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Quinquagesima: How God Sees

2/27/2017

Luke 18:31-43

"I'll believe it when I see it." That's the common refrain to outlandish claims. It's also the common response to the Word of God. Jesus doesn't use complicated language or big words. He speaks plainly, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." There wasn't cotton in the disciples' ears. Yet they couldn't understand what Jesus was talking about.
Later they would. After Jesus' resurrection they recalled what Jesus said and understood that he fulfilled Scripture by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Yet it was only after seeing that they believed. After his resurrection Jesus said to Thomas's unbelief, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)
But to believe without seeing is a tall order. How am I supposed to believe something without seeing it to be so? Well, we believe all sorts of things we don't see, but only if we find them reasonable. So we believe what we were taught in science class about atoms and cells and the layers of the earth even though we haven't seen these things with our own eyes. But when something seems far fetched, we say, "I'll believe it when I see it."
The disciples didn't believe Jesus, not simply, because they hadn't seen it, but because it was foolishness to them. Why should the man, who performed such great miracles let himself die in such a humiliating way? It makes no sense. So they wouldn't believe it. St. Paul writes, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
And so we are given a lesson on faith. Faith does not believe that which is reasonable. Faith doesn't depend on what it sees. Faith trusts the Word of God. And this faith is unnatural. It can only be received by the Holy Spirit through hearing the Word of God.
If the disciples would have closed their eyes to their paltry wisdom and listened to God's Word, they would have believed what Jesus said to them, "everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished." If they had faith they would accept that "the Lord sees not as man sees." God saw it fit that Jesus would suffer and die for all sins.
God is love. Love does not rejoice in wrong doing. So when mankind fell into sin, God hated sin. He could not simply accept it as something good. That would be to change his very nature. Yet out of love, God would not damn his entire creation. So he made the promise that the seed from the woman would crush the head of the serpent, yet his own heel would be bruised. This seed of the woman is Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. And throughout Scripture the prophets proclaimed that he would die for the sins of the world and rise from the dead.
It was necessary for Jesus to be delivered over to the Gentiles, to be mocked and shamefully treated, spit upon, flogged and killed. Jesus had to die. And he knew it. What is probably the strangest thing about Jesus' proclamation of his own death and resurrection is how matter of fact he is about it. He isn't concerned that it might happen. He doesn't dread it as a fearful probability. He declares it as the gospel truth. Jesus doesn't scurry away from what he was sent to do. He came to earth to die for sins. It is like that great Lenten hymn we will be singing in the next few weeks:
A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth, The guilt of sinners bearing
And, laden with the sins of earth, None else the burden sharing;
Goes patient on, grows weak and faint, to slaughter lead with out complaint,
That spotless life to offer,
He bears the stripes, the wounds, the lies, The mockery, and yet replies,
"All this I gladly suffer." (Paul Gerhardt, LSB 438).
Jesus willingly goes to the cross to die. He gladly fulfills what God spoke through the prophets, "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned- every one- to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6)
Jesus did not insist on his own way, but he did the will of his Father. His death was not an accident, but the definite plan of the Holy Trinity from before the earth's creation. There were many times the Jews tried to murder Jesus, but he passed through the midst of them. Even when he was arrested in the garden he caused the crowd of armed thugs to fall to the ground with a word. Yet at the proper time Jesus surrendered himself willingly to suffering and death, out of love for his Father and for you, me, and all sinners.
When Jesus went to the cross to die and subsequently rose from the dead, he accomplished everything written about the Son of Man in Scripture. All Scripture speaks of Jesus and his work to save sinners. If you do not know of Jesus' cross, his suffering and death and his resurrection, then you do not know the Scriptures, regardless if you've read them. The whole purpose of Scripture is to point us to this event, where Jesus saved sinners from their sins.
The Scriptures tell us how God sees it. God sees that our sins justly damn us to hell and the only chance we've got is for Jesus Christ, true God and true man to suffer and die in our place. Scripture tells us this clearly. If Jesus does not die for us, then we are not saved. Yet, one does not understand this by his natural senses. You won't see how God sees with your natural eyes or your natural wisdom or reasoning. Rather, you see how God sees through faith. Faith does not get its knowledge from the worldly experience, but from the Word of God. Faith accepts what God's Word says, even if it contradicts what your own eyes and reason tell you. And faith trusts that God will do for you according to his Word.
Faith clings to Jesus' death and resurrection, because Scripture clearly tells us that it is only through Jesus' death that our sins are atoned for and only through his resurrection that we are given the assurance of forgiveness and eternal life. If your faith does not cling to Jesus' death and resurrection then your faith is false. Everything a Christian believes must center on Christ's death and resurrection. Your Baptism joins you to Christ's death and resurrection. You are forgiven for the sake of Christ's suffering and death. The Lord's Supper is the very fruit of the cross, given and shed for you. If Christ's passion and resurrection on the third day is not central to your faith, then all other parts of your faith will fall apart.
And so, in this Scripture lesson Jesus' twelve disciples are not great examples of the faith for us. We must not be like them, or we will doubt the very essence of our faith. Instead we should be like the blind man. This man can't even see, a sign to us that our natural senses do not produce true faith. Yet, he hears that Jesus is coming. He's heard of Jesus, his miracles and teachings and he concludes that this is the Christ promised in Scripture. Therefore he calls him, "Son of David!," the title of the Christ.
The blind man believes Jesus to be he whom Scripture promised. And with his faith he cries out for help. He begs and he does not let rebukes silence him. He cries to his Lord for help until his answer is given. When Jesus asks him what he desires, he tells him he wants his sight back, confident that Jesus can give it to him. And when Jesus speaks, "Recover your sight," the man believes it. And through faith he recovers his sight.
And so this blind man, much better than the twelve disciples, teaches us about faith. Faith focuses on the promise of God's Word and does not let the abuse of the world or the failure of natural senses deter it.
If we followed the example of the disciples in this lesson, we would not believe. We would doubt Christ's death and resurrection, because we have not seen it nor does our natural reason encourage us to accept it. Although we've been promise the resurrection of the dead with new bodies invulnerable to suffering, sickness, and death, our natural eyes tell us this is impossible. We see our loved ones pass from this life and we cannot tell where they have gone by our natural senses. We don't hear the angels sing and laugh with joy as we repent and as we hear the pastor forgive us for Christ's sake. The water still looks like plain water regardless of the word and so does the bread and wine look ordinary. If we look with the eyes of the disciples from this text this is where we would be left, without faith. Without hope. Without the love of God.
Yet following the example of this blind man, we crucify our reason, yes, even our eyes and we believe what we have heard from God's Word. We believe the promise God has given for the sake of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection. And through faith we see as God sees. How God sees is really what matters.  God sees that Jesus walked the road to Jerusalem, that he let himself be delivered over to the Gentiles to be mocked, spit upon, flogged, and killed. God sees that the blood of Jesus washed your sins away like a roaring river and silenced all accusations against you. God sees Jesus, with nail printed hands and feet, seated on his victorious throne declaring you innocent of all your sins. God sees you, his little lamb, washed clean, forgiven and loved, prepared by Christ to enter the kingdom of heaven. That is how God sees it. And only through faith focused on God's Word can you see this too. Amen.

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Sexagesima: The Word of God Bears Fruit

2/20/2017

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Luke 8:4-15

The Word of God is not like any other word. It relays a message, true. It tells of the good news that Jesus died on the cross for all sinners and freely forgives all, who put their trust in him. Yet even more than a simple message, even a good one, the Word of God is powerful. It has the power to penetrate the stone hard heart of the unbeliever and create a burning faith. Our Lord spoke through Isaiah, "So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

The Word of God has power to save, yet not everyone who hears God's word has faith and is saved. This is not the fault of God's Word nor is it a weakness of God. The only one to blame for the rejection of God's Word and faith is the one, who rejects it. You can't blame anyone else for your unbelief, let alone God! Neither is God's word proved weak when it is rejected. Even in the unbeliever it works, but not for salvation. Our Savior Jesus says, "The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day." (John 12:48)

Many hear the Word of God, which has power to save. Yet not everyone who hears it is saved. Jesus tells a parable, which divides those who hear God's Word into four groups.

The first group is where the seed is scattered on the path. It gets trampled underfoot and the birds of the air devour it. Jesus says these are the ones, who hear the word of God, but the devil snatches the word from their hearts, so that they do not believe and are not saved. The devil snatches the word from your heart by lying to you. He says, "Did God really say?" And so we even have many churches and pastors, who question God's Word. They pick at it and choose what they want and don't want to believe. They trample God's word under their feet and rule over it as if it were their disposable property. And so many are led astray, taught even from pulpits to question and doubt God's Word. And yet even in such dangerous spiritual environments, God's Word is still powerful enough to break through and create faith. There are even some who belong to heterodox congregations, which question God's Word, but when they hear God's Word they believe it by power of the Holy Spirit.

Yet even in faithful parishes, the devil takes a seat in the pew. He pecks at your ear, "Did God really say? Do I need to believe that?" He makes you think that the Word of God is any other word, for you to judge according to your own wisdom. In this way, many hear the Word of God, but they aren't transformed by it. Their faith isn't formed by what God promises nor is their life guided by God's council. They take and leave what they want like at a restaurant buffet.

Of course Satan can also simply make you not listen. You hear, yes, but the Scripture lessons and sermon are but white noise, like the humming of a boiler or the whirling of a fan. You can sit and hear it, yet not grasp a single word. So pay attention! Listen to God's Word! Don't let Satan take it from your heart.

Then there is the seed that falls on the rocks. These people hear the Word of God and receive it with joy! They actually believe that Jesus is their Savior, that their sins are forgiven and they have new life promised for them. Yet their faith has no roots. When testing comes, they soon fall away. Their faith is shallow, superficial, just skin deep. They are concerned about frivolous things instead of the deep mysteries of God. They value their flesh, which will die and decay more than the promise of eternal life with Christ. So, when persecution comes, they give in. And not even the great persecutions of the early Church or what is still being practiced on the far parts of the globe. There are accounts in history of churches being lit on fire, when the church was full of worshiping Christians, who refused to sacrifice to a false god. Christians have been crucified, fed to animals, and even today they are beheaded for their faith in Christ. Many escaped such attacks on the body, yet they did it in exchange for their soul.

But many don't even need such attacks to fall away. Their soil is much shallower than that. Some fear ridicule by their friends, they don't want to seem too religious. Or sometimes God's Word says something they don't want to hear. They're fine saying that they are sinners, but when God's Word addresses their personal sin, that's just too much. Sickness and financial ruin, which should drive them closer to God's word push them away. Even the sin of other Christians shakes their faith until they are uprooted. A healthy plant would be able to endure the noonday heat, but these have nor moisture to endure.

Next is the seed that fell and its roots went down deep, but it grew among the thorns. These are they who hear the Word of God and believe for a while, but the riches and pleasures of this life choke the word and their faith doesn't mature.

I've always marveled how Jesus looks St. Peter in the face and says, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny me three times." (Luke 22:34) And although Peter would deny it, promising to die before he would deny Christ, still he looks at his denial through the rear view mirror when the rooster wakes him from his unbelief. How can Peter hear the clear warning from Christ and set his mind against denying Christ, yet, still deny him just a few short hours later? Well, look at us? Look at yourself. Jesus looks you in the eye and says, "The cares and pleasures of this life will choke the word out of your life." And do you still permit the thorns to grow? How many hear this warning so often from the pulpit and read it from the Bible, hear it from their Christian loved ones, yet still let these earthborne cares steal the word from their heart?

And it isn't even just the sinful pleasures of this life, like drunkenness and fornication, which choke the word, so that their faith dies. Work has become the great excuse for not coming to church and hearing God's word, you'd think only the unemployed would have faith! Sports, that are meant to teach children discipline and let them have fun to release the stress of school become thorns to choke out even the little children. There is no time for prayer or God's Word or worship. And there are many other cares and pleasures in this life, money, vacation, friends, family, marriage, and the list goes on. Many of these are gifts from God, yet they become objects of worship. And so they choke out faith so that it doesn't mature.

It doesn't mature, so it dies. If faith doesn't mature, if it doesn't grow, it will shrivel and die. And so the Christian must constantly hold on to the Word of God. You are not saved, because you once confessed Christ, because you once repented of your sins, because you once held fast to Jesus' forgiveness. You are saved when you endure in this faith until your end. And so you must hold fast to this word until your end.

This brings us to the last group: the seed that fell on good soil. These are they who hear the Word of God and hold fast to it with an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience. Like the Virigin Mary, these Christians cherish God's Word and ponder it in their hearts. These Christians are fruitful. This means their faith has matured. They actively repent, because they are honest with themselves and let the Word of God rule them. They practice love, forgiving those who sin against them and looking to help their neighbor. They grow to maturity in their faith. Yet they do this with patience.

They endure the cross. They endure the scorching heat, the high winds, the drenching rains and the droughts. They forsake the pleasures of this life and endure persecution and they frequently tell the devil to shut his trap. As good soil must be broken up and hoed, so these Christians let the Word of God work on them, breaking them up, so that they turn from their sins. God's Word works in them to form them into little christs. And so the Word of God must work in each of us.

Our Lord Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24) And so he spoke of his own passion and death and burial in the tomb. Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. He was sown into the ground as a dead man. Yet, he rose from the dead to bear much fruit. You are that fruit. The power of God's Word is the Gospel that Jesus died for the sins of all people. The reason God's Word does not return empty is because Christ accomplished what he was sent into the world to do. He became like you with flesh and blood, trials and tribulations. He did not sin, but took your sin from you to make it his own. And Jesus took your sins to the grave, burying them in the ground forever. This is the power of your salvation. This is why the seed sown in you today has the strength to bolster your faith, to bind you where you are broken, and to give you the patience needed to continue in this faith.

All Scripture is about Jesus. Hold fast to Jesus with a good and honest heart. Put your sins on him. Trust in him. Learn more about him. Receive his body and his blood for you. Jesus is your salvation. When Jesus says, "He who has ears to hear let him hear," he is telling you to listen to what Jesus has done for you and continues to do for you. This parable is about Jesus. Cherish Jesus and he will strengthen you in this faith to life everlasting.

Amen.

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Septuagesima: God Doesn't Pay Us What We Deserve

2/20/2017

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Matthew 20:1-16

In our collect this morning we prayed, "O Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your people that we, who justly suffer the consequence of our sin, may be mercifully delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen." This prayer, which summarizes the message of our Gospel Lesson, is very similar to Luther's explanation to the Fifth Petition of the Lord's Prayer.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. What does this mean? We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment.
In both of these prayers we ask that God would not give us what we deserve. We deserve nothing but punishment. We deserve the suffering we receive in this life. We don't ask for that. Instead, we ask that God would forgive us and give us all we need by grace, as a gift.
The owner of the vineyard didn't pay his workers what they deserved. He didn't cheat them either. He agreed on a days wage for those who worked twelve hours. But he paid the same wage to those, who worked one hour. Jesus isn't teaching us here how to run a business. He's teaching us what the kingdom of heaven is like. God doesn't pay us according to what we deserve. He gives to us by grace.
None of us earns a reward from God. Even if we did do everything commanded of God, mainly love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and mind and love our neighbor as ourselves, we could only say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty." (Luke 17:10) But we don't even do our duty, do we? So we can't even expect nothing for our payment. "The wages of sin is death," (Romans 6:23) and so we pray, "Do not pay us as we deserve."
Yet, like the owner of the vineyard, God pays us by grace. Grace does not depend on works. Rather, grace excludes works. St. Paul writes, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace." (Romans 11:6) So it didn't matter how many hours the laborers worked, they received by grace. And so when it comes to your eternal salvation your works don't matter either. You are saved by grace.
But the workers who labored for twelve days in the hot sun weren't satisfied with grace. They didn't want a gift, they wanted their earned pay. The Apostle writes, "Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but trusts in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. The first workers were bitter, because they thought they should receive more than the others, who did not work. They trusted in their works. To those who came later, however, they trusted in the words of the master, "Whatever is right I will give you." The master gave to them what was right, not according to their works, but according to his mercy.
Grace is the great equalizer. It makes the last first and the first last. It doesn't matter how great you think you are, even if your works impress all people and you become the next Mother Teresa or are numbered among the saints of the Bible, God will bring you low and you will be last of all. Yet even if you find yourself burdened by your sins, certain that you deserve hell and to be numbered with Judas and Jezebel, God will exalt you. Those who are great in their own eyes will be humbled. Those who are lowly and claim nothing by their own works are exalted.
Those who trust in their works hate grace. It offends them. Why should those who do no work be paid the same as those who don't. It doesn't work that way in the real world. Indeed it cannot. If everyone received the same whether they worked or not, no one would do his fair share. Many would starve. Likewise, everyone can't be equal in this life. There have to be parents with authority over children and teachers over students, employers over employees, etc. But the kingdom of heaven works differently. In the kingdom of heaven all are equal. Those who would trust in their own works forget that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We all must be saved by grace. We are equally condemned by our sins. So we must be equally saved.
There is inequality in our world, but when we enter God's kingdom of grace all are equal. The son of a king and the child of a hobo is washed in the same waters of Baptism. A boss and his employee hear the same Gospel of the forgiveness of sins. We all receive the same body and blood of our Lord, whether we are rich or poor, whether our sins are great or small. Whether we are a pastor, hearer, father, mother, son, or daughter, Christ exalts us all.
St. Paul writes in Galatians chapter three, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," not because Jesus intends to set up an egalitarian utopia here on earth. Rather, because there is, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all." (Ephesians 4:5-6) We are equal, because we receive the same Christ.
If you want to trust in your works, God will pay you your wages. He'll give to you what you've agreed upon. And you'll pay the price for every sin you've committed. But if you want to trust not in your works, but in God's grace, you will receive much more than you possibly could claim from your works. Because by grace you receive Jesus.
Grace doesn't focus on works. The vineyard owner wasn't interested in how many hours his laborers worked. And so neither should they have been and neither should you be. You should be interested in Christ. Grace focuses us on Jesus. It doesn't matter how grievous your sins are, if you are Sodom and Gomorrah, the worst traitor, cheat, adulterer or murderer, God forgives all your sins for the sake of Jesus' suffering and death. Jesus becomes the focus of the one convinced that his works have failed him.
Now this teaching of grace is thought to be dangerous. If it doesn't matter how much you work, then why work? Why not keep on sinning so that grace may abound? (Romans 3:8; 6:1) Of course the one who reasons this way displays where his heart truly is. But in fact, grace frees us to do good works. Those who trust in their works box as one beating the air. They strive for a prize, but for a perishable one. But those who trust in God's grace have a prize secured for them by the blood of Christ. They are free to work and train for godliness without fear of losing the prize. It is as if they worked just the last hour of the day after the sun's scorching rays abated. In the cool of the day they work with pleasure.
Christ Jesus must be the focus of everyone who hopes to be saved, because only Christ gives eternal life by grace. Only his blood washes away even the worst sins. Only Jesus has the ability to not pay you what you deserve, but to give to you out of his own generosity.
Today is the third Sunday before Lent. During Lent we examine ourselves according to God's Law and put a special emphasis on repentance and prayer. It is of the utmost importance that during Lent we focus on Jesus. He came to earth to suffer what he didn't deserve, the punishment for each of our sins. And so as we examine ourselves according to the Ten Commandments and recognize what we justly deserve for our sins, we must always look to Jesus. He was paid the wage for each and every one of your sins. It is because of him that whatever burdens your conscience, whatever makes you feel worst among the Christians, has been paid for. Jesus took what you deserved to give you what you don't deserve by grace. As we approach Lent let us always focus on this grace.
Amen.

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Transfiguration Sunday: Scripture is Trustworthy

2/6/2017

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Matthew 17:1-9
2 Peter 1:16-21

Is St. Peter a liar? Can we trust him? The Apostle writes, "For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,' we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain."
Peter was there upon the mountain. He saw with his eyes the majesty of Jesus' transfiguration. He heard with his own ears the voice of the Father. ...Unless Peter is lying. The first readers of Peter's letter were much like us. They never met Jesus in person. They didn't see him do miracles or die on the cross or rise from the dead or ascend into heaven. And it is quite possible that (for many of them) the people who first shared the Gospel of Jesus with them hadn't either. So Peter here says to them, "We do not follow myths. I'm an eyewitness. I was there. I heard God speak with my own ears! If you're going to doubt that Jesus is Lord you can't blame the naiveté of your pastor, you have to call me a liar."
And this is what Jesus' transfiguration proves. Jesus is Lord. St. Matthew records that Jesus' skin shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. His divinity shone through his humanity. And there stood Moses and Elijah. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. Elijah was among the greatest prophets of the Old Testament and encapsulates what a good preacher should be. He speaks God's Word.
Moses and Elijah stand with Jesus to testify that Jesus fulfills the words written and spoken by them. Jesus fulfills the writings of Moses. He is the Passover Lamb, which causes death to pass over us. Jesus is the bronze snake lifted up on a pole, which healed all who looked at it. Jesus is foretold in every bull and goat sacrificed by the command of Moses. God spoke through Moses, "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him." (Deuteronomy 18:18) And Moses stands next to Jesus as a testimony that Christ fulfills this ancient prophecy.
Jesus fulfills not only what Elijah proclaimed, but what every prophet preached of Jesus. Elijah stands before Christ to confess him to be the fulfillment of all prophecy. He is the virgin born Immanuel and suffering servant of Isaiah. He is the pierced one prophesied by Zechariah. All writings of the Old Testament point to Christ Jesus. And Jesus, aglow with divine glory testifies to the truth of the Old Testament. All of it is true, because it testifies of Jesus and Jesus is true.
And if this is not a sure enough testimony a bright cloud overshadows them and God the Father Himself speaks, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
This command from God is directed not only to Peter, James, and John, the three disciples who followed Jesus up the mountain. God commands you and me to listen to Jesus. Well, how are we supposed to do that? Jesus is in heaven. We listen to Jesus by listening to his Word from the holy Scriptures. St. Peter writes that the transfiguration of Jesus makes the prophetic word more sure. When we listen to Scripture, we listen to Jesus.
The holy Scriptures, the Bible is the Word of God. It has no errors. The Bible was written by men. Yet these men did not write their own opinions. St. Peter writes, "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." St. Peter teaches us that the Bible is not any other book. It is God's book. The Holy Spirit caused it to be written, so we can know our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
During the nineteenth century biblical scholarship was hijacked by a discipline known as "higher criticism." The goal of higher criticism was to treat the Bible as any other book, meaning they would critique its writings and its authors as they would any book in history. However, the Bible became more scrutinized than any book in the history of the world. Everything about it was questioned from its authors to when and where the books were written. Biblical critics claimed nearly all the books of the New Testament were written generations after the Apostles died, making them far from eyewitness accounts. Of course all miracles and supernatural happenings in Scripture were dismissed as myths.
Rudolf Bultmann is known as one of the greatest Lutheran theologians of the twentieth century. He taught future Lutheran pastors theology at the University of Marburg, Germany. And although I'm sure most of you have never heard of him, you've probably heard his teaching. Bultmann was one of the most influential teachers in the so-called Protestant Church. Now don't get misled by the words "greatest Lutheran theologian" or "influential teacher." Bultmann was about the most destructive false teacher in modern Christianity. He took upon himself to "demythologize" the New Testament. He believed that modern people could not accept the "mythology" of the New Testament, so he had to separate the myths from history. Bultmann wrote in his essay, "New Testament & Mythology, "Can Christian proclamation today expect men and women to acknowledge the mythical world picture as true? To do so would be both pointless and impossible."1 Bultmann thought that the New Testament displayed a mythical world picture, "which is simply the world picture of a time now past that was not yet formed by scientific thinking."2 Therefore Bultmann exclaimed, "We cannot use electric lights and radios and, in the event of illness, avail ourselves of modern medical and clinical means and at the same time believe in the spirit and wonder world of the New Testament."3
Bultmann's attempts to separate myths from the actual history of the New Testament leaves us with giant holes in the Bible. It is then up to the interpreter of the Bible to determine what to believe. So miracles like turning water into wine and feeding thousands with just a few loaves and a couple fish, raising a young girl from the dead, and healing the sick, these all get pushed into the category of myth. Yet such criticisms of Scripture doesn't end at doubting a few miracles. The so called "greatest Lutheran theologian" of the 20th century denied the historical resurrection of Christ itself. Bultmann writes, "But what about the resurrection of Christ? Is it not an utterly mythical event? In any case, it is not a historical event that is to be understood in its significance." And yet, St. Paul writes by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:17)
Now Bultmann and such teachers like him caused great damage to the Lutheran Church in Germany as congregations continued to receive new young pastors, who actually didn't believe the Bible to be the Word of God. But the Atlantic Ocean didn't protect our continent from such false teaching. John Reumann, who was one of the great teachers of the largest Lutheran church body in America wrote in his book on the Lord's Supper, "Perhaps the most profound impact from biblical studies is the realization that we cannot today with surety ascertain what Jesus did, said, or intended, historically..." He further writes concerning the institution of the Lord's Supper on the night Jesus was betrayed, "scholars are more and more certain that we do not know exactly what Jesus said that night."4 According to Reumann we cannot be certain of what Jesus said or did, but we certainly can be uncertain.
Such uncertainty toward the Bible and what Jesus said and intended leaves it up to people to interpret what God wants us to believe and do. This usually leads to people dismissing anything in the Bible that makes them uncomfortable. This doesn't stop at miracles or a man being swallowed by a fish or God creating the universe with his word. It is no coincidence that so many in modern Christianity "discovered" that God actually doesn't have a problem with women pastors, homosexuality, divorce, and abortion after they "realized" that the Bible isn't actually God's word. Of course they replace the sure Word of God for their own flimsy opinions that will change with the tides.
Now we shouldn't be surprised that even men, who claim to be teachers of God will promote false teaching. St. Peter warns us, "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies..." (2 Peter 2:1) Our Lord Jesus counsels us, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15). So Jesus teaches us to mark and avoid false teachers. When you hear them run away. And how will you tell if they are false teachers? By their fruits; when they teach contrary to God's holy Word as revealed in the Bible.
We confess that the Scriptures are the Word of God. They tell us what God wants us to believe about Jesus. But the confession that the Bible has no errors isn't an end to itself. The fact that the Bible has no errors is a source of great comfort. The Bible is trustworthy. You can count on it. That the Bible is trustworthy means that you can have certainty of your salvation. St. Paul writes, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The teaching that the Bible has no errors is very important for you personally. How do you know what God wants from you? How do you know if God loves you? If he forgives you for the wrong you've done. Scripture reveals that the same God who calls sin, "sin," and condemns all forms of sexual immorality, murder, hatred, and slander also reveals that that same God became man and died for all these sins. Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me," (John 5:39). St. Paul writes, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." (1 Timothy 1:15)
St. Peter states that the prophetic word is, "a lamp shining in a dark place" and so he agrees with the Psalmist, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105) Peter is confident that the Scriptures light the path to salvation, not only because he saw Christ transfigured before Moses and Elijah and confessed by God the Father, but he also saw Christ risen from the dead and ascend into heaven.
Peter did not lie. He told the truth. The Scriptures are trustworthy. In them you know that God loves you. He sent Jesus to die for your sins. Jesus' resurrection proves that you are forgiven. The Bible assures you that you can trust that God washes away your sins in your Baptism. You can believe that what you receive from the altar is Christ's true body and blood, crucified and risen for your salvation, because we do in fact know what Jesus said on the night when he was betrayed. Our faith is not about doubt, but about certainty. The Scripture gives us that certainty. Those who doubt that the Bible is God's word doubt what God thinks of them. You have no need to doubt. God loves you. He forgives your worst sins. Jesus is risen and so will you be to life everlasting.
The hymnist writes:
I know my faith is founded On Jesus Christ, my God and Lord;
And this my faith confessing, Unmoved I stand on His sure Word.
Our reason cannot fathom The truth of God profound;
Who trusts in human wisdom Relies on shifting ground.
God's Word is all sufficient, It makes divinely sure;
And trusting in its wisdom, My faith shall rest secure.5
That is our final hymn this morning. Let us all belt it out to let both God and Satan know where our faith is grounded. Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

Quinquagesima: How God Sees

Sexagesima: The Word of God Bears Fruit

Septuagesima: God Doesn't Pay Us What We Deserve

Transfiguration Sunday: Scripture is Trustworthy

Rev. James Preus

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

Quinquagesima: How God Sees

Sexagesima: The Word of God Bears Fruit

Septuagesima: God Doesn't Pay Us What We Deserve

﻿Transfiguration Sunday: Scripture is Trustworthy

Rev. James Preus

Archives

Categories

Transfiguration Sunday: Scripture is Trustworthy