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.