(observed)
Readings: Revelation 14:6-7 | Romans 3:19-28 | John 8:31-36
Text: Matthew 11:12-19
In the 1730’s, there began a movement in the Colonies that was later called The Great Awakening. It came with convincing preachers, stirred spirits, changed morals, and huge revival meetings. It transformed the religious and moral landscape of the soon-to-be American colonies. Some even consider the religious fervor it ignited as one of the causes of the American Revolution. It had a huge impact, but the effects eventually wore off. By 1790, there was a Second Great Awakening, filled with a whole new round of hellfire and brimstone sermons, new converts, and more moral reform. This too, faded away until there was a Third Great Awakening in the 1850s.
And pattern is nothing new to the church on earth. There is a tide that ebbs and flows of reform and unfaithfulness that washes through the generations of the sons of men. So, on this Reformation Sunday, we will consider the wisdom the Lord Himself teaches about the success of His Word in the hearts of mankind.
The very first big reform for the Church happened in the Exodus. Collectively, the sons of Jacob were languishing under the yoke of slavery in Egypt. God sent them Moses to deliver them with mighty acts of judgment against Pharaoh and his idols. In the very first Passover, all of Israel carefully obeyed the Lord’s instructions, and they were preserved from the final plague of death of the firstborn [Ex. 12:23]. Moses brought them through the Red Sea on dry ground, and the sons of Israel became a people for God’s own treasured possession [Ex. 19:5]. The whole assembly took part in God’s rescue, as St. Paul much later wrote, “Our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink”[1] But that ideal picture of God’s people didn’t last long. They soon succumbed to grumbling against God, rejecting His called servants [Ex. 16], and even outright pagan worship practices [Ex. 32].
This cycle of faithfulness and apostasy continued, generation after generation. There were glimpses of a perfect company of God’s people, and then hopes would be dashed. It even seemed that some final victory had come under the reigns of King David, and his son, Solomon. But even their reigns came to an end in division among God’s people.[2]
When John the Baptist finally appeared in the wilderness, a reformation of a different kind suddenly erupted. It wasn’t different because of the participants, because they were still just as much sinners. It was different because of what the Lord Himself was going to do. The Evangelist Matthew tells us earlier, “Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to [John], and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”[3] Even the Pharisees and Sadducees went out to the big revival at the Jordan. It looked to the eyes like all of Israel was in the process of a final reform. John truly was the Elijah to come, of whom the Prophet Malachi spoke: “5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”[4]
It seemed even more like that was the case once John announced, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”[5] Great crowds flocked to Jesus and followed Him as He preached and healed. At one point, the crowds were so great that Jesus had to teach from a boat offshore to avoid being crushed.[6] During Jesus’ ministry, a great number of people were forgiven of their sins, healed of their diseases, and cleansed of their leprosy. And every one of this great multitude believed, since it was said about His visit to Nazareth, “He did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.”[7]
Yet, even during His ministry, there was the old familiar unbelief. It may have been that many followed Jesus, but it didn’t continue like that. Just as the Lord said in His Parable, “20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”[8] And we saw this happen following the Feeding of the 5,000. That massive crowd, after listening to Him teach more, said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”[9] To which Jesus added the still more unpalatable word: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.” And at that, “many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.”[10]
So, what is reformation about, if not reformed behavior and success stories? If it isn’t about the droves of partially, temporarily cleaned up sinners, then what? Reformation is about what the Church has always been built on: the pure preaching of God’s Word. Our Lord says in the Gospel,
“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, 17 ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”[11]
Yes, there were great crowds who followed after Jesus and believed in Him. But that isn’t reformation in the Lord’s sight. The kind of reform which God has always been after is those who listen to His Word, not just those who hear, but are present in body only (Luke 11:28). The real reformations which cause joy before God’s throne in heaven take place throughout the ages: every time a sinner repents.[12] The same action of God is true in every age:
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 ”For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent
it.[13]
This kind of reformation is grounded on faith, and happens by faith. Yes, there may be a huge initial response, and the appearance of the whole world being converted, but those things will pass. What was visible for a time will become invisible. Yet, the reformation will continue in those who “have ears to hear” (v. 15).
Those who have the ears are God’s own work, not the result of clever methods.
Just as with all things pertaining to faith, on the Last Day, the reaping of the angels will reveal where the planted Word has taken root.
It’s a mistake for us set our hopes on the visible traits of reformation in the outward appearance of the church. Rather, the Lord would have us fix our eyes on Him, the only hope for lost sheep. He will cause His Word to go out (Isa. 55). His Spirit will give ears to hear.
Hear Ephesians 1:4-10:
4as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
The Reformation isn’t about Lutheran; it’s about the pure preaching of God’s Word, unstained by the devil and free of human invention. And this is a continual effort.
Our Lord’s coming was a kind of Reformation, and John the Baptist truly did fulfill the office of Elijah:
“5“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Mal. 4:5-6)
Where reform and true faith in God’s Word will occur is in those who “have ears to hear.” Nevertheless, the call to repentance and forgiveness goes out to every generation: “We played the flute for you, we sang a dirge…” Though it may not appear that reform is successful, in those who have ears to hear God’s Word, “Wisdom will be justified by her deeds.”
It’s a mistake for us set our hopes on the visible traits of reformation in the outward appearance of the church. Rather, the Lord would have us fix our eyes on Him, the only hope for lost sheep. He will cause His Word to go out (Isa. 55). His Spirit will give ears to hear. God’s election is sure.
So what are we to hope in at Reformation Day? That the Word of the Lord does endure forever. That there are preachers who proclaim the Gospel in its purity and administer the Sacraments of Christ according to His institution. That no matter what fancy designs of men may produce, the Word of the Lord endures forever and continue to be the means which God uses to reach fallen people.
The Reformation is not about what we now know as the Lutheran confession of faith; it is about the continual work of God in the midst of a bunch of tax collectors and sinners.
In the Name + of Jesus Amen.
[1] 1 Cor. 10:1-4, emphasis added
[2] 1 Kings 1 and 12
[3] Matt. 3:5-6
[4] Mal. 4:5-6
[5] John 1:29
[6] Mark 3:9
[7] Matt. 13:58
[8] Matt. 13:20-21
[9] John 6:60
[10] John 6:63, 66
[11] v. 16-19
[12] Luke 15:7
[13] Isaiah 55:10-11
Leave a Reply