The Lutheran Hour
-
"The Loving Kindness of the Lord"
- Download MP3 No bonus material MP3
-
Text: Psalm 118
-
Do you have a favorite passage of Scripture? Is there a verse that you have memorized – one that you turn to in the time of difficulty? Martin Luther did. It was Psalm 118. “This is my own beloved psalm,” he once wrote.
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses – an event that sparked the reformation of the church. Luther was a remarkable man. He is often held up as a hero of personal freedom – the man who stood alone against the powerful religious and political leaders of his day. But I don’t think Luther would want to be remembered that way. Luther called for many important reforms in the church. He wanted the church to return to the Bible and to the Gospel. But he didn’t do this to make a name for himself or to win the right of every individual to believe according to their conscience. Luther’s concern was for the souls of all people. His concern was always for their salvation. As we look at Psalm 118, his favorite psalm, we can see what Luther really wanted for himself and for everyone else – he wanted salvation.
Why do we praise God? That seems obvious doesn’t it? He’s God. He’s great. He’s awesome. Or to say it a little more accurately, He’s All-knowing, Powerful, and Just. He’s sovereign over all. But if you think about it, these characteristics of God should make us want to run and hide. He knows everything I’ve done wrong. He has every reason to condemn me, and the power to carry it out. The Bible, however, tells us that in addition to these terrifying characteristics of God there are comforting characteristics: God is merciful, God is kind and gracious.
Listen to these opening words of Psalm 118: Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD now say, “His mercy endures forever.”
This psalm stresses God’s mercy, or, as Martin Luther was fond of calling it, His “loving kindness.” For many years Luther did not understand the loving kindness of the Lord. He thought the Lord’s mercy was something to be earned by obeying God’s commands. He was reading the Bible as if it were saying, “Give thanks to the LORD because His loving kindness endures as long as we obey Him.” This view of God’s conditional love tortured Luther. He gave up his career. He sold his belongings. He entered a monastery. He tried everything he could to be obedient to God so that he could be sure of receiving God’s mercy.
There are people today who take the same view of God. They look for the assurance of God’s mercy in themselves. They might say, “My commitment, my church attendance, my tithing, all assure me that I’m saved.” Some of these folks are like Luther – very busy. They take their moral responsibilities seriously. But they are motivated for the wrong reasons. They think: “God has done His part; I must do my part.” In other words they are thinking: “His mercy endures as long as I’m doing the best I can do for the Lord.” On the other hand there are many, many more people who aren’t busy. These people also have the wrong view that God’s mercy is earned. They may not do so much for the Lord, but, the little they do is taken very seriously.
Sunday after Sunday they sleep in. Days pass without a prayer. Their Bibles sit on their shelves collecting dust. This group believes that though they haven’t done much, they’ve done enough. They are thinking: “His mercy endures as long as I’m doing at least something for the Lord.” In both cases these people are finding comfort and assurance in their own spiritual, activities whether they be many or few.
But what does the Bible say? “Give thanks to the LORD for He is good for His loving kindness endures forever” – period. God’s love endures no matter what. It is not something that can be earned or maintained by doing anything on our part – whether it be a lot or a little.
Luther’s desire to earn God’s love came to an end when he realized that God loved him no matter what. Even though Luther knew that he was a poor, miserable sinner; he also realized that God loved him and wanted more than anything to forgive him and cleanse him from his sin. In his notes on this psalm, Luther pointed out that the Hebrew word “to give thanks,” also means “to confess.” Our greatest praise, our greatest thanksgiving is to acknowledge that God’s love indeed endures forever to forgive us and to renew us in faith. We thank God the most when we look to Him for forgiveness.
Luther was part of the first group that I mentioned above – the “busy for the Lord group.” But I also said there’s another “not so busy group” that still thinks God’s love is conditional. People in this group may not worry that they’ve done enough, however there is often a gray cloud of guilt that really prevents them from giving thanks to the Lord. They might ask themselves in a moment of sincerity, “Why do I always choose the spiritual path of least resistance?” The answer is the same: “I really am a poor miserable sinner.” Instead of trying to cover up that fact with an occasional visit to church, that person would do well to just come right out and admit it. But now what? “Can God love me even though I’ve failed Him so often?” Again the answer is the same. God loves you and He wants more than anything to forgive your sin. At the end of the road of all your excuses and cover-ups, God will be there with His loving kindness that endures forever. That’s what changes everything.
The Psalm continues… I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song, And He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.
The truly forgiven person – whether they have vigorously tried to earn God’s love or have just been trying to get by – is by far the most thankful person on earth. The worry about having not done enough or the guilt about doing so little are constantly wiped away by the loving kindness of God. With true faith in God there is so much that they can do in the name of the Lord. Buoyed by the total loving kindness of God, they want to help others as God has helped them. Backed by the loving kindness of God, they have nothing to fear.
This is what happened to Luther. He would have been quite happy living out his days as a professor of the Old Testament. But he couldn’t help notice how people were rejecting the loving kindness of God and were turning to a poor substitute – to themselves – for salvation. People were making donations to the church, called indulgences. They were being told that for this reason their sins or the sins of others were forgiven. The loving kindness of God was being bypassed in favor of their own efforts. In that case, who do you thank for your salvation, the Lord? Or yourself?
When Luther began to speak out against these practices, he was attacked on all sides. His life was threatened. Worst of all he was commanded to stop preaching the Gospel of God’s loving kindness. So it has always been. The prophets were told to be silent. Peter and John were told not to preach in the name of Jesus. “[The Roman Empire],” Luther said, “could bear with several hundred gods. Only Christ they could not tolerate.” The pure proclamation of God’s loving kindness and the promises of salvation by His strength alone have always been believed by some but rejected by many.
So it is not hard to see why Martin Luther would have found so much comfort in Psalm 118 and especially in this verse, “I will not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.” He knew the work of the Lord for his salvation. He believed in the forgiveness of sins based only on the loving kindness of God.
What about you? What is your distress right now? Are there enemies in your life that would destroy your confidence in God’s loving kindness? Even though you have realized the joy of your personal forgiveness, every day you face a world that is lost in sin and suffers the consequences of sin. On Monday morning you will still have to work with people that cheat and deal unfairly. You will still be concerned about how your child is doing in daycare or school. Perhaps there is something that is coming between you and your spouse. Maybe your older children are making poor choices. Illness will creep in and rob you of your vitality. When you turn the television on, you see how the Christian faith of the loving kindness of God is distorted.
Instead of repentance and forgiveness the world teaches tolerance and acceptance. God is constantly reduced to the great bystander of the universe. Mankind is exalted above all.
In spite of all these adversaries to life and faith, God’s promise to save and deliver stands firm. Just as you know God’s victory over sin, so you know that the Lord is with you and that He fights for you. You may be wounded and hurt from time to time, but the victory belongs to the Lord. In the name of the Lord we know that the goodness and the strength of the LORD will prevail.
And now, to the last part of this great psalm… Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. God is the LORD, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
There may be some people listening to this sermon and wondering, “How can we really be sure that all this is true? I’m going through some very painful experiences right now – could this just be wishful thinking? Will God save me? Does His loving kindness really endure forever?”
Martin Luther was informed that his mother was very ill and possibly near death. He regretted that he couldn’t be with her to help her. But he wrote a beautiful letter of comfort and assurance. In it he said, “Dear Mother, you also know the true center and foundation of your salvation from whom you are to seek comfort in this and all troubles, namely, Jesus Christ, the cornerstone.?? He will not waver or fail us, nor allow us to sink or perish, for He is the Savior.”
Psalm 118 doesn’t just paint a hopeful idea of God’s loving kindness. It looks ahead to the very real miracle of God’s loving kindness in Jesus. The writer of the psalm knew what it was like to be attacked by enemies and rejected by the “builders” of this world. Israel knew what it was like to be rejected. But there is no other person in all history who has suffered so and has become the “chief cornerstone” than Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus quoted this psalm while He taught in the temple just days before His crucifixion. He knew the suffering of the cross and the death that He would endure for the sins of the whole world. But Jesus also knew the outcome. He knew that He would rise again. He knew that He was the Savior. Three days after His death the world began to realize the truth of His words. Jesus rose from the dead. This is “marvelous in our eyes.”
The world keeps looking for other stones and other saviors. They might say, “Our army will save us. Our economy will lift us. Our education system will help us overcome all evils.” As individuals we might be tempted to look to ourselves and our own accomplishments. But these “stones,” as helpful as they might be in many ways, cannot be our cornerstone. They cannot be the foundation of our life. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. Once we begin with Him, the rest of life will follow. Here is Luther’s advice: “We cannot learn enough about this Cornerstone, Christ. I, Martin Luther, am constantly working on this foundation. Once the foundation has been firmly laid, the superstructure will be very easy to build.”
God’s cornerstone was laid for this world in the gift of His own Son. In Him, He gave the world salvation. God took all the evil of this world, all the rejection, the pain and the suffering, and turned it around with the loving kindness of Jesus. This is His assurance.
As Saint Paul writes, But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy (His loving kindness) He saved us. (Titus 3:4-5) Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for October 30, 2005
ANNOUNCER: Now Pastor Ken Klaus responds to a listener’s question. I’m Mark Eischer. A listener wants to know more about Martin Luther’s “Theology of the Cross.”
KLAUS: Interesting question. A little bit more complicated than the ones we usually deal with. It is, however, appropriate for today, Reformation Day.
ANNOUNCER: Well, I have a couple of questions first.
KLAUS: Please, go ahead.
ANNOUNCER: First, what is Reformation Day?
KLAUS: Reformation Day is when the Christian world remembers that the doctrine of salvation by God’s grace, through faith, was given back to the church.
ANNOUNCER: Given back? How so?
KLAUS: Mark, most people think that the doctrines of a church are a static thing. Some of them, of course, should be. That, however, is not always the case. Sometimes, not always deliberately, decisions are made which reinterpret or obscure those doctrines which should remain unchangeable.
ANNOUNCER: Is that what happened to the Church in the days of Luther?
KLAUS: It did. People had been taught that they could earn their way into heaven, or buy forgiveness for their sins.
ANNOUNCER: Which is wrong.
KLAUS: It’s wrong. Scripture is very plain: the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life which is given to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
ANNOUNCER: And it’s important to say you can’t earn or deserve a gift.
KLAUS: You can’t earn a gift.
ANNOUNCER: Now, how is it that Luther came to teach something other than what the Church was teaching in those days?
KLAUS: Basing his thinking on Scripture alone, Luther discovered that if anybody was going to be saved, it would not be by virtue of anything they could do. In the Catechism, the book that the Lutheran Church used and still uses for instruction, Luther wrote, “I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him.”
ANNOUNCER: But if we can’t believe by our own strength, how do we come to Jesus?
KLAUS: Luther answered that question as well. Using Scripture he said, “The Holy Spirit calls us by the Gospel, and enlightens us with His gifts.”
ANNOUNCER: How does that happen?
KLAUS: It happens by virtue of God’s grace. You know, Mark, God is a just God. Because all of us have sinned, all of us were condemned. Condemned to death in this world, as the next. But God, along with being just, is also gracious.
ANNOUNCER: When you say gracious, I’ve heard that defined as unmerited kindness.
KLAUS: That’s exactly what it means. God, showing us unearned kindness, sent His Son into the world to live for us, to suffer for us, to carry our sins, and die on the cross.
ANNOUNCER: So it’s on the cross that we see God’s grace in its purest form?
KLAUS: Yes, that’s part of the theology of the cross. It isn’t based on what we feel, or what emotions we have… this is a judicial act on God’s part which pays the price, the penalty, that our sins had deserved. At the cross we see God for who He is, and ourselves for who we are… sinners, repentant sinners, receiving God’s grace.
ANNOUNCER: Because on the cross Jesus did all that.
KLAUS: He paid for all of our sins, and now everyone who believes on Jesus as Savior has forgiveness and the sure hope of eternal life in heaven.
ANNOUNCER: But what’s so special about Jesus’ crucifixion? If dying on the cross pays for sins, why weren’t we saved by all of the other people who died on crosses?
KLAUS: For the price to be paid, the individual being sacrificed in our stead, He had to lead a perfect life, and nobody else in all the world’s history has been able to do that. Only Jesus, true man and true God, had that ability.
ANNOUNCER: So it was at the cross of Christ that Luther found forgiveness that comes to us through God’s grace.
KLAUS: In real simple terms, that’s it. At the cross, Jesus died and with His death built a bridge between heaven and earth. And He delivers that forgiveness to us now through His Word and Sacraments.
ANNOUNCER: Now, you’ll excuse me for asking this, but how do we know that Jesus really did that? I mean, like we said, many people have died on crosses. What makes Jesus’ death unique?
KLAUS: Mark, we know that Jesus is unique because the heavenly Father, our Judge, accepted His payment.
ANNOUNCER: And we know that… how?
KLAUS: We know that because the grave couldn’t hold Jesus. Jesus rose from the dead. That’s something that the hundreds of thousands of other crucified individuals never did. Nobody ever walked around saying, “Fred is alive.” For centuries they’ve said it about Jesus. Because Jesus lives, we’ll live also.
ANNOUNCER: And, again, all of this centers on the cross?
KLAUS: It is at the cross, repentant sinners see the Savior and God’s gracious gift of forgiveness. And, in the brief time we have here, that’s at least an introduction to Luther’s Theology of the Cross.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections from this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” by Martin Luther. From Hymns for All Saints (© 2004 Concordia Publishing House) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Salvation Unto Us Has Come” by David Cherwien. From Hymn Interpretations by David Cherwien (© 1992 Summa Productions)
“Toccata on Old One Hundredth” by Charles Callahan. From Charles Callahan Plays the Organ of the Church of the Holy Family (© 1997 Charles Callahan)