My review of Peters’ “Commentary on Luther’s Catechisms: 10 Commandments” featured on “The Shepherd’s Study”

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Albrecht Peters, book reviews, catechesis, Catechisms, concordia publishing house, heidelberg germany, history, Martin Luther, Shepherd's Study, theological faculty

Once more I am honored to have the most recent review to appear on “The Shepherd’s Study”, our synod’s continuing education resource blog for pastors. You can read it here.

It’s always refreshing to read work that approaches something as dear to our hearts as Luther’s Catechisms are, and yet still has something new to say and a new perspective. Peters certainly has that, and to spare. Anything that helps us impart and impress the doctrine of the Catechisms (which is the doctrine of Scripture, after all) on our people, especially our young people, is worth at least a look. Peters is worth more than that.

Here’s the full review, for those who prefer. Enjoy!

Commentary on Luther’s Catechisms: Ten Commandments, by Albrecht Peters. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2009, 333 pages.

Professor Dr. Albrecht Peters was a longtime member of the theological faculty of the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg, Germany.

Perhaps the hardest thing in the world to see, really open one’s eyes and see, is what’s most familiar. Whenever the overly familiar, the old standbys, the tried-and-true present themselves, we might resist the urge to yawn and go looking for something more exciting or more “relevant.” In 21st century America, to paraphrase our Lord’s words, “No one after drinking the new wine wants the old, for he says, ‘The new is better.’” …But what if the old is better? Are we in danger of discarding something useful? The trick is to know and appreciate just how precious our heritage is—and how familiarity can dull our eyes to the gifts our forefathers left us.

For that reason, works such as Albrecht Peters’ are useful for us. While Peters speaks about the familiar catechetical heritage we use constantly in Luther’s Catechisms – and overall he does a worthwhile job – he does so with a vocabulary and accents that may sound a little strange to our ears. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s bracing and invigorating to hear someone with as talented and formidable a mind as Peters grapple with the same truths we grew up on, yet approach them from angles that can surprise us. Reading this book felt similar to taking a different seat at the dinner table than the one you normally occupy: the fare on the table’s the same, the company’s the same, the setting is the same, and yet it all looks new.

For that reason alone, Peters’ commentaries on the Catechisms are worth reading. This reviewer had initially feared a Talmudic approach to the Catechisms, at the expense of Scripture, but this proved not to be the case. Peters still balances Catechism, Word, and scholarly research in a perspective that’s different for us. This yields fresh insights, especially for those who are accustomed to thinking that they’ve already gotten everything out of the Catechisms (perhaps most of all, the Small Catechism) that there is to be had. Peters’ exegesis on the arrangement of the Small Catechism, for instance, will have the catechist nodding his head in agreement. Peters draws out the structure that we always knew was there, but had never elaborated so clearly. For we who preach and teach the truths of the Catechism week in and week out, such fresh insights are positively priceless.

Part of this effect comes from the style of language in which this volume was written. Immediately upon picking it up, one senses that this was not a book composed in English. In many places the language style is dense and scholarly with a distinctly Germanic way of joining clauses and phrases. It can verge on impenetrable at times. However, this matter of style should not dissuade anyone from picking up the book. One gets used to it as the book goes on. There are even times when what was written and translated strikes the reader almost as poetry. Perhaps my favorite instance of this in the entire book comes when Peters describes the ways in which the First Commandment was recorded in Scripture: “We lead our lives ‘facing’ the zealous holy God whose eyes penetrate the abysses of our heart that are hidden to us” (p.111).

Part of the foreign tone that Peters’ style has in this volume comes from his embracing of historical-critical methodologies and vocabulary. The publisher’s preface, which alerts the reader to this facet of Peters’ work, had this reviewer bracing for the worst right from the start. However, forewarned is forearmed, and such historical-critical comments are easy to discard when the reader encounters them. They actually do not impair the reading of the book all that much. In fact, this reviewer discovered that historical-critical jargon, when encountered, could actually serve a positive purpose. The strange nature of historical-critical language afforded another opportunity to view Luther’s work from a different angle. It was amazing how often Peters would note the same things we value about Luther’s work, while showing Peters’ other preoccupations, only some of which were drawn from historical criticism. It was a reminder that not everybody approaches Luther’s catechisms (or Lutheranism in general, for that matter) from the same viewpoint that we do.

Peters also places Luther more accurately than we sometimes do in the stream of Christian tradition. His research allowed him to identify where Luther stood with his predecessors in certain interpretations and approaches to teaching, and where Luther diverged or contributed new insights. Many of Luther’s most memorable formulations are of his own coining (e.g. “we should not despise preaching and His Word” in the explanation of the Third Commandment).

Perhaps most revealing was how often Luther remained conventional in his interpretation. He actually changed little that was handed down in the traditional catechesis of the church, while at the same time putting his own indelible stamp on it. We see this in the way Luther would often use the Gospels heard in worship as proof texts in the catechisms. For example, Luther used Matthew 5:20-26, the Gospel for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, to drive home the true meaning of the Fifth Commandment – something that Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventure (to name a few) had done in the past (97). Luther was able to do this because of the rich pastoral and practical content of the historic pericopes. The historic readings line up well with the church’s program of catechesis by selecting texts and regularly repeating them. Many in modern Lutheranism are rediscovering the same synergistic benefits between lectionary, catechisms, and what the people learn in our own day.

One side benefit of reading this book is imbibing large sections of Luther’s writing. The reader encounters Luther again and again, not just Peters. The church fathers, ancient and medieval, also have many gems scattered throughout the book as Peters draws on their catechetical work extensively. Peters, Luther, and the fathers provide much to tuck away for future use in preaching or teaching. Of special interest to this reviewer was Luther’s illustration of two pouches with four pockets. The first pouch, faith, has two pockets, one for original sin, the other for Christ as Redeemer; the second pouch, love, has two pockets, one for good works to serve our neighbor and one for suffering under the cross (35).

We’ve all heard Luther’s urging never to be done with the Small Catechism, and Peters has done us a service by showing us how. By bringing the Catechism, and thus the Word, into our pupils’ homes and lives, we shape and mold young souls for God. Peters can help provide variety and encouragement in this vital task.

For reviews of other books in the Commentary on Luther’s Catechisms series, please be sure to visit the following:

• Commentary on Luther’s Catechisms: Lord’s Prayer (Reviewer: Pr. Ben Schaefer)
• Commentary on Luther’s Catechisms: Creed (Reviewer: Pr. Souksamay Phetsanghane)

When God speaks

Tags

contemplation, God's Word, johannes tauler, spirituality, the soul

A thought-provoking quote from Tauler on the soul’s relationship to God and the Word. I don’t always agree with him (or always understand what he’s talking about, for that matter), but he always makes me think.

Now, dear children, know of a truth, if any one else would fain speak in the temple, that is in the soul, except Jesus alone, He holds His peace, as if He were not there; and in truth He is not at home in the soul, for she has strange guests with whom she desireth to hold converse. But if Jesus is to speak in the soul, she must be alone, and must be silent herself that she may hear the voice of Jesus; and then He enters in and begins to speak. What does He speak? He speaks that He is. And what is He then? He is the Word of the Father; in which Word the Father utters Himself, and all the divine nature, and all that God is, so that, in that He perceiveth it, He also
is it, and He is perfect in His perception and in His power. Hence He is perfect through this His speaking, for when He uttereth this Word, He uttereth Himself and all things in another person, and giveth that person the same nature which He Himself has, and speaks all rational spirits into being in that Word, in the likeness of the same Word, according to the type or pattern which abideth continually in Him. And thus the Word shines forth in man, according as each word exists in God. Yet is he not in all respects like this same essential Word; but rather the possibility is granted to him of receiving a certain likeness by the grace of this Word, and of receiving the Word as it is in itself. This all has the Father Himself spoken through the Word, and all that is in the Word.

– Johannes  Tauler, from a homily for Palm Sunday on Matt 21:10-17

Why should I bother with the Church Fathers?

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book reviews, church fathers, great leaders, history, michael haykin, spirituality, theology

This post originally appeared on The Shepherd’s Study, a blog reviewing resources for pastors to use. You can read the original here. (If you poke around on the Shepherd’s Study, you can also find my review of Religion on Trial, if you’re interested.)

I just had to repost this because it’s so heartening to me to see other Christians, and other pastors, willing to listen to the great leaders and shepherds of the past. They were human, sure, with all that carries with it, but the remove of time between us and them allows us to appreciate their strong points and their accomplishments and look charitably on their errors or mistakes — while still not excusing them, of course. The church fathers really are astonishing when you start reading them at any length. Their depth and breadth of teaching that they delivered in a single sermon, for instance, puts most of us walking the face of the earth right now utterly to shame. They make me want to preach more, and preach better…the way they do.

The fathers that Haykin lists as good places to start are worthy of mention; from my own reading and experience, I’d add Chrysostom, Augustine, Leo the Great, and Gregory the Great. The last two especially had a popular, direct style of preaching. You can really see why they were so lauded in their lifetimes, and afterward. Reading the fathers helps teach you how to preach. You pastors out there, of whatever theological stripe or persuasion you might be, if you expound the Word of God regularly on a public basis, you will not fail to find help and improvement with the church fathers. If you feel smarter or more talented than everybody who’s come before you, then I guess the fathers won’t help you, but then again, if that’s your attitude in preaching, there’s an excellent chance nothing will help you. I surely don’t feel that way, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. If you crib from people smarter than you, that makes you smarter in turn. That’s the theory anyway.

Interestingly, when I was thinking about different reasons why the fathers are valuable to read and study, I came up with a list that was different than Haykin, the author of the book reviewed below. They have much to teach us, if we have ears to hear — and if you can get past the oftentimes unfortunately stilted or unnecessarily archaic translations with which the fathers are often saddled. Even with that handicap, they still shine. And newer translations are available, if you do a little looking around. Haykin’s book looks interesting and worthwhile. The fathers are always worth reading. As one of my professors once told me, “They are our guides.”

Title:

Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church

Author:

Michael Haykin

Reviewer:

Pastor Thomas Meissner

Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church, by Michael A.G. Haykin. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011. 172 pages.

Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin is the professor of church history and Biblical spirituality and director of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He is also the editor of Eusebeia: The Bulletin of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. Haykin is a prolific writer having authored numerous books and editorials, over 250 articles, and over 150 book reviews.

In his introduction to St. Athanasius’ On the Incarnation, C.S. Lewis advised, “Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period” (4 – St. Vladimir Press Edition).  Among the mistakes of our time are strains of anti-intellectualism and the aliteracy (as opposed to illiteracy) which results from its contraction. “Gilbert Beers, a past editor of Christianity Today, has noted, ‘We owe much to many whom we have never met.’ In times past, when there was a reverence for the past, this reality was acknowledged gratefully. But as Beers goes on to note, ‘We live in a throwaway society; we dispose of things we consider a burden. My concern is that we do not add our predecessors to the collection of throwaways, carelessly discarding those who have made us what we are’” (27).

Dr. Haykin’s book, Rediscovering the Church Fathers is intended to help Christians get to know some “members of the family” as it were, and from that point regain a connection to the wisdom, the experience, the courage, and the fortitude of faithful believers who came before us and followed Christ. Haykin gives Hebrews 13:7 as one of his key rationales for studying church history as well as the Fathers, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”  It is well noted, and refreshing that he understands a proper balance must be kept between the word of the Fathers and the word of Holy Scripture. “The Fathers are not Scripture. They are senior conversation partners about Scripture and its meaning. We listen to them respectfully, but are not afraid to disagree when they err. As the Reformers rightly argued, the writings of the Fathers must be subject to Scripture” (29).

Why spend time trying to rediscover the Church Fathers? After naming it “A Vital Need for Evangelicals”, Haykin lists six reasons:

1. “Study of the Fathers, like any historical study, liberates us from the present” (17).
2. “The Fathers can provide us with a map for the Christian life” (18).
3. They “may also in some cases, help us to understand the New Testament” (19).
4. “We also need to read and know the Fathers since they are sometimes subjected to simply bad history or bad press” (20).
5. “Reading the Fathers [serves] as an aid in defending the faith” (22).
6. There is value in “reading the Fathers for spiritual nurture” (27).

With two thousand years of Christianity from which to choose, who would you pick to meet this “vital need”? Haykin chose seven, presented in what he describes as “case studies.” All of whom he says have been his close companions “for more than three decades” (29), men to whom he has come back time and again “to learn theology, to be refreshed spiritually, and to think about what it means to be a Christian” (156):

1. Ignatius of Antioch (ca. 35/50-c. 98/117)
2. The author of the Letter to Diognetus
3. Origen (ca.185-254)
4. Cyprian (ca.200-258)
5. Ambrose (ca.339-397)
6. Basil of Caesarea (c. 330-379)
7. Patrick (ca.389-ca.461)

“Not…that there is any magic about the past. People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes. They will not flatter us in the errors we are already committing; and their own errors, being now open and palatable, will not endanger us.” C.S. Lewis’ words from his introduction to St. Athanasius’ On the Incarnation (5) remind the reader to keep his eyes open for mistakes and insights both in books of the past and books of the current age. In the case of this particular book, Haykin displays expected Baptist biases, most notably in regard to the Lord’s Supper. One wonders if Haykin is of the opinion that the doctrine of the real presence did not exist before the Fourth century (102).

One puzzling inclusion in this book, particularly because he was an errorist, is the chapter on Origen, “Interpreting the Scriptures: The Exegesis of Origen.” The quote from 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 with which Haykin begins the chapter cues the reader into the fact that he sees in Origen someone who sought to “engage his culture” with the Word of Christ. This desire, he says, shows Origen was “without a shadow of a doubt the greatest thinker of his day, pagan or Christian, one who was always writing to convince others of…‘the importance of Christian life and why a person should become a Christian’” (79).

Should such a desire trump holding fast to the truth of Scripture? Certainly not! Origen placed “the Son and the Spirit on a level subordinate to the Father” (75). It is true enough that Origen stated in a homily on Luke 16:6, “I want to be a man of the church, not the founder of heresy. I want to be named with Christ’s name and bear that name, which is blessed on earth.  I long to both be and be called a Christian as much in deed as in thought” (76). As seriously as we should take such a desire and put the best construction on it, however, Origen’s teachings were not in line with Holy Scripture.

Perhaps some worthwhile reasons for reading chapter four are a greater understanding of how human experience can shape a person (i.e. persecution against Christians which Origen and his family experienced), the vital importance of good exegesis, and the need for every pastor to strive for excellence each day as he cares for souls. Also worth learning from this chapter is the truth that not even the “divine ends” of evangelism should justify any means.

Overall Haykin’s method of presenting these seven Church Fathers is unique, readable, and his goal is laudable: let’s learn from our fathers and grandfathers in the faith and “fight the good fight” of faith. Haykin reintroduces the reader to these real people with strengths and weaknesses, people who lived in a real context, people from whom we can learn.  That said, why not go right to the source and read the Fathers for themselves?  This book is a stepping stone for people who wouldn’t normally do so, and as such this book provides a relatively short introduction to the Fathers and gives enough quotes to whet the appetite for primary source reading. Also included are two appendices.  The first is a beginner’s guide to reading the Fathers and the second is a reprinting of Jaroslav Pelikan’s The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600).

What’s the take away?  “To do theology without history is to study cut flowers, not living plants” (165). Read this book and you will see living plants; real people who reveal to us that people share the same desires, the same needs; the same hopes and fears today, as they did in centuries past. Maybe, just maybe, we can learn something from them as we seek to follow Jesus Christ who is “the same, yesterday, today and forever.”

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 17,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 4 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

“I’m spiritual, not religious”

Reblogged from Eric Hyde's Blog:

“I’m spiritual, not religious”

I wish I had a back massage for every time I’ve heard this line. What gets me most is the presupposition it stems from, that “spiritual” is the assumed equivalent of “good” and “religious” is the assumed equivalent of "evil." Who made up this language game?

Honestly, who decided that “spiritual” was a term that would be used to contradict religion and as evidence of personal enlightenment, without further ado.

Read more… 504 more words

A well-written post by someone I don't know personally. Where he mentions Tradition, we'd point first to God's Word, but he is correct that the teaching of the apostles is referred to as tradition (or what is handed down -- etymological meaning) in Scripture. Worth a read.

While there is yet time

Tags

austin farrer, baby bird flying, blessed virgin mary, faith, Holy Communion, holy sacrament, nets, return to the earth, spirituality, time passing

OUR journey sets out from God in our creation, and returns to God at the final judgement. As the bird rises from the earth to fly, and must some time return to the earth from which it rose; so God sends us forth to fly, and we must fall back into the hands of God at last. But God does not wait for the failure of our and the expiry of our days to drop us back into his lap. He goes himself to meet us and everywhere confronts us. Where is the countenance which we must finally look in the eyes, and not be able to turn away our head? It smiles up at Mary from the cradle, it calls Peter from the nets, it looks on him with grief when he has denied his master. Our judge meets us at every step of our way, with forgiveness on his lips and succour in his hands. He offers us these things while there is yet time. Every day opportunity shortens, our scope for learning our Redeemer’s love is narrowed by twenty-four hours, and we come nearer to the end of our journey, when we shall fall into the hands of the living God, and touch the heart of the devouring fire.

 

 

 

 

 

(from THE CROWN OF THE YEAR, Weekly Paragraphs for the Holy Sacrament, by Austin Farrer, Dacre Press, Westminster: ADVENT i)

A Prayer for the Festival of the Reformation

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obedience of faith, prayer, Reformation Day

Lord Jesus Christ, by your grace we are heirs of your eternal Word and trustees of the  inspired Scriptures, through which you proclaim your saving truth to every generation. By the Scriptures you overthrew the darkness of those who perverted your teachings and restored to your church the message of salvation by faith alone.

For your Holy Scriptures, O Lord, to you alone be glory.

As we celebrate the Reformation that restored your pure gospel to your Church, we also celebrate our common confession of the pure gospel in Word and Sacraments.

For this unity of faith, we give you thanks, O Lord.

We remember the faithful confessors of this and former generations, who have passed down to us your Word of truth, who have suffered for the sake of your name.

For these faithful servants, we give you thanks, O Lord.

Now, Lord, move us to confess your name boldly in our day. Help us to proclaim your great salvation to all who have not yet come to know your saving name. Make us faithful with the Scriptures you have given us, so that many more will come to the obedience of faith in your only Son.

For such loving boldness and courage, we make our request, O Lord.

Move us to help support the worldwide work of missions. Lead us to pray for those who carry your saving Word to places we ourselves are unable to go. Bring many of your other sheep into your sheepfold through their testimony, Good Shepherd. Gather your elect out of the nations of the earth.

For such selfless support and concern for the lost, we petition you, O Lord. Grant our prayer, for Jesus’ sake.

Sermon for the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, 21 Oct 12

Tags

12 apostles, blessed virgin mary, brothers of the Lord, commemoration, confession of the faith, faithfulness, God's Word, Holy Spirit, judas iscariot, martyrdom, Oct 28, promise, simon the zealot, St. Jude, St. Simon

For this Sunday’s bulletin, click here: october 21, 2012

Note: this Sunday provides a good example of how local custom and usage can lead to variations in the church’s calendar. The day of St. Simon and St. Jude is October 28, but because our Mission Festival ended up being scheduled for that weekend, we anticipated this feast the week before. It’s never possible that everybody in the church be uniformly doing the same thing at the same time always — nor is it necessarily desirable.

 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father,and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

²² Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

²³ Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

– St. John 14.21-27

If you were to ask what we know about Simon and Jude, two of the Lord’s 12 apostles, the answer would be: not much. They’re usually mentioned at the end of the lists of the apostles, right before Judas Iscariot, and we know next to nothing about these two men.

Simon is called the Zealot in several places, and also Cananean, which is an Aramaic version of a Hebrew word that means, zealous. So one way or another, this is how he was known: Simon the Zealot. This could mean that he belonged to a radical political party called the Zealots. They were extreme Jewish nationalists, who hated the Romans worse than anything and were ready to attack them at times. In the eyes of most people the Zealots verged on being terrorists. Simon could have belonged to that group. Or he could have just been very eager and fired up to follow Jesus. Or he could have been very laid back and easygoing, and the other apostles called him that to rib him about it. We don’t know for sure. All we have for sure with Simon is his name.

With Jude, we have a little more, but not much more. It seems that Judas not Iscariot’s name was shortened slightly over time to avoid confusing him with Judas Iscariot, which no one wanted to do. Jude or Judas or Judah – all those names are basically the same, — was also called Thaddeus, which is a Greek form of his Hebrew name. Scholars debate whether or not the New Testament epistle of Jude was written by him. It certainly could have. The Biblical evidence fits. What’s more intriguing, although not much more certain, is that both Jude and Simon could have been half-brothers or cousins of the Lord Jesus. In Matthew 13:55, the people of Nazareth name Jesus’ brothers as James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (or Jude). So both Simon and Jude could have been related to Jesus in some way. They may have followed Him and only later, after He rose from the dead, did they realize who their Brother really was. Or the Simon and Jude mentioned as brothers of the Lord might be different than Simon and Jude the apostles. It’s intriguing, and the Biblical evidence could be taken either way. Again, we don’t know a whole lot about Jude beyond that.

You might be wondering what the value for your faith is in knowing who Simon and Jude are, if we know so little about them. Beyond that it’s good to be as exact as possible with Scripture, and some of these details are rather fascinating, there’s maybe not much more than that – and Simon and Jude would be okay with that. They’d rather the attention and the honor went to Christ, and that’s why we remember them today: because of what God did through them.

If Simon and Jude were here today, they’d tell us to pay attention to Jesus and His Word. They’d tell us what we hear in our Gospel for today, in fact. Jesus says, “Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love Him and show Myself to him.” It’s pretty simple. If you love Jesus, you’ll do what He says. But so many nowadays want to have it otherwise. Lots of people, church bodies too, talk endlessly about love – love for God, love for Jesus, but they do not keep His Word. When church bodies take votes on whether or not to accept what Scripture says on a given social issue, such as homosexuality, or one of their main reasons to exist is to explain away and deny what Jesus told us and what He left us to believe in and do – “oh, baptism is just a symbol, the Lord’s Supper is just bread and wine, He didn’t mean what He said” – if that’s what those who are supposed to be Christians do, then something’s gone badly wrong. That shows that they do not actually love Him, because if they did, they’d love His Word and not teach and live contrary to it.

It’s never a good idea to focus too much on the sins of others, so I ask you this: How do we do at keeping Jesus’ Word? Do we always teach and believe the right things? Are we eager to put His Word into practice in our lives, or is there a disconnect between Sunday morning and the rest of our lives? Does God go with us every day of our lives, everywhere we go, or do we treat Him like He lives in the church building and that’s a good place for Him – out of my way while I live my life? Each of us should shudder at what Jesus’ saying means for us. If we do not keep His Word, we do not love Him – how will we ever see God then? How will we ever be saved?

In reply, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Jesus’ giving isn’t like the world’s giving. The world gives expecting to be paid back with interest, and it’s more empty promises than needed help. Jesus’ peace isn’t like that. It’s beyond anything the world can touch, because it’s based on the love of the Son of God for sinners and what that love led Him to do. His peace is real because it comes from the forgiveness of real sins and God’s real grace. His peace lasts. It quiets our hearts and enables us to tackle serving God and living out His Word every day. Jesus’ peace connects us to Him. It shows us Him in a way that the world can’t see.

Jude’s ears perk up when he hears Jesus talk about showing himself. He asks, “But, Lord, why do You intend to show Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jude’s question has more than a hint of impatience about it. He wants Jesus to be visibly seen as Lord by everybody, right away, so they’ll know how great He is and their nation can be strong and powerful again. He once again displays the earthly-minded Jewish idea of a Messiah: a political ruler, a war fighter, who’d kick the Romans out and make the nation of Israel great again.

Jude’s impatience – he wanted it all right away, visibly; he wanted God’s kingdom to come right then and there – mirrors our own impatience with life in the church sometimes. We get dissatisfied, frustrated, eager for results or improvement right away, on the hurry up, so we’re tempted to change things. Changing things always seems like a sure-fire way to push things along, especially when God seems to be taking His dear sweet time working through His Word, like He’s promised to. We think, Aha, this will help; this will fix things – so we neglect God’s Word, preaching it, teaching it, studying it for ourselves, teaching it to our children, because we think that if we go chasing after other solutions those other things will work better.

It’s almost like Jesus knew that that’s how we’d be thinking after He left us on earth and ascended into heaven. Why else would He point us back to His Word over and over again, as He does here? To Jude’s question that hints at impatience, Jesus gives a wonderfully patient answer: “If someone loves Me he will keep my Word, and My Father will love him and to him We will come and a lingering with him We will accomplish,” we might say.

When someone loves and trusts Jesus, they naturally will keep His Word – and then God’s kingdom comes to them, God’s royal reign enters your life, and you live under Him in His kingdom forever. The kingdom of God is not a political nation or a piece of real estate in this world. The kingdom of God is within you, when you trust God’s Word and try your best to live by it.

Jesus keeps giving us calm, joyful encouragement to focus the eyes of our hearts on Him and His Word. That’s what’s most important. That’s what works. His Word gives the best results. It ultimately gives us what we’re really longing for, what we want most of all: union with God. To be with God forever, and never have Him leave us. To have God dwell with us and be our God always, and we will be His people. That’s what we all want, isn’t it? That’s why we believe, because we have been promised that we will have life with God forever after we rise from the dead, just as Christ did.

Simon and Jude understood all this far better after Christ rose from the dead, and after Pentecost. They understood how God’s kingdom truly grows and He is glorified. It’s not by big, flashy, outward results, at least not usually; it’s by a lifetime of faithful, joyful confession of His Word and living out that Word every day – believing in His Word and keeping His commands, despite everything the world throws at you: opposition, hatred, sneers and whispers, and even the threat of a martyr’s death. Maybe even an actual martyr’s death. Simon and Jude were killed because of their faith in Christ, just like all the apostles except John, and he died in exile, far away from his home and family.

They all gladly accepted their martyr’s end because they understood it was a natural, logical consequence of speaking up for God, of preaching and teaching His Word, confessing the faith and living according to His Word in a world that hates God and can’t wait to tear down everyone who belongs to Him. They finally saw that love for Jesus and keeping His Word – not wealth, not power, not earthly glory or prestige or honor – was most important. They gave their lives as a testimony to that truth, and because they did, Jesus’ Word of promise to them at last came true: they got to see Jesus in person. He showed Himself to them fully, not holding back any of His glory, when He welcomed them into the mansions of heaven with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servants. You have confessed Me before men; now I confess you as My faithful servants before the Father and the holy angels and all the world. Have rest from your labors.”

They may have done more and endured more than we do, but the Lord may have also given them more for the work He called them to do. He’s called you to serve Him too, and the command of the Lord is the same: be faithful with what you’ve been given. Hold on to what you have until I come. Proclaim My Word in the world. Show people what it means by the way you live.

Will we be faithful as they were? How will we respond to Jesus’ Word? Will we compromise, give up, lean on our oars and coast? Or will we ask the Holy Spirit to keep us strong to the end? Will we call on Him and trust Him to teach us everything, even though the world will hate us when we try and put it into practice? God grant that we live and believe His Word, the Word that gives us His peace, so that one day we may see Him face to face, along with Simon and Jude and all the holy apostles, martyrs, and children of God. Amen.

The power of a good example

Tags

bearing the cross, being faithful, catechism, confessing the faith, ddsb, feast, Festival, holy ghost, ignatius of antioch, life and doctrine, martyrdom, persecution, simple prayer, students

Today is the feast of Ignatius of Antioch, a bishop (pastor) who was killed for his confession of the faith in the first century. Even though they’d never heard of him, I told the catechism students his story tonight, and we talked about how his whole life was oriented toward the simple prayer, “Hallowed be Thy name.” That was the whole goal of his life, of what he taught, and ultimately of his death. I also tied Ignatius’ teaching to the 4th Commandment, which some of the students also studied tonight, because if you read his letters his constant refrain is, “Do nothing without the bishop” — i.e., listen to your pastor and do as he says because he’s teaching and leading you in God’s Word. The same faith that he confessed and died for is what you students are learning now, I told them. As I related his story, I was reminded again of the power of a good example. Here is someone who did not back down from confessing Christ, even to the point of death — and he went gladly. His letters bear no trace of panic or regret or sorrow at his impending martyrdom. He simply accepts it, and rejoices, based on the promises of Christ his Lord. That’s what we’re trying to instill in you, I told the students: that you would live your whole lives in service to God and be ready to lay down your life for Him, if it comes to that. The saints who went before us are useful chiefly as good examples. They encourage us to take up our duties and face our challenges with renewed vigor and strength, and if our challenges are not equal to theirs in severity, neither is our strength equal to theirs — but we all have challenges to our faith. Each of us can be faithful in his or her own little way, in whatever corner of God’s kingdom we’re in. (God grant it.)

The collect, or prayer of the day, for his feast isn’t even really about Ignatius of Antioch, as such; it’s more about us and about God, which is fitting. It begins with a fitting reminder of our weakness in confessing & living the faith, and asks for God’s help. Ignatius is given the proper role: he is an example of what God can do in a Christian’s life, and through a Christian. The brevity and clarity of this collect is sheer poetry. Finding & using treasures like these is one of the reasons I like praying the Daily Office. Even if you have no idea who Ignatius of Antioch is, this is still a good prayer:

Have regard for our weakness, Almighty God: and since the weight of our own deeds bears us down, let the faithful example of Blessed Ignatius, Thy Bishop and Martyr, direct us to Thy mercy; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen.

– collect for the Feast of Ignatius of Antioch (DDSB p.616)

Sermon for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, 14 Oct 12

Tags

catastrophe, confession and absolution, evil thoughts, fatherless and the widow, forgiveness, God will arise, healing of a paralytic, paralysis, Psalm 12, scribes, teachers of the law, tragedy, true god

For this week’s bulletin, click here: oct 14, 2012

³ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”⁴ Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷ And the man got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

– St. Matthew 9,1-8

 

Scripture often portrays God helping the people who need help the most. Not catering to the rich, the strong, and the powerful of this world, but defending the poor and needy of the earth, protecting the weak and defenseless, caring for the fatherless and the widow – those sorts of people. For instance, Psalm 12 says this: ““Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will protect them from those who malign them.” And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.” Luther took Psalm 12 and turned it into a hymn, “O Lord, Look Down from Heaven, Behold.” It’s #205 in our hymnal.

In our Gospel for today, we see a similar situation. Jesus is compelled to speak up and prove that His Word that forgives sinners is true. God cannot allow His Word to be spoken against, not when the consolation of sinners, people’s peace of conscience, and ultimately salvation are at stake. What the teachers of the law say in our Gospel cannot go unchallenged. Today Jesus shows us Proven Authority to Forgive Sins. He uses it to comfort sinners; He proves it to be absolutely true; He gives it for use among men.

When we first hear this account, we might wonder why Jesus chooses to forgive this man’s sins before He heals him. Sure, forgiving sins is more important to Jesus, but why does He do it in this order? Part of the answer lies in Jesus’ understanding of human nature. Maybe this paralyzed man in our Gospel was born with his paralysis, or maybe it came to him later in life. Either way, he very well may have thought, “What did I do to deserve this? What have I done to make God so terribly angry with me, that He would attack me in this way? Why has the Lord’s hand come down so hard on me? Why has He now turned against me and become my enemy?” It’s a curious things, and we’d readily admit it in calmer or less stressful times, that it sounds crazy that God would single us out for punishment in that way, but when tragedy strikes us a crushing blow – when misfortune or bad luck or a crisis hits us like a thunderclap (and now we know what that sounds like, after that lightning hit the high school here in town) – when God sends something terrible like that into our lives, sometimes we’re convinced He’s out to get us.

We feel that way because our sinful flesh is keenly aware of its guilt. We know what we deserve from God, and it’s not anything good – so when something bad happens to us, or even looks like it might happen or begins to happen, right away we can think, “Why is God doing this to me?”

Jesus doesn’t want this paralytic to feel that way. He knew that this paralytic did trust in Him – why else would he bug his friends and egg them on until they brought him to Jesus? Mark and Luke tell us that this is the paralyzed man whose friends lower him on a stretcher through a hole they dug through the roof of the house Jesus is in. That shows how badly this man wanted to get near Jesus. And for all his faith, this paralytic needed reassuring. He feared that his condition was the result of God’s anger with him, so his heart struggled with itself. He wanted to trust, but he was afraid.

Jesus ends this struggle beautifully. He says, “Take heart, child – have courage – your sins are forgiven! I, the Lord who kills and brings to life, who saves and destroys, I say so – and nobody can argue with Me or change My Word! Your sins are forgiven. God is not angry with you any longer – you are His dearly loved child.”

“Take heart” – what a wonderful message to hear! You mean God isn’t angry with me? You mean I don’t have to wonder what I did to make God so terribly angry with me, or how I ran afoul of Him? You mean that there’s an end to my misery, and God doesn’t really want to destroy me? Yes, and much more! He loves you and smiles on you – He forgives your sins and promises you that this is just for a little while, and then you will be consoled and comforted – so take heart! And “child”! What a wonderful way for Jesus to address a sinner! It’s familiar and happy, full of affection. It signals a whole new era. Things are turning around!

And Jesus and the paralytic could have left it there, and both of them would have been happy: Jesus, because a sinner was no longer struggling unnecessarily under a load of guilt; and the paralytic, because he knew that God had put away His anger towards him and showed His kind and friendly face again. The paralytic knew this better than he knew his own self, because Jesus’ word made it so.

Absolution and lifting of his guilt was what this paralyzed man needed most of all, so that’s what Jesus dealt with. As you read this account, you get the impression that if it were not for the meddling, judgmental teachers of the law, Jesus wouldn’t have healed this paralytic – and the man would have been fine with that. Now He knew better the cause of his condition. It wasn’t due to his own sin, but on the contrary God loved and cared for him – and that was all he needed.

It’s only when sins are forgiven that you can have peace. Without the forgiveness of sins, no matter what else you have going for you, you have no peace for your soul or peace with God. Why do you think so many entertainers and celebrities end up addicted to various things? They work their rear ends off, sweat, struggle, and strain, scratch and claw to the top of their profession, whatever it is – and then when they’re rich and respected and everybody knows them, when they’re at the absolute pinnacle of their sport or industry and can’t get any higher, they look around and go, “Is this it? I worked so hard for this? There must be something else-” and then they get sucked into addictions because those sins they get addicted to promise something else. Their sin never ends up being the something else they crave, and sin never is for you either. Nothing replaces Christ and the forgiveness and peace He gives – not more money, more earthly possession, popularity, relaxation, or whatever it is you crave – so don’t go looking elsewhere for what only Jesus can give!

But the scribes can’t leave well enough alone. They are the correct ones; they are the guardians and arbiters of what is right and not right. Right away these overly theologically correct scribes think in their hearts, “This Man blasphemes” – He’s insulting God by falsely claiming to do what only God can do. If Jesus had been saying this based on anything other than who He was, God’s Word incarnate, they would have been right – but they didn’t know who He really is.

Their attitude is similar to that of a woman I encountered during my vicar year. Once during the Sunday service, I said the absolution – “I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” – and someone told me this later, I didn’t hear it, but she said to herself, “You can’t say that.” That woman made the very same mistake that the scribes did. She did not understand that sins are forgiven not because the pastor has some secret super power no other Christian has, or because the pastor is such a good and holy man, but because God’s Word says so, and Jesus has given that authority to men, as our text correctly points out. That’s the only reason: because God’s Word says you are forgiven, and when God’s Word says something, that’s what happens. God’s Word creates the world, it stills the storm, it turns water into wine, and yes, it even forgives sins. Whether it’s the Word incarnate, Jesus Christ, or the Word spoken by a humble parish pastor, doesn’t matter. God’s Word is always powerful to forgive sins.

To prove that His Word is true and can actually forgive sins, notice what Jesus does next: He answers the scribes’ thoughts. Even though they didn’t speak out loud, He replies to them just as if they’d spoken out loud. Now that must have been an “uh-oh” moment for those teachers of the law. If there ever was proof given them that Jesus was true God, it was this. They are not dealing with any ordinary man here. This Man is God, and yet they don’t pull back from opposing Him, which is kind of incredible.

Now God rises up to protect His people and defend the truth of His Word. He won’t stop short now, not when they’re prepared to cast doubt on His ability to forgive sins. That is the one thing Jesus will not abide: denying forgiveness to those who repent. He has to speak—and when He does, it’s a doozy. He asks, “Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Get up and walk’?” His question puts the scribes on the spot. Of course it’s easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” because no one can see sins. But Jesus doesn’t want anybody – not His friends, not His enemies, not anybody – to doubt that what He says is true, that sins are forgiven when He declares them to be – so He poses this question.

Then while they’re wondering how they’ll answer yet another one of Jesus’ unanswerable questions, He declares, “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Jesus doesn’t finish the sentence like we’d expect. Instead, He turns to the paralytic and says, “Get up, take your mat, and go home” – and he does. That paralyzed man walks out of that house carrying the stretcher he used to lie on all day. If you’ve ever wondered if the absolution that the pastor pronounces at the beginning of the service is any good, or if God’s Word really does forgive sins, or if humans even have any business saying that sins are forgiven, picture a man who had been paralyzed walking out of a crowded house carrying a stretcher. That should tell you everything you need to know.

Jesus wants so strongly for us to believe that what His Word says is true when He forgives our sins that He calls what the scribes were thinking “evil.” That’s a strong word, but it’s not out of place, because if you say that God’s Word doesn’t forgive sins when it does, you’re calling God a liar – and He cannot lie.

Incidentally, this text also explains why we don’t try and heal paralyzed people, or others with health problems, as part of our worship services – Jesus has not given me that authority. If I did announce that I wanted to try that, someone might very well wonder, “What if they don’t stand up? What if it doesn’t work?” And you’d be right to ask that. Jesus has not given that authority to men. But He has given the authority to forgive sins, and that’s the work that He wants me and all pastors and all Christians to be occupied with. That’s the business He wants me to be about, because that’s His will and He has given that authority to all Christians, and especially to called and ordained pastors, for the good of His people. That’s why we have baptism, and absolution, and the Lord’s Supper, and the Word itself: to give us the forgiveness of sins. So be ready to exercise that Lord-given authority with others. Be ready to absolve others if they’re repentant and ask for it. Put all your trust in the word of absolution that the pastor speaks, because it’s really Jesus’ Word and will. Let us not doubt, but rather firmly believe that this is true, because Jesus has proven that it is. Your forgiveness depends on it. Amen.