Festival of the Reformation + Matthew 11:12-15 + October 28, 2018

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. This expression is different than what we are used to hearing about the Kingdom of God. Jesus isn’t saying that the kingdom suffers the violence of persecutions, crosses, and trials. Although that’s true, that isn’t what Christ speaks of in the Gospel lesson. Nor is Jesus saying that you can enter the kingdom by violence and physical force. That would go against the rest of Christ’s teaching. So what does He mean when He says the kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force? Perhaps a better way to translate Jesus’ words go like this: “The Kingdom of Heaven advances forcefully and forceful men lay hold of it.” That’s a bit better and it makes sense with how Jesus says it in Luke 16:16, “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” The kingdom advances forcefully through preaching of John. When Herod imprisons John because of His forceful preaching, Christ begins preaching and the kingdom of heaven continues to forcefully advance and march onward.

The scribes and Pharisees had, for generations, taught men to trust in themselves that they were righteous. They taught men to do the works of Moses in the hope that God would see their works and goodness and give them the kingdom as a reward. They taught men that by the observance of fasts, certain holy days, and regulations, man could earn righteousness before God. This led many in Israel to doubt and despair because how would one know if one’s righteous deeds were righteous enough, especially since Isaiah says, “all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (64:6)? But the Law had not been given so that men could earn righteousness by doing enough of its works. The Law was given to show men the depth of their trespasses and sins. It’s goal was to lead them to seek a righteousness from God, rather than themselves. The preaching of John and Jesus taught this righteousness apart from the Law. The Law and the prophets witnessed to it. It’s foretold and foreshadowed all throughout the Old Testament. But it is not of the Law. It is not through works. It is “through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (Romans 3:22). It is the gospel that Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He atones for all sins by dying for them, as the substitute for each and every sinner, so that to all who believe Him, He gives them everything He earns. He takes away their sin. He gives them His righteousness, and this, not by works of the Law, but simply by faith alone which believes the promise of Christ.

When people heard this preaching they pressed into the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven forcefully advances and forceful men lay hold of it. How did they forcefully lay hold of it? By faith, by taking Christ at His word and believing that He is merciful to poor, miserable sinners. They forcefully lay hold of it in that they let nothing deter them; not doubt, not despondency, not temptation, not anything. So several friends carry their paralytic friend to Jesus. When they can’t enter the house because of the crown, they climb to the roof, dig a whole, and lower their paralyzed friend down to Christ. They let nothing stop them from laying hold of the kingdom. When a woman who suffered for twelve years with an issue of blood could find no relief in doctors, she fought through the crowd surrounding Jesus, saying to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well” (Matthew 9:21). She had heard the good news about Jesus and would let nothing deter her from approach Him. The Syro-Phoenician woman, whom Jesus ignored in Matthew 10, would not let her doubts keep her away from Christ for the sake of her demon-possessed daughter, but forcefully laid hold of Christ until He granted her prayer. Faith lays hold of Christ and the promise of the Gospel and is not deterred by doubt, the devil’s temptations, or anything else. This is the faith that Christ wants to find on the earth at His return. This is the faith He wants to strengthen in you through the preaching of His Word and the receiving of His Sacrament.

Today we celebrate Reformation of Christ’s church, because again, at the time of Martin Luther, the church taught men to trust themselves that they were righteous because of their works and good deeds. The Roman church taught men that if they did the works commanded by the church then God would see their righteousness and reward them. The church taught that by the observance of fasts, certain holy days, and regulations, man could earn righteousness before God, and in the obscene case of indulgences, could even purchase that righteousness with cash. This led many in the church to despair of themselves. Luther was among those who despaired because He saw no righteousness in himself at all. He saw that there was no good thing that dwelt in him and so there was no way he could attain righteousness by works of the Law. It was through the Holy Scriptures that God the Holy Ghost preached the true Gospel to Luther, that man is not righteous by His own works done according to the Law. The Law and prophets testify to that righteousness and witness to the coming Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Luther rediscovered this Gospel of the righteousness of faith, that God saves men not on account of their works, but on account of faith which believes the promise of the Gospel that Christ has atoned for every sin.

Luther preached this Gospel that God declares sinners righteous when they repent of their sins and believe the Gospel. That faith is accounted for righteousness, and that faith is even not of yourselves, but the gift of God, so that no one can boast that he has anything to contribute to his salvation. Luther preached this. He wrote it. He taught it. And countless people forcefully laid hold of it and believed it. Countless men heard the pure Gospel from Luther and the other Reformers and treasured it above all else in this life. They forcefully entered the kingdom of God, grasping Christ’s promise by faith and they let nothing deter them. Not the Pope and his condemnations. Not the Emperor and the threat of annihilation by his army. Not doubt or despair. Not their own unworthiness, nor any temptation of the devil. None of this deterred them or damped the fervor which God had kindled in their hearts. The pure gospel, God’s Word, baptism, absolution, the Lord’s Supper, these were their greatest treasure for which they would sacrifice anything if called upon by God to do so. “Take they our life, goods, fame, child and wife, let these all be gone, they yet have nothing won; the Kingdom our remaineth” (TLH 262:4).

The kingdom of heaven still advances forcefully. We live in a time when the pure Gospel isn’t preached in all that many places. But it is still preached and through that preaching God the Holy Ghost still kindles faith in hearts of men which forcefully lays hold of all the blessings Christ earned in His righteous life and innocent sufferings and death. Let nothing deter you from laying hold of Christ by faith. Not the Pope and his false church, not fanatics that claim direct inspiration from God, not worldly pleasures, not doubt, nor despair, nor your own unworthiness, nor any temptation of the devil, for “he’s judged, the deed is done.” Lay hold of Christ and His promise by faith, for God counts that faith as righteousness, so that by it you have the forgiveness of every sin and everlasting life, not because you earned it, but by grace for Christ’s sake it is yours. Amen.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + of the Holy Ghost. Amen.