The Lutheran Hour
-
"Abiding Words"
- Download MP3 Reflections
-
Text: John 8:31-36
-
Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
There are some words in life that you learn to abide in. You could call them abiding words. For example, take the words “I do.” Spoken years ago – before the kids grew too big and the apartment grew too small, before the soccer and the band practice took up the weekend, before the cancer came and the cancer went making every day more precious than before. Before all of that, there were these two words, spoken between two people, for them to abide in. “I do.” These words had promises attached to them – “husband and wife… for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health” – and, because of that, they were big enough to house a family, strong enough to withstand an argument, and patient enough to be there, through the days of sickness, when everything else had been tried. Abiding words. These are words big enough to live in. You’ll find them spoken not just between a husband and wife, but between Christ and His bride, the Church.
In our Gospel reading for the Festival of Reformation, we find our Lord teaching us about His abiding words. Jesus is in the temple. Here is the place where God has promised to abide with His people. And standing there, in the temple, Jesus teaches us about the power of God’s abiding words. He says, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). His words are abiding words. They are words big enough to live in. If you remain in them, you are His disciples, you know the truth, and the truth will set you free. And Jesus knows that His people need these words. They will sustain them, long after He has died and risen and ascended into heaven; after the temple has been destroyed and His people have been scattered; after new continents have been discovered and a man has walked on the moon; after the wars and the famines, the floods and the hurricanes; after all of these things these words will remain. They will sustain His Church, until that day when He returns in glory. And so, it is good for us this day to take some time to reflect on God’s abiding words, that we might celebrate the Reformation by taking comfort in God’s promises.
Unfortunately, the Jews to whom Jesus was speaking had forgotten what it was like to abide in God’s word. They had forgotten the promise of God to send their Savior. Jesus told them, “If you abide in My word… you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” The truth that Jesus mentions is the truth that we are all sinners. Born slaves to sin, we cannot set ourselves free. But God Himself will bring our freedom. He will send His Son to bear our sin and to be our Savior and by His dying and rising, He will set us free.
Yet, the Jews saw no need for this word from God. When Jesus spoke to them about freedom, they said, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been slaves to anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” (John 8:33). Because they were descendants of Abraham, they believed they had a spiritual freedom – a freedom from sin claimed by no other nation on earth. When John the Baptist was standing on the banks of the Jordan, calling people of all nations to come into the water and repent of their sin, they stood on the shore because they had Abraham as their father. There was no need for them to enter the waters and repent of their sin. When Jesus opened the kingdom of heaven to tax gatherers and sinners, they stood at a distance, refusing to come and sit at His table, because they were children of Abraham and believed they were guaranteed a place at the heavenly banquet. They took refuge in their lineage, their descent from Abraham. So, when Jesus came, talking to them about freedom from sin, they didn’t abide in His words. They thought they were already free by their lineage, not slaves to sin. And so, they said to Jesus, “How can You say that we will be made free?!” Here was their error: unable to see their sin, they were unable to see their Savior and the freedom He was bringing in the temple that day. As they looked back at Abraham, they had forgotten one thing. They had forgotten about the power of God’s promises. They forgot what it was like to abide in God’s word.
Abraham knew something about what it was like to abide in God’s word. Imagine him, standing outside, looking up at the stars. Now there are those who look at the stars and see possibility. They conceive of flying across the country, flying across the ocean, flying to the moon. And our world is changed because of their vision. Our world is changed because they saw possibility in the stars. Others look at the stars and, instead of possibility, they see predestination. The ordering of the planets at your birth determines who you are. And the world is changed because of their vision. Horoscopes abound and some poor woman is light-hearted today as she travels to work because her planets are aligned. While you have some who see possibility and others who see predestination, still others look at the stars and they see progress. They see bodies of gases in motion, a universe that expands and contracts. And our world is changed because of their vision. Children are taught about the big bang instead of creation and chance and coincidence displace divine care and design. But there is one man who, when he looked at the stars, saw something different altogether. He saw the promises of God. And that man was Abraham.
God took Abraham out into a field and had him look up at the stars and try to count them. Imagine that, trying to count all of the stars. Before he could ever complete that task, God offered him a promise. “As the heavens are filled with stars beyond number, so shall your offspring be.” And Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:5-6). Here was an aged man with no children. He had everything you could want in terms of possessions – he had goods, and wealth, and status, a wife, and men servants and maidservants – but no child to carry on his name. This man with everything the world had to offer had nothing in his hands to make God’s promises come true. Yet, he held on – he held on to the promises of God. He believed them. And when you have that – the promises of God and belief – a child of faith is born. Abraham lives in God’s abiding word and God credits it to him as righteousness. No matter where he goes, no matter what he does, just as he always lives under the canopy of heaven, so he will always live under the promise of God’s blessing.
So Abraham passed on to his children a way of life – looking at the stars and seeing the promises of God. This way of life was called faith. Unfortunately, the vision of Abraham had been lost. It was no longer seen by his children. As they looked back in time and saw Abraham, they did not see faith. They saw their lineage, they saw their ancestor, and they trusted in these things rather than God. They were no longer children of Abraham who lived by faith. And so, that day in the temple, as the Jews looked back to Abraham as their father, Jesus asked them to look back and to see their father looking at God; to see a man who lived by faith, who trusted in the promise of salvation. This, in fact, is what Jesus says later in this text. He says, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing My day; indeed, he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). In believing on the promise, Abraham saw this day of salvation when God came to the world as a Son of Abraham and, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, blessed all the nations of earth. Jesus taught them and He teaches us about God’s promises and the comfort of living in God’s abiding word.
This text then is helpful for us as we celebrate the Reformation. The celebration of Reformation, in many ways, is a celebration of history; a time when we look back to Luther and the work that he did. We need to be careful, however, as we celebrate this history, that we don’t celebrate in a way that blinds us to sin and takes away the freedom that Jesus brings today.
It is easy in celebrating the Reformation to abide in our heritage rather than God’s Word. As if our Lutheran heritage frees us from the need of confession. As we celebrate the Reformation, we need to be careful what we see. We do not see a heritage that we can claim, a status among other churches that frees us from sin. The generations of Lutherans that have gone before us, their bold and faithful service, our own Lutheran lineage, the number of pastors or teachers in our family, being a founding member of this or that church, or our years of service to the Lutheran faith; none of that can take away sin. None of this has the power to forgive sin and there is no place for that thinking in God’s kingdom. It makes “…no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-23), and we daily sin much and are in need of a Savior. Lest any should be caught in this misunderstanding as they look back in history, Jesus comes today and brings us the gift of God’s abiding word.
Jesus says, “I tell you the truth everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family but a Son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed” (John 8:34-36). Here, Jesus points out the inability of any person ever to claim a permanent place in God’s kingdom on the basis of their history or their heritage. Anyone who sins is a slave to sin and has no permanent place in the household. But as Jesus reveals our sin, He also reveals our salvation. He says “if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.” With these words, Jesus points to Himself, the Son of God. He is a son of Abraham unlike any other. He is without sin, the Son of our heavenly Father, and He has come to take upon Himself the punishment of our sin that He might rise and give life, eternal life, to you. This is His promise, in Him you have life, not based upon your heritage, but based upon God’s love. And that is God’s abiding word for you.
Now, as we look back upon Luther, this is what we see: a man who abided in this saving word from God. When we look back to Luther, we see a man looking up to God and trusting in His promise. We see God intervening in a time of confusion and bringing clarity about His abiding word. The year was 1530; this was after the posting of the 95 theses and the battle of the Reformation was well underway. It was the time of the Diet of Augsburg. The Reformers were gathered before the Emperor Charles V, and facing their opponents, called to defend their teaching. Luther, because he was still under the ban of the Pope and the Emperor, was sequestered away at the castle at Coburg. There, while the Reformation was being waged three days journey away, Luther stayed in two rooms of a castle where he had painted on the walls verses from the psalms that brought him strength. Here, confined to two rooms, he surrounded himself with the abiding word of God. Here, he suffered under physical ailments. Here, he learned of the death of his father. And here he wrote a commentary on Psalm 117. And in that commentary, we have a record of what Luther was thinking when surrounded by death and devastation. Here, we can see him abide in God’s word. He writes:
“There is a kingdom of grace that is mightier in us and over us than all wrath, sin, and evil. You must picture this kingdom in childlike fashion, as though, through the Gospel, God has built over us, who believe in Him, a great new heaven, which is called the heaven of grace, and it is far greater and more beautiful than the heaven which you can see, and in addition it is certain, imperishable, and eternal.
“Whoever lives underneath this heaven can neither sin nor abide in sin; for it is a heaven of grace, everlasting and eternal. And if a man stumbles or sins, he does not fall out of this heaven, unless he does not wish to remain but would rather go to hell with the devil as unbelievers do. No! Though sin makes itself felt or death shows its teeth and the devil frightens you, far more grace is here to rule over our sin and far more life is here to rule over death and far more of God is here to rule over all the devils, so that sin, death, and the devil are nothing more in this kingdom than black clouds under the lovely sky which hide it for a while but are unable to cover and conceal it forever. The heaven of grace prevails and rules; they must remain below and surrender. In the end, they must all pass away.”
Here, we see the power of God’s promises and His abiding word. At a time when the church was being torn apart, God intervened, and worked by a promise. By grace through faith, on account of Christ, you are saved. As we look back at Luther, our eyes are turned to God. No longer do we see the Son of God standing in the temple, teaching the people. No, now we see Jesus risen, ascended, glorified, and ruling over the Church in His kingdom of grace. Here, we see the grace of God working throughout all of history. With Abraham and Luther and even us today, we find God working by His promises, giving us an abiding word. God, in Christ, has entered our world, dying and rising for us, that He might cover us with grace. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love toward us who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:11-12). And as we go out into that world, we live under His promise of grace. We live in a world watched over by a God who loves us! Let the world call your sins to remembrance, let your body break down, let the devil accuse you and the fabric of your life be torn apart, God has sent His Son for you and in His name forgives you; and when the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed! Abide, then, in this word as you leave and go out into the world. You know the truth of God’s salvation and that truth has set you free. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for October 26, 2008
Topic: Why “Lutheran”ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor, as you know, this week we celebrate Reformation Day.
KLAUS: That’s right. And for those who don’t know what Reformation Day is, within Protestant circles and especially Lutheran churches, it is when we give thanks that the Lord restored the Good News of salvation that comes to us through faith in the Savior’s atoning sacrifice and resurrection.
ANNOUNCER: Which brings us to our question today. A listener wants to know, “Why do you call your broadcast The Lutheran Hour? I’d heard that Martin Luther inspired the Nazi holocaust, that he hated social equality, that he advocated the slaughter of peasants, supported the burning of witches, and all sorts of other things that make his name something of which to be ashamed. It’s not that I dislike your broadcast, but I sure don’t like your name. Please change it.”
KLAUS: You can hardly accuse our listener of being subtle.
ANNOUNCER: Well, what do you think? Should we drop the “Lutheran” from our name?
KLAUS: And we probably ought to change that “Hour” part, too, since our broadcast has never been more than 30 minutes long.
ANNOUNCER: One thing at a time. The question is: Did Luther do and say those things and should Lutherans be ashamed of his name?
KLAUS: About the Jews and Luther being responsible for the Nazis, I could rightly point out that Luther’s position was hardly the strongest in those years. Instead I’ll say that toward the end of his life, Luther was very upset that the Jewish people didn’t acknowledge the Savior or His redemption. As a result, he said some very strong and regrettable things. But was he responsible for the holocaust? Not hardly.
First, by the time of the holocaust Luther had been dead for a few hundred years. Second, just because Luther wrote or said something, that doesn’t mean it was the official teaching of the Lutheran Church.
ANNOUNCER: And for more on this topic, I’d encourage our listener to read The Fabricated Luther, by Dr. Uwe Sieimon-Netto. OK. Luther didn’t consider himself to be perfect nor did he claim to be always speaking on behalf of the Lord.
KLAUS: Yes, Luther was fully aware of his sinful shortcomings.
ANNOUNCER: Which is what led to the Reformation in the first place.
KLAUS: The people who point to Luther as being responsible for the holocaust fail to share that he also had written a condemnation of the way the Jews had been treated down through the years.
What we have to say is this: Luther’s book, On Jews and Their Lies was not his best work, and it has not been received or recognized by Lutherans as something which should be followed.
ANNOUNCER: But how about these other things our listener mentioned? Did Luther advocate burning witches?
KLAUS: As a person of his times who believed that witches were very real and did terrible things, Luther felt they should be punished. Yes.
ANNOUNCER: How about the peasants? Did he advocate their murder?
KLAUS: Murder, no. When Luther was asked about the peasants and the freedom they wanted, he wrote saying these oppressed people had been treated very poorly. More than that, Luther called upon the rulers to make some changes.
Unfortunately before his tract was published, the peasants took matters into their own hands, revolted, and did some terrible things. Luther condemned their revolt most thoroughly. He did so because it was a violation of the respect these folks should have had for their government; because of the atrocities they committed; and because they were using the Bible to justify their actions. So, yes, Luther advocated the revolt be put down – quickly, effectively, and totally.
ANNOUNCER: After listening to all this, one might ask, “Why do we still call ourselves Lutheran… why is this The Lutheran Hour?”
KLAUS: Mark, we should mention Luther never wanted any church to be named after him. He said, “Why call yourselves Lutherans? These aren’t my doctrines; they belong to God.”
Second, we ought to say Luther sometimes exaggerated what he was saying to make a point. That doesn’t let him off the hook for everything he said or wrote, but it does help to explain some things.
Third, we need to let people know that Luther made no claim to be perfect. He was a sinner in need of Christ’s forgiveness, just like the rest of us.
Fourth, Luther constantly and continuously pointed people to the Bible – not himself – as the source of truth.
ANNOUNCER: But that doesn’t explain why someone would call themselves a “Lutheran.”
KLAUS: Because, along with all the bad stuff Luther said, Luther also said and wrote some wonderfully right things. The Lord used him to bring to light the truth of the Word of God. Most clearly, Luther the Reformer saw that the Father had loved this world enough to send His Son to save us. Luther pointed out, most clearly, that it was not through human works, but only in Jesus, and in Jesus alone that people can be forgiven of their sins and be saved.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“A Mighty Fortress” From Hymns for All Saints (© 2004 Concordia Publishing House)
“A Mighty Fortress” by Jan Bender. From Cramer & Resch at Kramer Chapel by Craig Cramer and Richard Resch (© 2001 Concordia Theological Seminary) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“I Know My Faith Is Founded” by Arthur L. Preuss. From Sacred Organ Originals by Arthur L. Preuss (© 2006 Arthur L. Preuss, Sr.) Used by permission.