Sermon for Reformation 2008 (Observed)
Matthew 11:12-19

10-29-2007 audio

The Scripture for our message this morning is the holy, inspired Word of God in Matthew chapter 11, just read by our Vicar:

O Lord, whose mercies still endure, Preserve to us thy Gospel pure; Let it alone within us reign, That Thine the glory may remain. Amen.

One of the most unforgettable moments of my life occurred over twenty years ago, when I was visiting what was at that time East Germany. I had traveled with friends on a tour to the Luther sites—places where the Reformer had lived and worked.

In one church there was a great Bach Organ, meaning that at one time Johann Sebastian Bach had played it. One member of our group was an accomplished organist and got permission to play it.

Now in those days you were met in every city by an official guide who was provided by the party and would be with you the whole time and tell you the party’s official line about every thing you were seeing.

Our organist began to play A Mighty Fortress is Our God for us when the guide started yelling at the top of his voice to stop the playing at once. He then proceeded to say that the song was not permitted in GDR because it was a militaristic song—verboten!

With that I stood up and began to sing A Mighty Fortress—right there in the church. The guide became more irate and began shouting, “stop, stop.” And with that the whole group stood up and sang the hymn with me.

It wasn’t the first time I had been in Communist Germany and knew how far you could push those socialist cronies.
Later the guide told me, “we have a file on you!”

We’re fortunate that in our country we are to still be able to worship and sing hymns and pray to God according to our Lutheran faith. I’ve often said that the best experience in my life was to spend time and see first hand life in a communist country. I think people would appreciate our country more if they knew what the alternatives were like.

Another thing I learned then and that I realize continues to be true today is the rest of world Lutheranism looks at our Synod with wondering eyes at Christians who have so tenaciously held to the Bible and the teachings of Martin Luther.

That has always been our badge of honor: faithfulness to the truth.

If you know our history then you know that in the past there have been those who have been openly critical of our church’s high regard for sound teaching. They have accused us of being un-loving, of making the Bible an idol, and even worse—worshiping Martin Luther.

Sadly today you don’t have to listen from outside our church to here such accusations and complaining. There is plenty of whining from within. Faithfulness to the Word of God and the teachings of our Lutheran faith are readily compromised if for nothing else, then for the sake of peace.

It makes you wonder what such people would do then, with a Jesus who seems so difficult to get along with. Especially the Jesus in our Gospel Lesson this morning.

Matthew records for us,

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” Matthew 11:12-19

Now I will be the first to admit that this is not an easy potion of Scripture. Jesus himself makes that clear when he says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” In other words He saying, “listen up, and pay attention!”

Here Jesus is speaking about the fickleness of sinful people. They didn’t want to any thing to do with Him, just as they had rejected John the Baptist who came immediately before Him.

He likens them to children who complain about their playmates not going along with any of their games. “We want to sing happy songs and you wouldn’t; we want to sing sad songs and you still wouldn’t.

Jesus is showing how reject the Kingdom of God and the Salvation He offers—while at the same time managing to blame God.

First John came, and separated himself from the sinful activities of the day and preached a stern message of repentance and they complained he was a crazed lunatic with a demon. Then Jesus came and was among the people in their homes and at their tables and they accused him of being with sinners and being a sinner. They never were satisfied.

But Jesus was not swayed by this. He knew that being about the work of the kingdom is hard and requires forcefulness. “The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”

That was the experience of Luther in his day when he came with the clear teaching about the grace of God and salvation through faith and forgiveness on account of the merits of Jesus Christ. The evangelical truth upset the balance of power in the church and restored evangelical freedom to God’s people. Those in control would have no such thing and reacted violently.

As the saying goes, “The truth always makes enemies for itself.”

With Jesus, it was the complete difference between the words of the Old Testament prophets and the Law, and the Word of Christ and the Gospel. The Jews had come to rely on observing the Law and on all sorts of outward works so that they had long forgotten Christ was to come and when He did—they rejected Him.

Jesus came as the fulfillment of the Law, and yet they refused to let go of their self-dependency upon the Law. Pride and unbelief and self sufficiency—as far as spiritual matters were concerned there was no room left for Christ. They were also slaves to the law and thus slaves to sin. Because in the law sin is revealed and increased.

The Apostle Paul speaks about all of this today in our Epistle from Romans 3:19-28

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.

Yes, the Christian faith is full of struggle and tension. It is in direct conflict with this world, the devil and even within ourselves: our sinful flesh.

Now you may wonder, “What struggles could I possibly have that I need to find peace with Christ?”

Well, your sin for starters. He has forgiven you with His own precious blood shed for you on the cross. Find peace there.

Also the guilt you carry in your heart and mind—even when you believe Christ has died for you and has forgiven you–still you need peace of conscience knowing that your continued sinning is forgiven.

And peace from your doubts, about the future: while eternity is secure, I know that tomorrow often seems the hardest to face. Christ has peace for you for all time.

Here our struggles lie, in the heart and mind. And we have faith in God and in His Word, and will never let go: at whatever cost.

How many have walked away from the glorious freedom we have in Christ, either because they refuse to that the forgiveness offered for Christ’s sake could possibly be for them, or because they wanted to approach God with the their own idea of how religion should be and are unwilling to be conformed to the Spirit of God!

And even worse, how often has the church, and her servants, suffered at the violence of those who would have their way under no uncertain terms! Where sinful rebellion is brought into the midst of Christ’s people to harm the whole body, peace suffers.

It is often pointed out by the enemies of our church that the Reformation was followed by a period of religious wars. What is not mentioned is that the wars were begun by the enemies of the Gospel who wanted to re-enslave God people and came after the flock like ravenous wolves.

And we might also wonder, “How long will our church enjoy its precious freedom of abounding in the forgiveness and fruits of Christ’s death on the cross by the Means of grace purely taught and administered.” It is almost 500 years since the Reformation—one fourth of Christian history. It has been a long time by the grace of God.

I suppose some might see our commemorating the Reformation as almost “militaristic” on the part of the church—just as we have those in our country who protest the daily cost of defending our nation against Islamic terrorism. When Luther concluded his famous 95 Theses he did so with these Words, appropriate now as they were earth shaking then:

92. Away then with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Peace, peace,” and there is no peace!
93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Cross, cross,” and there is no cross!
94. Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their head, through penalties, death, and hell;
95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace.

May God continue to preserve among us His Word and faith until we come into His Kingdom above. Amen.