Happy Reformation Sunday, celebrating the re-forming, re-newing work of the Holy Spirit in the church in every generation. Lutefisk, lutefisk, lefse, lefse: We’re the mighty Lutherans—Yah, shore, you betcha!
We are also in week six of our series focusing on Emotionally Healthy Relationships—EHR for short—as Faith leans into our congregation’s vision and dream to grow “closer to and more like Jesus.” Emotionally Healthy Relationships is an eight-week preaching, devotional, and small group series based on the work of Pete and Geri Scazzero. This week’s lesson has to do with “Climbing the Ladder of Integrity.” You can learn more about Faith and about Emotionally Healthy Relationships at our website, www.faithshelton.org. Thanks for listening today.
I’ve grown up in the Lutheran tradition. I’ve had the privilege to read a chunk of Luther’s writings and quite a bit about his life. He’s no saint. He wasn’t perfect, and was, in many ways, maybe just at the right place at the right time in history to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit to lead a re-formation of a Christian church that had gotten off track.
There are countless stories about Luther, his life, what he accomplished, what he wrote and taught. Today I want to share four details about Martin Luther that are meaningful to me, and why they matter. Three are a matter of public record, and the fourth is just a good story that sounds true. But we’ve got to start where Luther would: with the Word of God. Grab your Bible and open it up to Romans 3:21-28.
Romans 3:21-28
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
John 8:31-36
And now a short reading from the gospel of John, chapter 8, beginning at verse 31:
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. The gospel of the Lord.
Support the show
Here I Stand (EHR 6)
Introduction
Hello, and welcome to the Will Preach for Food podcast. I’m Doug, a pastor here at Faith Lutheran Church, based out of Shelton, Washington, a congregation of the ELCA. Happy Reformation Sunday, celebrating the re-forming, re-newing work of the Holy Spirit in the church in every generation. Lutefisk, lutefisk, lefse, lefse: We’re the mighty Lutherans—Yah, shore, you betcha!
We are also in week six of our series focusing on Emotionally Healthy Relationships—EHR for short—as Faith leans into our congregation’s vision and dream to grow “closer to and more like Jesus.” Emotionally Healthy Relationships is an eight-week preaching, devotional, and small group series based on the work of Pete and Geri Scazzero. This week’s lesson has to do with “Climbing the Ladder of Integrity.” You can learn more about Faith and about Emotionally Healthy Relationships at our website, www.faithshelton.org. Thanks for listening today.
I’ve grown up in the Lutheran tradition. I’ve had the privilege to read a chunk of Luther’s writings and quite a bit about his life. He’s no saint. He wasn’t perfect, and was, in many ways, maybe just at the right place at the right time in history to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit to lead a re-formation of a Christian church that had gotten off track.
There are countless stories about Luther, his life, what he accomplished, what he wrote and taught. Today I want to share four details about Martin Luther that are meaningful to me, and why they matter. Three are a matter of public record, and the fourth is just a good story that sounds true. But we’ve got to start where Luther would: with the Word of God. Grab your Bible and open it up to Romans 3:21-28.
Romans 3:21-28
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
John 8:31-36
And now a short reading from the gospel of John, chapter 8, beginning at verse 31:
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. The gospel of the Lord.
#1: A Diet of Worms
Martin Luther, the 16th century German priest, professor, and reformer, really is a remarkable historical figure. He is a central figure in what is known in Western Civilization classes as the Protestant Reformation. As a professor of Old Testament studies at Wittenberg University, on October 31, 1517, Professor Luther posted on the Instagram of his day a list of 95 topics he thought warranted some rigorous public debate. Some of it was theological-- the Pope was overreaching his authority by declaring himself the inerrant and infallible interpreter of the Bible. Some of it was political and economic—he saw corruption and an unhealthy mix of church and state. And then there were those indulgences—a shady, fear-based fund-raising technique that Luther found abhorrent and immoral.
Thanks in part to Guttenberg’s new-fangled printing press gadget, these debate topics went viral, and over the next few years, everyone was talking about Luther’s critiques of the church. And so, it came to pass, in the spring of 1521—this is 500 years ago—Luther was subpoena-ed by the powers that be to answer for his accusations against the pope and the Holy Roman Empire. The public trial was known as a Diet, and it assembled in a town called Worms, leading to one of my favorite historical inside jokes: the pivotal role that the Diet of Worms played in the Protestant Reformation!
Luther shows up and is told to publicly recant his writings and submit to the authority of the pope. Luther refuses to back down. He states that it is a matter of conscience that, unless his writings can be refuted on the basis of scripture or plain reason, well, he says: “I cannot recant. Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me!”
Luther is declared a heretic and kicked out of the Roman Catholic church. But his theological insights, his appeal to the authority of the Word alone, and his willingness to stand up to both the Pope and the Emperor all resonated with the people. Luther becomes the focal point of a reforming movement of the church. And presto: Lutherans!
Here we stand: grounded in scripture; conscience-bound and committed to honest debate; suspicious of claims of inerrancy and infallibility; opposed to Christian nationalism and to corrupt and exploitative institutions. Lutherans have been questioning authority since 1517!
#2: God’s Word is our Great Heritage
Not long after the Diet of Worms, Luther’s friends learned of a plot by the Christian nationalists to kidnap and imprison Luther. So Luther’s allies kidnapped him first—and hid him away in at the Wartburg Castle—for two years! He took on a new identity as Knight George (you can’t make this stuff up!). While in hiding, Luther worked on the first translation of the New Testament into common German. If the first legacy of Luther is taking a stand, the second legacy is giving people direct access to the Word of God. There’s no such thing as an inerrant or infallible interpretation of the Bible. The Bible is the inspired, living word of God. The Bible is, in a sense, the manger in which the living Word, Jesus Christ, is held and revealed.
To this day, Lutherans reject claims by popes and TV preachers who claim an exclusive, inerrant interpretation of the Bible. Lutherans read the Bible for ourselves, and believe that the Bible is what the Bible says it is:
The Bible is the Inspired Word of God, Paul teaches us, God-breathed, he says in 2 Timothy 3, “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” The Bible, Paul says, “thoroughly equips us for every good work.”
The Bible is the Living Word of God. “God’s word is living and active,” this is how the Bible describes itself in Hebrews 4. After all, Jesus is the living Word of God, the Way, the Truth, the Life; the “Truth” that sets us free. God’s word is not a mere proposition or doctrine or rule book. The “Truth” that sets us free is none other than Jesus himself, the Son of God. Not information about Jesus, not faith in Jesus. Jesus himself IS the Truth that sets us free…
And the Word of God is both Law and Gospel. The Word is Law--it judges US! God’s word is living and active, and then it goes on to say that the Word is “sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
The Word is a Law. It reads US, recognizes my motives, my heart, my BS. Exposes all of it, lays us bare. I can’t hide anything from the Word of God. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and make God out to be a liar. The word keeps us honest.
And the Word is Gospel, proclaiming the grace and faithfulness of Christ Jesus who has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. Romans 3 is bedrock scripture for under-standing of our faith, our identity in Christ, who and whose we are. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by God grace.” We have been redeemed, set free, liberated by the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, through his victory over sin, death and the Devil. “If the Son sets you free,” we read in John 8, “you are free indeed.” This IS the gospel of the Lord. Thanks BE to God.
#3: Just Say Nein
There’s another story or legend about Luther that I find to be at the heart of why I am a Lutheran Christian. The story goes that one night in the Wartburg Castle, Luther is in his study beginning his work on the Bible translation, when he becomes vexed by a malicious spirit. He sees the devil standing there in his room, taunting him, belittling him and his work. Luther, says the devil, I know what a wicked soul you really are. Who are you to imagine that anything you say or write is worthy of the God you say you love. Why should God love you?
By all accounts, including his own, Luther battled with depression, anxiety, and spiritual attacks most all his life. This night was an especially vicious attack, and Luther was nearly undone. Finally, he picks up his inkwell and hurls it at the wall where he sees the devil mocking him. “NEIN!” he shouts. NO. I belong to Christ! I belong to Christ.
Depression, despair, and spiritual warfare—these are real things. The devil is a liar and an accuser. Luther’s ink well is a reminder and encouragement for me that life is a battle. That there are voices and forces in the world that seek to undo us, to discourage us, to make us question the faithfulness and grace of God. Sometimes you just have to throw an inkwell at the wall, turn of the news, and stand on the promise of Baptism, on the love and goodness of God. I am a child of God. Here I stand!
#4: The Small Catechism
Eventually, Luther is allowed to resume a more public life. In the late 1520s he takes on the role of preacher and priest across the German countryside. But after centuries of a sort of unholy division of labor—priests take care of religious stuff, while peasants pay money and keep their heads down—Luther was convinced that the place where the faith should be taught and learned is not in the monastery, but rather in the home. Parents should be the primary teachers of the faith to their children. So he teamed up again with those printing press guys, and created these posters for families to place over their dining room tables that taught the basics of the faith: The Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, as well as instruction regarding Baptism, Communion, Confession, and some daily prayers for mealtime and going to bed at night.
We call this the Small Catechism, and it is still one of the most useful tools I know of for teaching the basics of the faith. It also informs my conviction—and the longstanding practice of the Lutheran tradition—that parents are best equipped to teach faith to their children. In fact, all parents DO teach faith. The only question is what faith you are teaching them.
Conclusion
I guess I didn’t really get to much about Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, except to say that Luther exemplifies several marks of personal integrity.
He is conscience-bound. He stands up to those in power. He stands on the Word of God. He fights his demons. He is confident in the power of God, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the God-given ability for parents to instruct their children in the Christian faith. And more than anything, his hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ love and righteousness.
As Lutherans today, I think we can learn from his legacy. Let us continue to lift up the Living Word of God. More than that, let us make our home in God’s word, becoming so familiar with the sound of God’s voice in the pages of the Bible and in the teachings of Christ Jesus, that we can discern his commands and dispute the accusations of the evil one. Let’s say NEIN, NO to malicious speech and lying tongues. For the love of God, turn off the Fox and the Peacock. Neither is your friend. Neither is God’s voice. And when a political ad comes up during the Seahawks game, don’t throw an inkwell—just hit the mute button and yell “NEIN!” That stuff has no place in our homes.
Lutefisk, lutefisk, lefse, lefse!
We’re the mighty Lutherans: yah, shore—you betcha!
Thanks for listening, folks. EHR resources, small group schedules and sign-ups are at Faith and at our website, www.faithshelton.org. Keep listening to this podcast for more in this Emotionally Healthy Relationships series. It is available on most podcast platforms, including Spotify, Apple, and Google. Preview the EHR videos on our YouTube channel. While you are there, like us, subscribe, donate, or sign-up for our newsletter. Thank you, Chas and Nadia, for your production and tech support for this podcast.
All glory…