Matthew 10,26-33. Reformation Day

 Matthew 10,26-33 5820

Gedenktag der Reformation 095

Wolfgang, Bishop of Regensburg, Germany. ✠ 994

31. Oktober 2020

1. O Great God, Almighty and Most Gracious God, with our whole hearts we thank You, that You did lead us and our fathers up out of the darkness of the papacy, and in the latter days of this world gave the Fatherland such a mighty instrument, Martin Luther, a great light kindled by You. In the might of Your Spirit he cleansed the wells of Israel, faithfully translating the Scriptures, revealing Antichrist in all his hideousness, saving the rulers and, doing many more great deals unto the glory of Your Name and the quieting of many anxious consciences. O give thanks unto the Lord of the Sabaoth. He is gracious and bestows great gifts unto us. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God! He gives us His Word, together with hosts of evangelists. Let all that fear the Lord say: mercy and truth reign over us forever! You, our God, have hitherto maintained unto us the light of Your Word against every storm of error and persecution. So establish it henceforth also, and conserve that fountain of salvation, Your saving truth, unto us and our children, so that the city of God remain glad with the river thereof. Awaken us unto all godliness so that we hold fast what we have, and not fritter away our treasure through ingratitude; but, in true evangelical manner, live and move worthy of the same, and praise and magnify You, the Everlasting God, for all Your great benefactions, both here and hereafter, forever and ever. Amen. (Löhe 513-15)

2. »So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.«

3. In 1519, two years after posting his 95 Theses on the power and efficacy of indulgences, Luther preached a sermon on the Sacrament of penance (as well as sermons on the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper). Penance and confession were important to the Church, and thus to Luther as well. He proclaimed: „For attaining such forgiveness of guilt and for calming the heart in the face of its sins, there are various ways and methods. Some think to accomplish this through letters of indulgence. They run to and fro, to Rome or to St. James, buying indulgences here and there. But this is mistaken and all in vain. Things thereby get much worse, for God Himself must forgive sins and grant peace to the heart. Some put themselves out with many good works, even too much fasting and straining. Some have ruined their bodies and gone out of their minds, thinking by virtue of their works to do away with their sins and soothe their heart. Both of these types are defective in that they want to do good works before their sins are forgiven, whereas on the contrary, since must be forgiven before good works can be done. For works do not drive out sin, but the driving out of sin leads to good works. For good works must be done with joyful heart in good conscience toward God, that is, out of the forgiveness of guilt. The true way and the right method, without which there is no other, is that most worthy, gracious and holy Sacrament of penance, which God gave her the comfort of all sinners when He gave the keys to Saint Peter in behalf of the whole Christian Church and, in Matthew 16,19, said: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. This holy, comforting and gracious word of God must enter deeply into the heart of every Christian, where he may with great gratitude let it become part of him. For the Sacrament of penance consists in this: forgiveness of sin, comfort and peace of conscience, besides joy and blessedness of heart over against all sins and terrors of conscience, as well as against all despair and assaults [Anfechtung] by the gates of hell Matthew 16,18“ (Luther 10-11.4-5).

4. The proclamation of forgiveness is the essence of Christianity (Bayer 137). The gospel is the ground of faith (Bayer 138). This gospel is proclaimed in the Sacrament of penance, for there are three things in confession: 1. absolution, 2. the forgiveness of sins and 3. faith. The gospel is a performative speech act and an effective word (Bayer 138). The absolution, I absolve you of your sins, is not a judgment that merely states what is true already, but the absolution is a speech act that creates a relationship between the one in whose name it is spoken and the one to whom it is spoken and who believes the promise (Bayer 129-30). Absolution is a promise, an active and effective spoken word that liberates us and makes us certain (Bayer 130). We should follow the example and imitate the saints by saying: „I have been baptized. I have been absolved. In this faith I die. No matter what trials and cares confront me from now on, I will certainly not be shaken; for He who said: he who believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16,16) and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16,9) and this is My body. This is My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins (Matthew 26,26.28) – He cannot deceive or lie. This is most certainly true“ (Luther 8, 193-94). God is faithful in the word He speaks (Bayer 131). He has bound Himself to the promise He made to us at our Baptism (Bayer 131); He has given us the new birth of water and of the Spirit, has forgiven us all our sins and strengthens us with His grace to life everlasting (LSB 271).

5. Luther’s theme with his 95 Theses and the Reformation that begin afterward was the certainty of God’s forgiveness. In Luther’s day, the Medieval Church had obscured the simple truth of Christ’s victory over evil with His crucifixion and resurrection (Kolb 11). Luther’s 36. thesis on indulgences was a hammer below: every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon. A year later Luther preached on this very theme and proclaimed: 13. It is a tremendous error when people imagine that they can make satisfaction for their sins, which God instead always forgives gratis (freely) out of immeasurable grace while desiring nothing for this grace except that one live well from then on [1] (WA 1,245).

6. Luther emphasizes the certainty of salvation and forgiveness. We find this certainty in Christ and the gospel He gives. The Word, Absolution, Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper give us the gospel and the certainty of forgiveness obtained by Christ. The Word and Sacraments point us to Christ who is a redeeming and merciful Savior. In Christ we see God, and to see God is to become aware of His righteousness and justice (Bayer 208) that He mercifully gives to us. Amen.

7. Let us pray. O Christ, our Sun and Shield; bestow favor and honor upon us, so that we receive by faith every good thing You give us. Amen.

[1] Ezum dreitzhenden. Es ist ein großer Irrtum, das jemand meine, er wolle genugtun vor seine sund, so doch Gott die selben alsseit umbsunst aus unscheßlicher gnad vortzeihet, nichts darfur begehrend, dann heinfurder woll leben. Die Christenheit furdert woll etwas, alßo mag sie und Fall auch dasselb nachlassen und nichts schweres adder untreglich aufflegen (WA 1,245).

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

Bayer, Oswald. Theology the Lutheran Way. Copyright © 2007 William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Kolb, Robert and Arand, Charles P. The Genius of Luther’s Theology. Copyright © 2008 Baker Academic.

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.

Luther, Martin. D. Martin Luthers Werke, 1. Band. Hermann Böhlaus Nachfolger. Copyright © 1883 Weimar.

Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works, Vol. 8. Copyright © 1966 Concordia Publishing House.

Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works, Vol. 31. Copyright © 1957 Muhlenberg Press.