Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Romans 3:19-28
John 8:31-36 

This is the Sunday when we remember the work of one Martin Luther-Augustinian monk and priest-born into the world of the Renaissance-the world of great artists: Leonardo DaVinci, Bocaccio, Michelangelo, and their patrons, the Medici... The dawn of exploration by the west, of Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan...The very beginning of the world in which books could be produced in quantity, thanks to the invention of movable type and the printing press by Gutenberg which, among other things gave rise to the secular theater- something brand new in human history...

But in the midst of all these and other giants, Luther stands out-in fact, George Will, the columnist with whom I virtually never agree, except when he writes about baseball, in 1999 wrote that Luther was the most worthy candidate to be called the single most important person in the years from 1000ad to 2000ad- "the Person of the Millennium," Will called him...

And what I find absolutely fascinating is that all of Luther's work- his prolific writings- his translation of the Scripture into the German language (actually, had Luther done nothing else, we would remember him- his choice of words, phrases and idioms actually created the German language spoken today), his hymns, sermons- work that reshaped the world as it existed, came out of an incredibly personal struggle of faith. When he started, he wasn't trying to change the world, he was trying to figure out how his relationship with God was supposed to work-it wasn't. Instead of loving God, he was terrified...  

All of the things that were supposed to comfort him, draw him to God-confession, penance, becoming a monk and then a priest, pilgrimage-none of them were working and had never worked for him... He was miserable and made those around him miserable. He was searching, searching for what Jesus talks about in our Gospel reading today- the truth about God- and the freedom that comes from knowing God...

And it was in his work as a teacher of the Bible- a professor at the University at Wittenberg, that he rediscovered that truth for himself, for the people of his day, and the rest, as they say, is history... What was it Luther rediscovered? I say rediscovered because he certainly didn't invent it. It was something that the founder of his order, St. Augustine had rediscovered and had used in his day 1000 years earlier. Something that St. Paul had learned, something that Jesus had taught. Why did it make such a difference? And why is it a lesson that continues to be needed almost 500 years after Luther began the conversation in his day.

It started with Psalm 22, verse one: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me..." We know those words, too- they're the words of Jesus from the cross- words of agony- of desperation... We see the very son of God-God become a human being, dying a terrible death-Luther called him "the wreck on a cross..."

And for the very first time, Luther identified with Jesus. "I know that feeling of abandonment, of isolation, I've lived it all my life..." For the very first time, Luther saw God identifying with him- and all humankind- Jesus knowing what it meant to be human- what it meant to live and die, heartbroken and afraid; Luther seeing the incredible love of God offered in Jesus on the cross...

He found it best said in Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 3- our second reading today: "For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus... Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works proscribed by the law..."

Not one of us, left on our own could come close to living in God's glory- not one of us is close to the perfection needed to approach God. But in spite of that, God forgives us, accepts us, makes us his adopted children, because in Jesus, his life, death and resurrection, God's love overpowers everything that might come between us- that might separate God from his children. Not even death can come between us and God's love in Christ Jesus.

Luther was stunned by the enormity of God's love- the fact that there was nothing that could be done to earn God's favor, for in Jesus, that favor was already there! How could anyone presume to add to it? And the response called forth by this love was not an endless life of trying to make sure that you were doing everything possible to obey God's rules- doing all the right things in order to earn God's love- trying to do anything you could to stay out of God's way, God's anger... Instead, it was a life of love and faithfulness- a life of trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, and the strength to share Jesus' love with others who are searching for what it means to know meaning, love and acceptance.

Luther wrote that when he grasped what it was Jesus had done for him- for you and for me- "that it was as though the gates of heaven had been opened up for him..." Amazing how God can get a hold of you when you read the Bible...Luther's life was changed forever by this key insight- this key rediscovery of being "saved," being made right with God, by Grace through Faith...For the first time, Luther could be honest about who he was- he could get real with himself. To read biographies of Luther- to read Luther himself describe his life is to learn an incredibly self-absorbed man. He was consumed with the idea of his sinfulness. He was consumed with the idea that he had to do all he could all the time to make sure he was as sinless as he could be, lest he be struck down and carried off to hell...

It was taught in those days that if you took vows as a nun, a monk or a priest, you were returned to a state of baptismal grace- all the sins committed since baptism were forgiven- so of course people thought that the clergy were more holy than they... Luther became a monk- and he was a great monk- he wore a hair shirt- he slept on flagstones with no blankets, he whipped himself to purge himself of his sins- his sinful thoughts.He would go to confession for hours... there's a great story- one of my favorites-  about Luther confessing to his mentor, Fr. Johan von Staupitz for four hours (think about poor Staupitz listening to Luther for that long!) He finally was finished, received absolution, and five minutes later was back. "Forgive me Father, I forgot something..." von Staupitz is alleged to have said, "Brother Martin, leave the monastery at once, go home and kill your mother. Then come back, and we'll have something to talk about..." 

After he came to terms with the fact that God accepted him in the cross and resurrection of Jesus, Martin learned to accept himself. He stopped trying to make himself acceptable to God, because at last he knew he couldn't and God loved him anyway...He stopped beating himself up for being such a sinner. And he began to stop living for himself and started living for God- and for the people around him...

I have learned that this is true for me! I tend to live on the other side of the self-absorbed equation. If Martin was consumed with guilt, I have the tendency to think that God couldn't help but be impressed with my natural talents. But that's an impossible place to live, too- because I know deep down it's not true all the time- or even most of the time- and I know that God knows that, too! And because Jesus loves and accepts me, I can be who I am, just like Brother Martin. I am a child of God- period- what more is there?

That's true for each and every one of you here this morning: in God's love, you are accepted who and what you are- you can be honest with yourself, and know that regardless of what you've done or not done- what you think you might deserve- for better or worse- doesn't matter in Jesus' love, because he will love you forever anyway! You can accept yourself because in Christ, God has already accepted you. This is an enormously freeing truth!

For the first time, Luther could say he loved God- he was able to be real about his relationship with God. He couldn't be terrified of a God who loved him so much that in Jesus, God would become human, share all that life had to bring, was willing to share the same death, and then was raised from the dead- all to bring us into God's Kingdom. He couldn't be terrified of a God who knew everything about him- all his deepest and darkest secrets- and loved and accepted him anyway. This is a God to love, to worship, to serve with every fiber of his being.

This is a God who can be trusted in every situation- not to wave a magic wand and make everything OK- not as some benevolent, but irrelevant old man with a long white beard, watching over things "from a distance..." This is the God who has promised to be present through the best and the worst that life and death can throw at us- who has given us the very Spirit of our Savior Jesus- to forgive and strengthen. This is a God with whom I need to be in constant contact- in my quiet time- in the hustle and bustle of daily life. This is a God in whom I want to learn- grow- belong to- through all my life. This is the God I want our children to know and love as they grow in their baptisms- as they take as their own the promises made in those baptisms...

This is the God I want you to know- love and grow- be real with yourself, because God loves and accepts you- then be real with your relationship with God- grow in it- we will walk with you as you learn to read scripture- learn new ways to pray- and you will see your relationship blossom and flourish- see your life transformed- and then see this relationship put to work in the world!

Martin Luther couldn't help but share what he had learned and experienced- both with the faculty at Wittenberg, and with the people he pastored at the Wittenberg Town Church. There was no way he could continue preaching the accepted doctrines and norms of the church, even though there was a thousand year old tradition- that there was forgiveness only when a priest absolved you (We have Jesus- you don't need anyone else between you and God!)

Or that doing something- whether it was saying some prayers or embarking on a life long pilgrimage- would make you more acceptable to God...Or that buying a piece of paper, known as an indulgence, would hasten a dead relative's journey to heaven- or your own.

These, and other arguments- a total of 95 of them, Luther wrote out in Latin and posted on the University Bulletin Board- the Town Church Door on the Eve of All Hallow- October 31^st, 1517. Almost immediately, they were taken down, translated into German, printed, and passed around from town to town, and what we call the Reformation was on its way...

But even as it began, you could find Martin Luther sharing, discussing, and debating with University faculty and with the members of the congregation he served. He was available- he was totally honest and vulnerable- he was real with the people around him- and God used him- and them- to change the world!

Brother Martin once again points us to the biblical truth that we aren't on this journey alone. We need each other- and if we are to be used effectively, we have to be honest and vulnerable- we have to be real with each other and our world, just as Martin was, as Paul was before him, and as our Lord was as he shared the Good News of His love...

This honesty- vulnerability- this being real means growing true fellowship. Sometimes we disagree- we argue and debate- but that's being real!  We know that we can disagree and still be family! We can forgive one another- we can ask for forgiveness. It's how we grow together. That's true today- it will be true November 5^th regardless which candidates win... We grow when we learn together- pray together- serve together, both inside and outside the walls of this church. Our ability to share Jesus together helps us to share him with the people God brings into our lives.

You and I share a remarkable heritage- we call ourselves Lutheran Christians because one monk was trying to, in the words of St. Paul, "work out his salvation in fear and trembling." And God led him to the truth of the Good News- that in Jesus, God's love can never be earned- it is a free gift, given in Jesus' life, death and resurrection, to be received by faith. That truth set Brother Martin free from his bondage and fear, and to his being used by God in extraordinary ways.

As you leave here this morning, we are giving you a cross to take with you- for your pocket- for your purse, to remind you of what Jesus has done for you- and what we're all about here. When you touch it- when you look at it, remind yourself of Jesus' priceless gift to you, your forgiveness from your sins, and your freedom and call to serve. Ask God to use you- and then look for the places and people around you where that can happen...

As we continue to proclaim the Good News in our time and place, my prayer is that we remain centered on Jesus and his love for us and for our world- that like Luther we allow nothing to distract us from living and sharing our Risen Lord. I pray that God would continue using us in the never-ending process of the Reformation of Christ's Church. And I give thanks this day- Thanks be to God for the life and witness of Martin Luther- my brother and yours in Jesus' Name! Amen