Robbers and thieves of the Kingdom - John 10:1-10

One of the first questions that comes up in this reading is the concept of the sheep fold. What is it for us? We can come in and go out of it, led by the Shepherd, so it really can’t be a reference to heaven. We don’t go in and out of heaven freely. The final statement of the passage may give us a clue when Jesus says, “I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” The sheep fold is a place of peace, comfort, and safety for us. And we have that when we recognize Jesus’ voice and follow Him. This is eternal life, the abundant life. One of the more difficult concepts is in hearing His voice. How do we do that? Sometimes we hear it through the Scriptures, sometimes through other people, sometimes through revelations in our thoughts, and yet, how can we be sure it is the voice of the good shepherd and not thieves, robbers, or Satan? After all, Satan used Scripture to try to deceive Jesus in the wilderness. Martin Luther indicates that the sheep have the power to judge what is being fed them. This is a strange concept for us. Does that mean the people in the pews don’t have to buy what the preacher, or higher church, is feeding them? If it is not commanded in the Scriptures, then no. And even then, the bottom line for Luther is the conscience of each sheep. This is good and this is bad. Good because there is great freedom given to us as sheep to discern if what we are receiving is from Christ. Bad because sheep are really stupid, and they will follow just about anyone or anything. The foundation of the conscience must be Christ alone. Not the law, not the church, but if it matches what Jesus said and did, take it to heart. The robbers and thieves are those who try to get into peace, comfort, and safety by any means other than the gate, who is Christ. If someone thinks following the commandments will earn them the abundant life, they won’t find it that way. If they think money, fame, or power will bring peace and security, they are wrong. If preachers and religious leaders tell others that they have to do anything other than enter by Jesus Christ, they rob and steal and harm those who are in their care because they deceive the sheep who follow them. The watchmen in the story who open the gate are the people who point to Jesus Christ as the shepherd. They may use the Law to help others to recognize their need for a shepherd, but it’s the shepherd who leads the sheep to safety and comfort, not the Law. Luther points out that Galatians 3:23-24, the Law was given as our tutor to bring us to Christ. This is the function of the Law. Once we have faith/trust in Jesus Christ, we no longer need a tutor. Trust in Christ opens the gate to freedom that recognizes the wisdom of the Law and we realize we would be stupid not to follow it. Yet we don’t fear our destruction if we fail to keep it. I want to return to a previous point that seems to apply to the current discussions of the ELCA concerning the controversial topic of human sexuality. This regards the law versus the conscience of the sheep. In a previous sermon, Luther had said that the law was given as the servant of love, not the reverse. If a law serves love, by all means, follow it. If it does not serve love, then it can be set aside. In this sermon (sermon #1, #19) Luther said Christ interpreted his own words by saying he is the door to the sheep and whoever enters by him will be saved to go in and out and find pasture. Then Luther said, “Here Christ speaks of the Christian liberty, which means that Christians are now free from the curse and the tyranny of the Law, and may keep the Law or not, according as they see [conscience] that the love and need of their neighbor requires. This is what Paul did. When he was among the Jews, he kept the Law with the Jews; when among the Gentiles, he kept it as they kept it, which he himself says in 1 Cor. 9:19-23: ‘For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, [I lived] as under the law, not being myself under the law; to them that are without law, [I lived] as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law...' " He set this statement up by saying we are not to force the law on anyone. No one can be forced to believe. Sheep don’t come willingly to a harsh voice of law. They come to a gentle, loving voice of a good shepherd who they recognize cares for them and their needs. Christ wants willing followers, not driven sheep. Sheep will never find peace under the sword of the law. He says the sword of law “cannot force the heart and bring it to faith. In view of its inability, it [the law] must be silent in matters of faith (#18).” Some Lutherans will agree with Brother Martin on this, and some won’t. Let their conscience be their guide. Blessings, PWM

Those Who Hear God’s Word – John 8:46-59

How hard it must have been for Jews who were trying to be faithful to the Scriptures to hear this rebel prophet tell them their father was Satan and they were not of God. He said they didn’t understand God’s word, even though they were the experts in what was written in the Scriptures. Jesus’ approach wasn’t the most delicate and would make anyone defensive. Does that give us permission to be less than delicate in telling literalists and legalists they may know the words but they don’t understand what the Bible means? I guess that depends on whether you want to get crucified or not. Jesus infers that just because you read and know the words in the Scriptures does not mean you know God. Luther points out that preachers must practice what they preach so no one can discredit them because of their actions, as in Jesus saying, “Which of you can accuse me of sin?” How many religious leaders have we seen fall from their pedestals because of sin? Too many. One point of Luther is that a corrupt tree is known by its fruit. When one shows anger, bitterness, impatience, cruelty, and judgment because their ideas and ways are being rejected, that’s not the sign of a good tree. The fruits of the Spirit are peace, kindness, goodness, hope, love, etc., even in the face of rejection – like Jesus. What does it take to be of God? Doesn’t baptism make us a child of God? Or not? Is it one of the sacramental forms we cherish and perform, but isn’t effectual without the trust/belief/life component? And what does it mean to hear God’s Word? If someone puts a new interpretation on the Bible that shakes the foundation of someone’s belief, there is great resistance and fear when the ground you are standing on is being shaken. Many Christians still seem to stand on the Ten Commandments as their foundation rather than on Jesus Christ. Luther says the Word is not a word of the law but the gospel of Christ, and this is the only way Christ could be distributed to the world. Jesus couldn’t reach everyone in bodily form, so He is the Word in the gospel that is given to those who will hear it, in my words - above the din of the law. Brother Martin claims the evangelical office of the ministry is nothing but glorifying God. What he means by this is that people come to Jesus because He is the image of kindness, healing, peace, commitment, loyalty, love, and concern for human need. We don’t need to honor ourselves or what we preach when facing opposition, but we should always honor God in our teaching of His grace, knowing we are assured of God’s honor to us. Luther points out that when Jesus says He keeps God’s Word, ‘keeps’ does not mean doing or following the works of the law but rather holding the Word in the heart by faith so nothing can separate us from it, not even death. This is why Christians do not fear bodily death, because we know we approach death only as sleep. Ultimately, when we speak the truth about God, those with hardened hearts will only resist more furiously. Peace - PWM

Living Bread from Heaven – John 6:44-51

This text promised to be a fun one to decipher from the first sentence to the last. Where are the biblical literalists when you need them? The first verses take the pressure off me as a preacher/pastor. The Father is the ultimate power in drawing people to Jesus, not me. Because the Father is all-knowing and all-wise, every person God chooses to draw to Jesus accepts Jesus. If not, then God has failed and God doesn’t fail. Humans fail. I’m not sure we are privy to the election/choosing decisions of God, at least not yet. To be drawn to Jesus is to hear good news about Him. According to Luther, people came to Jesus because they heard He was a powerful healer, that He cared about them and was willing to help them. This is our single best evangelism tool: our stories of how Jesus has helped us in powerful ways with exceptional timing. God wants to do this for everyone. Others can experience the same. This is the good news. Luther says this text is about trust in Christ that saves us in God’s way, which is different from the way we plan. The right way is through Jesus, while the wrong was is through the Law. Human plans for salvation are always about heaven when we die. Does God have another plan? Brother Martin says we must lose faith in ourselves and our good works in order to trust in Christ. In fact, nothing is asked of us except trust in Jesus. That sounds pretty easy, not to have to do anything. However, if you believe someone died in your place while successfully pushing you out of the path of a subway car (or snatched you out of the jaws of eternal hell), you are not going to diss that person and live like it doesn’t make any difference. Your life would never be the same. Those who trust Jesus has done this for them have eternal life. There’s that ‘eternal life’ phrase again. In biblical days, this was a reference to the quality of life only God could give you, now and never-ending. Why? Because one’s relationship with Jesus is up close and personal. Luther says St. Paul teaches that “if we only knew and understood what God is, then you would already be saved, gaining love for Him and doing only what is pleasing to God. Our goal ought to be to increase in the knowledge of God” (#7). And this knowledge of God only comes from God (who is also God’s Son). Jesus said in John 5:24, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my words and believes [trusts] Him who sent me has [not WILL have] eternal life and will not be condemned; he has [not WILL] crossed over from death to life." When Luther talks about preaching the Law and the Gospel, he means to tell how the Law shows us we are sinful and displeasing to God. We aren’t to push following the Law because we can’t. The Law reveals why we need a Savior, not more than that. Otherwise, the Law can make us despair and have no hope. That’s why the Gospel 'must come quickly': “Christ teaches those who come to Him that God is nothing but a very gracious Savior who wants to be gracious and merciful to all who call on Him” (10). Luther likens partaking of the bread of heaven to having faith in Christ. When we have accepted Him to ourselves, we love our neighbor like a brother, we accept everyone as he is, speaking evil of no one, finding joy and pleasure in serving him. Fruits are always the evidence of faith that is real. Peace - PWM

Feeding the Five Thousand in John 6:1-15

How does Jesus feeding the five thousand apply to us in the 21st century? Do we see any instances of Jesus multiplying bread and fish? Yes. In our Hook ‘Em for the Hungry mission every May, we get fish donated from people outside our church, and Thrivent Financial contributes a matching amount in cash that helps us buy 800 lb. of processed chicken to send to the local food distribution agency, along with our fish. After the recent ice storm, lots of local people lost food that their refrigerators and freezers couldn’t maintain without electricity; people couldn’t work for a week or more; and our conference/synod churches sent $2,800+ in donations to assist with additional food and utility needs. As Luther pointed out in his sermon, Jesus knows our needs and knows how He’s going to meet those needs before we are aware we’ll need them. When we are seeking the kingdom/reign of God in our lives, we don’t need to worry about our basic needs being met. Even when we don’t think we have enough to offer, we forget it’s not about what we have to offer but Who it is that uses the meager amount that is available. For example, I was the perfect example of Andrew in the story only ten minutes before our discussion group met. A man came into the church looking for information about our congregation. He is semi-retired and his two grandchildren (8 + 12 yr) live with him. He asked if we had a children’s ministry. This has been one of my frustrations in a rural, retirement-living community – very few young families, very few kids – “only five small barley loaves and two sardines.” The church secretary helped get me up off my apologetic explanation so we could detail the positive things we do with the kids placed in our care. It’s not about what resources we have, but about what Jesus does to multiply our small offering to satisfied the needs of others. It turned out this man has a very nice website for a children’s ministry he has conducted in other congregations. Maybe he will be the abundance Jesus will use to uplift our own ministry… We noted in this version of feeding the 5000, Jesus gives the bread and fish after he blessed them. What’s that about? Maybe if the disciples gave out the food, the people would have had reason to think the disciples multiplied the bread and not Jesus. How can anyone be a biblical literalist when in Matthew, Jesus gives the bread to the disciples to give to the people? The difference is because each gospel writer was saying something specific about Jesus and the detail of who gives the bread is ancillary to the Person who multiplies it in whatever ways He wants. We don’t have time to study the details of the other gospel writers’ versions here. Luther looked at this story allegorically, as spiritual food for the soul. He noticed there was much grass to sit on, which he compared to the grass as a picture of holiness and righteousness in the Old Testament that flourishes for a while and then fades and dies like the grass. It is only good to be eaten by animals – food only for fleshly hearts, not those who possess the Spirit. The Word of God, the Bread of life, nourishes the common, hungry people. The five loaves of barley bread stand for the words of the voice that are spoken by the mouth that are understood by the five human senses (reason/logic) and found ‘locked’ in the basket of Scripture. Jesus takes these words, blesses them, and increases them for our understanding – He multiplies the meaning of the words to be far beyond what the written words mean. The two fishes are the prophets and patriarchs, also found in the basket, and these strengthen Christian doctrine; there are two because the examples of love require two people, a giver and a receiver. The twelve baskets left over are all the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists (New Testament) that are what remain from the Old Testament. Philip and Andrew are disciples who want to help but all they have are the laws and words at their disposal. Christ alone can explain with His Word to satisfy and deliver from sin and death to give peace and joy. This is another example of how Luther believes the words and ink on the pages of Scripture are like five barley loaves and two fishes. When we give them out to people on our own, they don’t go far. Only Jesus can change them into something that nourishes and satisfies the hunger of the soul. Fed by the Spirit - PWM

Update – Blogging with the help of Martin Luther

If you’re checking this blog out, here’s what I’m doing: Last year I read Martin Luther’s Church Postil, at least his sermons on the gospels. I saw a different Luther, and heard a different voice. He was teaching local clergy to help them with their sermons, but he was also preaching to the people. Instead of trying to figure out his ‘theology’ and apologetic to Rome or the scholastic community, I wanted to hear what he said to his congregants. I was pleasantly surprised, as much as you can be when trying to wade through the length and breadth of his messages. Luther was no biblical literalist. The Word spoke to him in ways academia might consider superfluous today.

Through 2008, I wrote a prayer every week based on his sermon(s) for the lectionary text for that week. The prayers were provided on Sundays for parishioners to pick up and use during their personal study/prayer time during the week. This year, I’m leading a weekly study on the same gospel texts. We are trying to determine how the gospel text speaks to our lives today, and we consult Luther’s thoughts to see if they add anything to our own ideas. This blog highlights some of the things we talk about and tells some of the more interesting things Brother Martin teaches in his sermons.

You can find Luther’s sermon on the links in the right column. The fastest way to find Luther’s sermon is to scroll down the left column at the sermon website to find the appropriate Sunday’s lectionary text, and then click on it to move to the sermon location on the right. I hope you’ll be blessed somewhere along the line if you choose to follow it. Peace in Christ - PWM

Trials Strengthen Faith - Discussion on John 4:46-54

This is the story of the royal official from Capernaum, who comes to Jesus at Cana where Jesus is well known, asking Him to heal his son who was close to death. We know by the end of the story that this is Jesus’ second miracle, at least in the Gospel of John, having come from Judea to Galilee. His first miracle was changing water into wine, and since then, He speaks of being born again to Nicodemus, talks to the woman at the well about living water, and preaches in Galilee.

One of Luther’s primary points in the teaching of this text is that faith must be exercised in order to have assurance and retain its treasure. There are also differing levels of faith. First the man comes to Jesus because he has heard good news about Jesus – that He is kind, able to heal, and willing to help. That’s why people come to Jesus. They’ve heard good things about Jesus. Is that how our evangelism programs are developed, or do we come with Jesus in one hand and the Ten Commandments in the other?

The man wouldn’t have come if he didn’t trust Jesus could help him. It was about a 15 mile hike from Capernaum. He trusted enough to make the effort to lay his request at Jesus’ feet. Then Jesus says something that some would interpret as a rebuke. You people! You won’t believe unless you see signs. It could have simply been stating a fact. We rarely grow in our trust/faith unless we see Jesus do something for us…like heal a member of our family, or ourselves. Then we have proof that Jesus is kind, is able to heal, and wants to help.

The next level of faith is shown by the man in that he doesn’t make Jesus show up in person to do the healing. He trusted Jesus to do what He said would happen. It makes me think of times when people are gathered together – at mealtime, at a hospital emergency room, and everyone is glad to see the preacher show up so a prayer can be said…and they all feel better when that happens. So the man leaves, trusting Jesus for what He said would happen, and the next day when he is heading home, his servants tell him his son is better – he calculates the timing and this confirms and strengthens his faith in Jesus. Then he tells others – they hear Jesus is kind, able to heal, and willing to help…and now they begin the belief progression.

In struggle and trial, faith is asked to grasp what it believes tighter when it can’t see how the result is going to take place. Faith is not needed if the result is known. The response of faith is to tell others where you saw the goodness of God in your life.

So, have any of us witnessed this type of progression of faith? Yes. I’ve seen God provide for my wife and me ever since we began to tithe in 1997. Ever since that decision, we have never worried for what we would eat, or drink, or wear, or be adequately sheltered. Today, the question pops up in my mind, ‘how will we provide for ourselves in retirement’ – but from what I’ve seen in the last ten years, I quickly dismiss any worry. God will provide.

One in our discussion group spoke of her experience in Nazi Germany when soldiers were waiting for orders to kill her, her mother and sisters. She said she could only stand and have faith. At the last minute, a phone call came, saying ‘if there are no men with them, let them go.’ She’s not doubted God’s protection ever since, and has had many reasons that might have made any of us shudder in fear. Trials strengthen our faith. When we witness God fulfilling God’s promises, our faith grows. And we must tell others when we see God’s presence and activity in our lives. That’s spreading the good news. Blessings in Christ - PWM