The story of Martin Luther is insane. Think about it. If you know the story of Luther and a friend asks you, “Hey, you go to that Grace Lutheran Church, right?” And you say something like, “Yeah, it’s a great church, with an awesome pastor.” They may follow up by asking, “Well, what is a Lutheran?” Hopefully, you will speak about the confession of the church – what we believe, what our central teachings are – and you may speak about our common practices and the things that make us unique among the various denominations available out there. But at some point, if they are still engaged in the conversation, you will probably have to talk a bit about this Martin Luther guy. After all, his name is on the sign. And the story you tell will sound like you are making it up on the spot.
So, you begin by saying, “Well, in the early 1500’s, Luther was a young man who was studying law in Saxony. One day he was caught in a terrifying thunderstorm. He was certain he was going to die among the flashes of light and the booms of the thunder. Hiding behind a large granite rock, he prayed to Saint Anne. She was the patron saint of miners, and Luther’s father was a well-off copper miner. Anyway, he prayed, saying, ‘Help me, Saint Anne, and I will become a monk.’ And he proved to be a man of his word. Being delivered from the storm, he immediately left law school and joined a monastery. At the monastery, he took his business and studies seriously. He tried to rid himself of his sinful desires, going as far as to deprive himself of food and whipping himself to try and cleanse his soul. He was eventually ordained a priest, later earned his doctorate, and became a professor at the University of Wittenberg. His study of the Word of God led him to question many aspects of the practices of the church in his day, especially the selling of indulgences and the use of relics. On October 31st of 1517, he nailed the 95 Theses to the church door and began a public debate that would become the Great Reformation of the Church. He stood before the Holy Roman Emperor and defended his writings. He was condemned as a heretic and declared an outlaw. He was hidden away in a castle for a while but never ceased his work. He translated the Bible into the language of the people so they could read it for themselves. Oh yes, and he married a runaway nun who was smuggled out of the convent in a herring barrel and had six children together.” This is our guy, and it is a wild story.
As a result, it makes sense that churches which still bear his name take a moment once a year to recall the Reformation. Sometimes, Reformation Day takes the tone of a heroic adventure. The monk who challenged the power structure of the day against all odds; it is a true David versus Goliath story. Others will focus on the theme of liberation; a moment in time when the shackles of oppression are thrown off, and true freedom explodes on the scene. It is a cause that continues to inspire us today. But I think the best way to honor this day is to see the Reformation as an episode in the unfolding history of the one, holy, Christian and Apostolic Church. It is, yet, another moment in time where the many false teachings that had crept into the Church were exposed and rejected. It is a triumph not of a man nor of a movement but of God’s Word. We break out the red paraments, the color we use for Pentecost, for we recall that it is the Spirit of God who is at work, bringing forth the Gospel, even if it means fracturing human institutions.
In fact, there is this famous line in one of Luther’s sermons where he reflects on his work, on the weakening of the papacy, and breaking out of the false doctrine that gripped the people of God. It did not come by force or coercion but by the Word of God. He says, “I have interpreted, preached, and written God’s Word alone; otherwise, I have done nothing.” And “While I slept or drank Wittenberg beer… the Word has directed and accomplished it all.”
Therefore, our focus today is on the Word of God, which accomplishes so much. We celebrate the Reformation as the ongoing work of God’s care and discipline of His church. To do so, there is, perhaps, no better text to turn our attention to than Romans 3. “Now, we know that whatever the Law says it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the Law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the Law comes knowledge of sin.” The Law of God, the holy and pure commands which demand obedience and fidelity, cannot justify a person. This means the works you do, no matter how righteous and holy they may seem, no matter how much praise and adoration you receive, no matter how inspiring they may be, will not save you. The Law does not provide you with a ladder to climb up to Heaven. Instead, it silences you. It ends your quest, for it is never done perfectly, never completely, and is never certain.
“But now,” says Saint Paul, “now, the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law… the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” A righteousness has been revealed to you. A true and eternal righteousness that is categorically different from the Law. It is the righteousness which comes by faith in Christ. It is faith in what He has done. To trust, then, not in your deeds, not in your accomplishments, but to trust in His sacrifice, His love, His completed actions is your assurance and hope. This is how you are righteous. He says, “There is no distinction: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by His grace as a gift.” It is a gift, a gift received by faith alone.
It is by this Word that the Church is reformed. It is by this eternal truth that the false teachings continue to be exposed and rejected. Anything that seeks to replace Christ, to overshadow His work, or to turn us again toward ourselves is rejected outright. To commemorate the Reformation is to confess that the work of the Word continues even now. The Holy Spirit has not ceased to bring repentance and promises forgiveness for all who believe. It has been so since the beginning. Paul recalls in the next chapter how, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
So, we rightly celebrate this day. We give thanks that God continues to use people like Abraham, Paul, and Luther. He continues to ensure that the Word is proclaimed as He gathers us, yet again, around His gifts. And we rejoice in this great truth: We hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law.
