the temporal punishments for a life of sin. Well, how many bloody years is one consigned to purgatory—60 million, 600 million, 6 billion? No one knew, and that was what afflicted people in Luther’s day: I’ll never work my way out of purgatory!

12. Luther realized the true medicine, the only medicine, the Church has for agonizing, struggling sinners is the gospel. Relics, indulgences and purgatory do not forgive the sinful debt; they just work it off. The gospel actually forgives and removes the debt, and the gospel is delivered by the Word and Sacraments. This is pure gift given to us by theHoly Spirit.

13. In April 1518 Luther preached a sermon on indulgences and grace; he said at one point: „It is a tremendous error when people imagine that they can make satisfaction for their sins, which God instead always forgives gratis (for free) out of immeasurable grace while desiring nothing for this grace except that one live well from then on. … My will, desire, plea and counsel are that no one buy an indulgence … but run from them“ (¶ 13. 16).

14. „The only ground for confidence, and this is then a joyful and unshakable confidence, is Jesus Christ, who is there for us and imparts Himself through Word and Sacraments“ (Nagel 306). Cling to Jesus; cling to His cross; cling to His promise; cling to His gifts; cling to His Word and Sacraments. What did Christ tell that wicked scoundrel and insurrection crucified next to Him? You will be with me in Paradise after you have spent 100 million years working off the temporal punishment of your wickedness in purgatory. No! That is not what Christ said, but rather: Today, you will be with me in Paradise. Christ made full and complete satisfaction for all of that criminal’s sins, and for all of our sins as well; He has paid for both the temporal and spiritual punishments of sin by His suffering and Passion on the cross. We need not appease supposed temporal punishment for a lifetime of sin, for all has been appeased by Christ Jesus; His precious blood has made us clean.

15. Hominem iustificari fide (man is justified by faith). You are justified by faith alone (sola fide), that is, by God alone (Bayer MLT 100), yes, by Christ alone. cf. Disputatio de homine (The Disputation concerning Man) of 1536; WA 39I,176.34f; AE 34,139 Th. 32. Therefore:

36. Quilibet christianus vere compunctus habet remissionem plenariam a pena et culpa etiam sine literis veniarum sibi debitam.

37. Quilibet versus christianus, sive vivus sive mortuus, habet participationem omnium bonorum Christi et Ecclesie etiam sine literis veniarum a deo sibi datam.

52. Vana est fiducia salutis per literas veniarum, etiam si Commissarius, immo Papa ipse suam animam pro illis impigneraret.

36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.

37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without indulgence letters.

52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.

16. „The gospel is what Lutherans care about. … Because of Calvary, there is forgiveness and this is bestowed by the absolving “word of the cross.” Such words are linked with water in Baptism where the name of God is named upon us and we are born again, given life by the bestowal of what Christ lived, died and rose again to win for us. The receiving of the gifts, that is faith, is worked by the Spirit, whose bestowing, faith-creating and quickening work is done through the word and water of Baptism“ (Nagel, The Gospel Is What Lutherans Care About).

17. In the Lord, my heart’s delight,

I find joy day and night.

To honor God with cheer,

In every moment, I’m here.

With gladness, I will sing,

Praising His Name, my heart takes wing.

A sweet new song I’ll start,

To lift His Name, in my soul and heart.

(Ich freu mich in dem Herren elkg 566,1 2021 Bartolomäus Helder (vor 1635) 1646/48).

This is most certainly true.

18. Et pax Dei, quæ exuperat omnem sensum, custodiat corda vestra, et intelligentias vestras in Christo Jesu. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.

19. Let us pray. O Almighty and merciful God, the Fountain of all goodness, who knowest the thoughts of our hearts, we confess unto Thee that we have sinned against Thee and done evil in Thy sight; wash us, we beseech Thee, from the stains of our past sins, and give us grace and power to put away all hurtful things, so that, being delivered from the bondage of sin, we may bring forth worthy fruits of repentance. Amen. (Trinity XXII, 2^nd Vespers Collect. The Daily Office).

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

Nagel, Norman. The Gospel Is What Lutherans Care About. The Springfielder, Vol. 37, Num. 2 1973.