God’s grace, peace and mercy be with
you. My focus is Revelation 14:6-7: “I saw another angel flying directly
overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to
every nation, tribe, language and people. He said with a loud voice, ‘Fear God
and give him glory, because the hour of judgment has come, and worship him who
made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’”
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the
psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the
Lord.’”[1]
Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we
listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply
as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
My sermon has three R’s, but nothing to
do with what I learned in school. The first R stems from Revelation. The second
R from Reformation. The third R from a Roman reformed.
First, Revelation. Revelation began
where the Gospels ended. The Gospels narrated Christ’s incarnation, life and
paschal mystery. Revelation narrated His second coming into eternity.
Therefore, always read Revelation through Christ.
We can sum up Revelation’s purpose in a
word: preparation. Christians were to prepare for persecution. Preparation
through baptism or washed in the blood of the Lamb strengthened Christians to
accept the Church’s mission on earth while they waited for the Lord to return.
The more prepared Christians were,
confident by faith that they were going to heaven because of Christ’s merit;
the more the Spirit moved them to enter heaven. The more Christians desired the
glory of God in heaven, the more the Spirit moved them to witness through hope[2], which is, if you recall
from last week, a personal living relationship with someone who will vindicate
you.[3]
Revelation revealed much about the
suffering and judgment of the human race and the world, but it also recorded a
great celebration of God’s people, who believe in the triumphant, exalted
Christ. We read throughout the book how the saints confidently sang and
celebrated their worship of God and Christ, which is even more striking when
viewed against the terrible suffering and warfare they endured.[4]
Today’s passage describes the first
angel flying in mid-heaven proclaiming the eternal gospel to all people.
Normally, we associate Gospel with the forgiveness of sins through faith in the
work of Christ. We read in Romans that the Gospel “is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes.”[5] Here, however, the Gospel
includes the somber news of judgment, for the angel’s cry is, “Fear
God and give him glory … the hour of his judgment has come … worship him who
made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”[6]
John’s aim was to move people to heed
God’s judgment (Law) and worship (Gospel) for Christ’s return would be the
final deliverance of His people from the dragon, its two beasts, and their
hosts.[7] Hence, John based the
eternal Gospel or eternal message of God’s judgment and grace on Christ’s
saving work.
In view of his coming judgment, the
purpose of these verses was to move people to fear, glorify and worship God. Fear
of the Lord, the beginning of wisdom,[8] comes from learning about
God through hearing His word,[9] and is an essential part
of contrition over sin and repentance.[10] To worship God is the
result of fearful repentance through the redemption wrought by Christ.[11]
To worship God results from fearful
repentance through the redemption wrought by Christ. That brings me to my
second point, Reformation.
When we talk about the Reformation, we
mean the 16th century movement in Europe that aimed at reforming
some doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in the
establishment of Protestant churches.[12] Martin Luther did not
intend to establish a new Church. He attempted to reform it. He attempted to
reform it through repentance, which is why I chose the reading from Revelation.
To reform means to improve an existing
institution, law or practice by altering or correcting abuses. Individually, we
experienced personal reform when we gave up a reprehensible habit or immoral
way of life. When Doctor Luther posted his 95 Theses, he intended true reform
in the Church and in every member. He intended that we take steps to form again
our corporate and personal lives and give glory to God.
The posting of Luther’s Theses was a
moment hastened by the darkest centuries in the history of the Western Church.
The papal monarchy was a bloated bureaucracy with an insatiable appetite for
money and power. The clergy corrupt. Religious life corroded. The need for
reform was universally acknowledged, but thwarted by self-interested church
hierarchy and secular rulers who profited by the abuses. As a result,
dissatisfaction and anticlericalism assumed threatening proportions, creating a
powder keg awaiting Luther’s spark.[13]
Luther and other protagonists saw the
Reformation as the recovery of the pure revelation of primitive Christianity,
the “word of God undefiled,” while the Catholic Church saw it mainly as a
rejection of Christian truth.[14] From my perspective, it
was a happy fault, for the Reformers sought the pure gospel and succeeded in
presenting it to Christians in the face of grave deformations. In many ways,
they simply re-asserted ancient Catholic truths, for in Church history; reformatio also meant renovatio, or renewal in the double
sense of back to the original form and
a new start.[15] Like Revelation, Luther
based the eternal Gospel or eternal message of God’s judgment and grace on
Christ’s saving work.
Read Jeremiah. “The Lord said, ‘Behold, I put my
words in your mouth. I set you over nations and kingdoms, to pluck up and break
down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.’”[16] Or Romans. “Do
not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and
acceptable and perfect.”[17] Or Revelation. “He
who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”[18]
We can sum up what Luther sought in one
word, metanoia, a theological term
for repentance and a transformative change of heart.[19] Read his 95 Theses from October 31, 1517. Notice the
first one reads, “When our Lord and
Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’' (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of
believers to be one of repentance.”[20]
Repent. Be prepared for the eternal
message of God’s judgment and grace based on Christ’s saving work.
Rightfully, Luther taught that every
baptized person had the right and duty to teach and spread the word of God.[21] His visits to churches
revealed great ignorance among people, which he corrected through his Large and
Small Catechisms and hymns, making Luther the great religious instructor of his
day.
Luther affected politics, religious
practice and theology. While some seized the moment for political gain, others
welcomed Luther’s call to return to our Christian roots, while Calvin and Zwingli
separated themselves from Luther over their understanding of Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper.
The Reformation was not a single event,
but began with a moment that changed the Church forever. We could and should
spend a year studying the Reformation and the Counter Reformation, only then
would we begin to appreciate Luther’s contributions, but we cannot do that in a
Sunday sermon. So, to quote Forest Gump, that’s all I have to say about that.[22]
That brings me to my third point, a
Roman reformed. By Roman reformed I mean I was a Roman Catholic. I was baptized,
confirmed, educated and ordained in the Roman Catholic Church. My undergraduate
and two of my three graduate degrees are from Catholic institutions. I served
as a Catholic priest for 21 years. I know more about the Catholic Church than
all your Catholic friends know. Nevertheless, like the Reformation, there was a
moment in my life that changed all that.
Moments change people’s lives. We define
moment as a brief, indefinite interval of time; a specific point in time,
especially the present; or a particular period of importance, influence, or
significance in a series of events or developments.[23] Its root is the Latin
word momentum meaning movement, motion, moving power, alteration or change.[24] An event that lasts only
an instant can change world history – the Resurrection, signing of the Magna
Carta, posting 95 Theses. A moment on a particular date can change a nation –
July 4, 1776; December 7, 1941; September 11, 2001. Personally, I experienced
moments that stay with me because they changed me – my ordination on May 23,
1987; my mother’s death on November 1, 2006; our wedding on August 7, 2010.
Now, this Roman reformed will unite Revelation and Reformation to our personal
lives.
If Reformation means not only that
moment in 16th century Europe that resulted in the establishment of
the Protestant churches, but also personal reform when we gave up a
reprehensible habit, then we’re onto something. I suggest we read Reformation’s
most influential books – Bondage of Will, Pilgrim’s Progress, Institutes of the
Christian Religion, The Book of Concord and so on, but start with Luther’s 95
Theses and ask ourselves how his first thesis applies to my life.
When Luther wrote, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Mt 4:17), he
willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance,”[25]do you think the Doctor
had us in mind? Do you think Jesus had you in mind when He cried, “Repent,
for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”?
Do you think John had us in mind when he urged persecuted Christians to be
prepared and cling to Christ, their hope who would redeem them? My friends, the
Christian life is all about repentance. It is all about repentance, but not
understood in the sense of gaining merit. Rather, in the sense of being
motivated by love for Christ and what He did for me, for us, for all humanity.
If Christ willed the entire life of
believers to be one of repentance, and He did, is repentance evident in my
life? Is repentance evident in our life as Church, as a denomination, Synod or
congregation? If, as Luther and others have said, that the church is always to
be reformed, what does that mean for us as Church and for me individually?
Reform, repentance or change came at the
price of great anguish for Luther. For that matter, it comes at a great price
for anyone who heeds God’s call. Luther posted no bill haphazardly. His theses
came after searching his own heart and soul. Fortunately, for the Roman
Catholic Church, what he did created an opportunity for reform that occurred outside
the Roman Curia and Papacy. Luther’s act gave rise to Ignatius of Loyola,
Charles Borromeo, John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila – vital figures of the
Counter Reformation.
Luther’s visitations led to an educated
clergy for all of Christendom. His catechisms led to a simpler method of
learning the truths of Christianity. His translation of the Bible did for the
German language what Shakespeare did for English. Luther’s initial achievements
affect the Roman Church today, through a seminary system, catechesis and a renewed
sacramental system. For that, all Christians should be grateful to Luther and
celebrate Reformation Sunday.
That is the good news. The bad news is
that none of the students in my sixth grade confirmation class knows anything
about Martin Luther or why we are called Lutherans, let alone the Lutheran
Church – Missouri Synod. … That is not their fault. So, here is what I want you
to do to celebrate Reformation Sunday: Read something on Martin Luther, the
Reformation or the teachings of the Lutheran Church. You do not have to buy
anything. You can start with the Lutheran Service Book or the pamphlets we
provide in the lobby. As you await the return of our Lord, be prepared through
joyful repentance. Prepare yourself with a joyful repentance that would make
Luther and our Lord Jesus proud. And
may the
peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus. Amen. … Please stand for our offertory.
[1] Psalm 122
[2]
Louis A. Brighton, Revelation. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (1999), 7.
[3]
Ben Witherington III, 1 and 2 Thessalonians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary.
Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (2006), 59.
[4]
Brighton, 3.
[5]
Romans 1:16.
[6] Revelation
14:7.
[7]
Brighton, 381 (See Rev 19:1-16, and fn 16 in Brighton).
[8]
Psalm 11:10; Job 28:28.
[9]
Deuteronomy 4:10.
[10]
Acts 2:37-38.
[11]
Brighton, 382.
[12] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/reformation
[13]
R. Emmet McLaughlin, “The Reformation” in The
HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism, Richard P. McBrien, General
Editor. San Francisco: HarperCollins Publishers (1995), 1091.
[14]
Joseph Lortz, “The Reformation” in Sacramentum
Mundi: An Encyclopedia of Theology, Volume Five, Adolf Darlap, General
Editor. New York: Herder and Herder (1970), 215.
[15]
Ibid.
[16]
Jeremiah 1:9-10.
[17]
Romans 12:2.
[18]
Revelation 21:5.
[19] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metanoia_%28theology%29#cite_ref-1
[20] http://www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html
[21]
Lortz, 221.
[22]
This is the 20th Anniversary of Forrest Gump.
[23] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/moment
[24] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=moment
[25] http://cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=t&word=THESES.NINETY-FIVE.OFLUTHER
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