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Luther's Seal
Reformation
October 25, 2009
In the Name of Jesus.
Amen.
“Anything that is not God’s Son will not make me free.” These words of Martin Luther are not particularly famous – but they should be. In an increasingly materialistic and non-Christian culture, we reforming Lutherans need to be proclaiming that message every chance we get. American Christians used to think of missionary work as something we did in other countries. We remain a “religious” nation, yes; but statistics tell us that Christianity is declining as the predominant, most influential of religions in our country. Even phrases like “God bless America” and “In God We Trust” don’t specifically refer to Christ do they, and can be enthusiastically voiced by followers of just about any world religion or popular spirituality. Ironically, the United States is emerging as one of the largest English-speaking, most challenging missions fields in the world. And these days, aren’t we a nation yearning for good news, for hope, for salvation from evil and fear? We Lutherans have historically been a fairly closed bunch, often confusing “personal” faith with “private” faith. The Good News of Jesus Christ brings us into a deeply personal relationship with Jesus, a deeply personal faith in God, yes; but private? Never! The Good News of Jesus is never a private matter. In our baptism, God received us into the family of God, gave us all the gifts of the Kingdom – forgiveness of sin, freedom from fear of death, eternal life, the faithfulness of God even when we are faithless, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit – and sent us out as servants of, and witnesses to, the truth that – as Luther so aptly puts it – “anything that is not Jesus will not make us free.” If we have trouble trying to talk about the Gospel in our own words, Luther’s Seal offers us a priceless visual tool to help us explain the good news of Jesus clearly and powerfully to another person. In a letter to his friend, Luther said that his seal was a visible summary of his theology – so we’ll do a practice run-through of his seal and its meaning this morning. Part One – “At the center, a black Cross...” At the very center of the seal, Luther placed a black cross. He chose the color black as a reminder of death, that there is a part of each of us – what he called “the old Adam,” or, we might call the self-worshipping sinner – that must die. Daily. He believed that if the sin which infects each of us daily is not dealt with daily, it will surely lead us to eternal death. In Holy Baptism, God has called us in repentance and faith to renounce that sinful, self-centered, self-righteous part of ourselves and turn to God for help. “We are buried with Christ by baptism into death, Luther reminds us in the Small Catechism, quoting Romans 6, “so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life.” That this spiritual dying with Christ and rising from death with Christ is experienced in Baptism is something of a marvelous mystery. In Luther’s explanation of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, he answers a common question, “How can water do such great things?” “It is not water that does these things, but God’s Word with the water, and our trust in this Word. Water by itself is only water, but with the Word of God it is a life-giving water which, by grace, gives the new birth through the Holy Spirit.” The black cross reminds us of death – not only Christ’s death but the death of our sinful self with Christ. Part Two – “Around the cross, a red heart...” Luther was quick to point out that the black cross is set inside a heart, a testimony of the Gospel, the assurance that although our constant rebellion against God earns us God’s punishment, our Lord Jesus Christ suffered that punishment for us, in our place. The red heart reminds us that because of God’s love for us, Jesus took our place on the cross. Luther tells us in his explanation of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, “The words given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins assure us that in the sacrament we receive forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.” We are free; our sin is forgiven! Our response to this good news is faith. When God promises, “For the sake of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven all your sins,” we hear that promise and believe it. Our hearts wrap themselves around the cross of Christ. We are saved by faith alone – a faith, the Bible says, that is “active in love.” When a person’s heart stops beating, that person’s face begins to turn an ashen gray. If something is done to restore the heartbeat, a lively healthy color returns. The heart that has the cross of Christ at its center illustrates that one has been made alive again by the precious blood of Jesus. Part Three – “A white rose...” Luther’s family coat-of-arms contained a crossbow, a shield, a helmet with horns, and a rose. The rose was the only part of that family coat-of-arms that Luther retained for his seal. The rose is a symbol of joy. Garrison Keillor enjoys describing the Lutherans of his fictional Lake Woebegone as folks who never seem to feel good unless they’re miserable, as people who are not always very expressive of their emotions. Luther’s household, however, was not a dreary, somber place. If we can judge from conversations recorded at his dinner table, it was lively – filled with fun and food, drink and song, children and laughter. The Christian life is blessed with joy. Luther specified that the rose was to be white to indicate that Christian joy. Christian joy is a deeper thing than “happiness,” which depends on what’s going on at the time. It is a special joy which is not dependent on earthly circumstances. But, have you ever been stabbed by the thorns on a rose stem? It can be quite painful, as though there is some kind of poison on that thorn, because it hurts for a long time. Life has its thorns, too, its very painful and difficult moments – all of us have experienced them; some of us are experiencing them even now. The kind of joy Luther speaks of is not a giddy, silly kind of joy. But because of Jesus Christ, you have God’s love to comfort you, sustain you, and even cheer you. Be of good cheer,” says Jesus, “for I have overcome the world. I have conquered sin and death forever. Nothing can snatch you from God’s loving hands.” Not sin, not terrorism, not a recession, not the H1N1 flu, not even death – nothing. That promise is truly the peace and joy which passes all human understanding. Part Four – “The blue sky...” The blue sky which serves as a background in Luther’s seal points us ahead to the full reign of God which we will enjoy one day. Paul said, “I have a desire to depart and be with Jesus, which is far better...Heaven is my true home.” Christians are sometimes criticized as being “so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.” That’s a clever little saying, bit it is far from the truth. Being heavenly-minded makes us very good for the world. We are “the salt of the earth, the light of the world,” according to Jesus. As we observe evil and loss in the world all around us, Christians are needed to point to something higher, truer, holy, lasting – the love of God, the victorious reign of Jesus Christ. Because our salvation is assured in Jesus, we are free to live our lives for others, instead of for ourselves; we are free to serve not in order to win our salvation, but in thanksgiving for the gift of our salvation in Christ. We look forward to that place where, as John tells us I Revelation, the Lord will wipe away every tear, where pain and sorrow and death will be no more, where all things will be restored as God first and always intended them to be, and we will be able to enjoy once more the fellowship of those whom we have loved, who have been received in heaven before us. Our whole lives, then, become sacramental – the common, this-worldly means by which other people experience God’s grace through our faith active in love. The miracle is that, with Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, our eternal life, our citizenship in heaven, began the moment we were baptized. And we join with “the church on earth and the host of heaven” in a “foretaste of the feast to come” every time we celebrate Holy Communion. Part Five – “A gold ring...” Just as a circle has no beginning and no end, so the gold ring which surrounds Luther’s seal symbolizes eternity. Already as children, we learned that for some reason, when we are having a good time, someone inevitably says, “It’s time to go now,” or “Time to get ready for bed!” The child objects, “Do we have to?” “Yes,” we say, adding that horrible saying we all know, “All good things must come to an end.” ...except the good news of Jesus, and the unconditional love of God. Because of the faith and hope which God has given us in Jesus, crucified for the forgiveness of our daily rebellion against God, and raised for our eternal joy, God’s final promise is, “You can stay longer! Rest! Enjoy!” The golden circle stands for eternity. “Anything that is not Jesus will not make me free.” This is a freedom few of us have fully explored. This is the cup of freedom that few of us have more than sipped, the bread of freedom which most of us only snack on. What of the precious gifts Christ has won for you do you offer in thanksgiving to God –- gifts for which you could never hope to repay him -- time, talents, possessions, offered in thanksgiving for the witness of those who introduced you to Jesus and brought you to the services of God’s house, to Sunday School? As Luther often asked: What does this mean? It's not only about eternal life—that is God's alone to give. Rather, it's about experiencing the fullness of grace in this life. Continue pursuing God even when you feel most tired. Continue seeking nourishment in God’s Word, especially when you are feeling spiritually starved. Continue being open to God's voice, even when other, louder voices are tempting. Continue following Jesus as the years unfold, remembering always: “Anything that is not
Jesus will not make me free.”
Amen.
Rev. Joan Gunderman, Senior Pastor
Lutheran Church of the Cross, Nisswa, Minnesota |
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