Reformation Day
October 31, 2021
Text: John 8:31-36
“If
you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32; ESV). The Word of God, that was the motivating
force behind all that Luther did and taught as a doctor and pastor of the
Church. He had discovered the freeing
Word of the Gospel: All our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, because of His
sin-atoning work, and our works contribute nothing to that. Justification, righteousness before God, is a
gift given freely by God, by grace alone.
And it is received by faith alone, apart from works. So the great solas of the Reformation:
Grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone.
And the Word of Christ in which we abide, Scripture alone. Luther was even moved by this freeing Word of
the Gospel to change his name for a time.
It was fashionable among intellectuals in the 16th Century to
take on Greek names, and Luther, according to this custom, began to sign his
name, “Martinus Eleutheros,” which is “Martin the Free”! Because if you abide in the Word of Christ,
the truth will set you free! Gospel:
Free from sin, free from death, free from the condemnation of the Law, free from
the devil, free from hell. Free in
Christ who alone has redeemed you.
But
then, it didn’t seem like the Word had brought him freedom when, on April 17,
1521, 500 years ago, Luther first appeared before the Imperial Diet of Worms to
which he’d been summoned to answer for the charge of heresy. Sure, the Emperor had granted him supposed
“safe conduct,” but Luther knew how this worked. If the charge stuck, Luther would be a
condemned man. And safe conduct or no,
if an accident should happen, if the crowds became a bloodthirsty mob suddenly
devoted to orthodoxy, or if some vigilantes should overtake Luther in the woods
on his way back to Wittenberg, well… who could blame the Emperor for the
actions of others? Certainly Dr. Luther
was well-aware of the history of John Huss 106 years earlier, who had also been
granted safe conduct to the Council of Constance, and was nonetheless burned at
the stake there for teaching things very similar to those of Luther.
At
the very least, though, Luther thought he was being given an opportunity here
to explain himself and his teachings before the Emperor and nobles and
representatives of the Church. But when
he entered the hall, there between him and the enthroned Emperor was a table
stacked with his writings. The moderator
asked him two questions, to which he was to respond with a simple “yes” or
“no.” “Are these your books? Will you recant them?” No discussion. No argument.
Recant and live. Refuse to
recant, and, well… you have a safe conduct.
But let’s not forget what happened to Huss.
Luther
was surprised. In spite of all he knew,
he had come in good faith, to discuss, to debate, to repent wherever he was
proven wrong by Scripture, but to maintain his confession wherever he was
proven right by Scripture. But that
wasn’t on the Imperial agenda. What
now? He need time. To think.
To pray. To receive Christian
counsel from friends. To meditate on
God’s Word. The Emperor gave him a
day. But be warned. The same two questions will be asked
tomorrow.
Can
you imagine the struggle that night?
Where are You, Lord? Is this the
freedom You promised? Why don’t You rise
up and smite Your enemies and grant victory to Your Word? Or… Is it possible? Have I been wrong all this time? Am I incapable of understanding the Word You
have spoken? Why am I, alone, standing
before the greatest powers on earth, in Church and State, contending for the
truth of Gospel? Maybe, in spite of all
my work and advanced learning, I don’t know the truth after all. And maybe, tomorrow, I’ll be anything but
free. This is the true meaning of the
phrase, “dark night of the soul.”
But
God does not forsake His children in their hour of despair. Remember the activities in which Luther was
engaged that night. Prayer. Christian counsel from brothers in
Christ. And most importantly, the Word…
The Word of Jesus Christ. And by that
Word, God pours out His Spirit, who opens mouths to faithful confession of
Christ and His Word, even unto death.
So
it was with renewed resolve the next day that Luther came before the Emperor
and the Diet. The same two
questions. “Are these your books?” “Yes.”
“Will you recant?” Not so
fast. The books aren’t all of the same
kind. Some are devotional, dealing with
faith and life such that even Luther’s enemies must agree with them. Surely he cannot retract these. Then there are books which expose the abuses
and corruption of the papacy. To recant
these would be to participate in abuse and wickedness. Finally, there are some writings full of
invective against Luther’s papal enemies.
These were too harsh, he admits.
He repents of his bitter and vengeful words. But he does not retract the writings. Because, again, to do so would be to leave
the papal abuses and corruption unchallenged.
We learn something very important here.
Even in the most righteous cause, we should always examine ourselves, our
actions, our words, and in godly humility, repent wherever we are wrong… even
as we maintain our confession of the truth.
We must ever be repenting of our own sins if we are to help our neighbor
see and repent of his.
But
again, the questions call for a simple “yes” or “no” answer, and the Christian
must let his “yes” be yes, and his “no,” no (James 5:12). Dr. Luther makes his answer: “Unless I am
refuted and convicted by testimonies of the Scriptures or by clear arguments
(since I believe neither the Pope nor the Councils alone; it being evident that
they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am conquered by the Holy
Scriptures quoted by me, and my conscience is bound in the word of God: I can
not and will not recant any thing, since it is unsafe and dangerous to do any
thing against the conscience… Here I stand! I cannot do otherwise. God help me!
Amen.”[1]
When
we make such a confession, we must be ready to endure the consequences,
whatever they may be. That is, we must
be ready to suffer. We should obey God
rather than men (Acts 5:29). We should
not fear those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. We should rather fear Him who can destroy
both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28).
We must remember that whoever denies Jesus before men, Jesus will also
deny before His Father in heaven. But
whoever confesses Him before men, Jesus will also confess before His Father in
heaven (Matt. 10:32-33). Blessed are you
when others revile you, and persecute you, and utter all kinds of evil against
you falsely on Jesus’ account. Rejoice
and be glad, for so they persecuted the prophets and apostles and Christian
martyrs before you (Matt. 5:11-12). They
loved not their lives even unto death (Rev. 12:11). And so you.
They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for
Jesus’ Name (Acts 5:41). And so you. Luther knew all of this. The truth sets you free… from sin and death
and hell and Satan. But it does not set
you free from suffering. Not until the
end. The Promise is not that you won’t
suffer, but that God will not forsake you in suffering, and He will bring you
through it to Himself. Huss died in the
fire. The Apostles, the Prophets, the
faithful martyrs, all suffered greatly for the truth of God’s Word, and most
died horrific deaths. Luther lived, but
no one in Worms that day thought it likely.
As it happened, he was condemned as a heretic. And on his way back to Wittenberg, wouldn’t
you know it, a band of vigilantes did fall upon him in the woods. They threw a sack over his head and led him
away captive on horseback. Thank God,
they were actually secret agents of Luther’s prince, Frederick the Wise, who
took him into hiding at the Wartburg Castle.
Disguised as Junker Jörg, Kight George, Luther was safe. Lonely and depressed, to be sure. Still suffering. But you know what God gave Luther to
accomplish during this exile in what Luther called his Patmos? The translation of the New Testament into
German, the beginning of Luther’s German Bible. And a lot of other writing, of course. But it is safe to say that Luther’s
translation of the Scriptures into the vernacular, the language of the people,
paved the way for your own access to Scripture in English. Godly suffering is never without fruit. Our Lord’s suffering brought us eternal
salvation. Luther’s gave us the
Scriptures in our own tongue, as well as this great theological heritage we
call Lutheranism. God has done this for
us. In spite of the suffering. Through the suffering. All His gift.
Grace. Alone.
There
are times we are called upon to suffer for the truth of the Gospel. This call comes from God our heavenly Father,
who lovingly lays the holy cross upon us.
You know how it is now. Perhaps a
dear friend, or a beloved family member, takes offense at Christ and His
Word, and they take it out on you. We
know that the earthly powers take offense and oppose Christ and
His Gospel. They want to be lord in your
conscience, but there is no room for them there, where Christ alone
reigns. What will happen when they pass
laws that contradict the truth you know from God’s Word, that make illegal the
things you believe, teach, and confess?
When it is difficult to find or keep a job, because employers note, as
they examine your social media, that you belong to a Bible believing Church,
and that you may actually (gasp!) believe the Bible yourself?! What will happen when the arrests begin, the
reeducation camps, and yes, the executions?
Take they our life, goods, fame, child, and… spouse? It won’t be easy. Freedom doesn’t mean easy. There will be pain. But above all, there will be Jesus… Who has
never forsaken us! And Who never
will! There will be all the benefits of
His cross and death for our forgiveness, life, and salvation. There will be His resurrection life! There will be His Word, His Sacraments,
consolation from Christian brothers and sisters, His Church gathered around His
gifts. And there will be His Promise
that He will take your suffering on account of His Name and His Gospel, and
turn it into good for you, and for His people, in His way, according to His
plan. And in the End, you know… He will
wipe away your tears.
So
here you stand in your confession of Christ, right where Luther stood. In truth, you can do no other. Because it is only standing here, in the
truth, abiding in God’s Word, that you have true freedom. Because this truth gives you Jesus, God’s own
Son, your only Savior from sin, death, and condemnation. And if this Son sets you free, you are free,
indeed (John 8:36). And He has. So don’t move an inch from His Word. God is helping you. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son X, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[1] History of the Christian Church, vol. VII, ch. 3, sec. 55, quoted
in https://www.christian-history.org/diet-of-worms.html.
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