“REPENT YE”
Saint Matthew
11. 12-15
The Festival of
the Reformation:
31 October Anno Domini 2013
Father Jay
Watson SSP
In The Name + of
Jesus
“And
from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, and the violent take it by force.” Well, how are you going to use that
inspired verse penned by blessed Saint Matthew, quoting the God/Man, to attack
Pope Francis or any of the Romanists before him? Well, you can if you’re a
bigot or ignorant, but, the violent and rebellious treason committed against
the Lord and His Anointed, against the “kingdom
of heaven,” predates 1517 by a few years it would appear. The violent
perpetrators of violence are not Turks and Papists and Jews so much as they are
all sinful men. The violence is the violence of YOUR sin. Ever since the
Garden, the enemies and adversaries have been Satan, the world, and your sinful
flesh.
But people do need heroes don’t they, men “larger than life” to look up to and to
follow. Young boys aspire to be like their Dads and almost everyone has role
models and aspirational guides. The sin is of course to break the 1st
Commandment by giving to man what belongs only to God: fear, love, and trust
above all things!
Ah, the Festival of The Reformation…what a
conundrum this calendar date—becoming a Church date—creates for a follower of
the Augustana and the Book of Concord, QUIA
(i.e. “because”) they comport to and are faithful expositions of
SCRIPTURE—the very Word of God! It’s a narrow line that a good Lutheran must
walk to be a Scriptural disciple of the Nazarene. It’s a fine balance of both pride
AND a deep appreciation of Dr.
Luther’s awareness of sin and the utter falleness of man. These both need to be
remembered on 31 October to keep it from becoming mere triumphalism and vain
hypocrisy. Luther was heroic but he was no “plaster saint.” The Reformers who took
up his mission and carried his banner were both
brave confessors AND fallible and
broken men. Martin sinned daily every bit as much as Pope Leo, Cardinal
Cajetan, and Tetzel. Repent Ye!
We also need not be, and indeed must NOT BE, socialist levelers who delight in
attacking heroic men and women by slandering every courageous activity and
choice of brave conscience. Sinners, your sinful self, naturally follow Satan’s
lead and gleefully pull others down into the sewage of sin so as to diminish
their own guilty stink! Repent Ye!
We celebrate the bold testimony of that
Augustinian monk who on the Eve of All Saints Day nailed his theological theses
to the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church, not because He was “Lutheran” but because he was
Evangelical and Catholic, i.e. he was
constrained by the Gospel to preach, teach, and confess Christ crucified for
the forgiveness of sins and justification by Grace through Faith, in Christ
alone, to the entire Catholic Church---Jesus’ own Kingdom of Grace in all the world.
We should remember, honor, commemorate, and
even have statues for the faithful Reformers, Confessors, and Martyrs—ESPECIALLY
the Martyrs. Honor and recognition needs to be given for Saints: Jan Hus,
Patrick Hamilton, William Tyndale, and legions of others from modern times to
centuries past; from 16th century reformers to 4th
century reformers; from confessors to Disciples and Apostles. But what did they
die for? What did they confess with their blood as well as with their words and
writings? They died for what they lived for and for WHO lived in them. For that
which sustained proto-martyr Saint Stephen, and Saint James Zebedee, also
sustains and animates you: Jesus Christ the crucified and risen God in the
flesh AND in your flesh.
What was the very first of Luther’s
propositions that he wanted the Church to consider, to take-to-heart, and to be
reformed by? Thesis #1 reads: “Our Lord and Master
Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite (Repent Ye),
willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.” Repent
Ye!
Luther was simply bowing his knee to Christ
and His Word. This is what Saint John Baptizer lived, taught, and died for by
the power of the same Holy Ghost which he saw descend upon Messiah. Repent and
believe is the real and joyous teaching and confession of the Reformation. We
are not here to insult Romanists or Reformed; though we do that (I do that) far
too often. Christ came not as a roaring Lion (the Lion of Judah) with a sword
to kill and wreak vengeance; He came as the silent Lamb with a sinless Body to
keep all the Law that you break and to let that sinless Body be tortured and
killed on the Tree. Jesus lived and died to atone for all Leo’s sins, yes; but
also for all Martin’s. Repent Ye!
And though John Baptizer was the greatest of
men, he was the greatest of sinful men. He too had his black foul misdeeds, and
crimson crimes washed away in the blood of his kinsman by flesh—the same
kinsman King who is your brother by adoption + into His Sacred Body and
Precious Blood. John’s message was simply the message of Adam, Abraham, Jacob,
Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel. Repent Ye! The message of Law was preached by all the Law and the
Prophets; it was confessed by all the Reformers including the greatest of the
Old Testament saints Elias. But it wasn’t the Law and the commands that Elias
and Saint Moses discussed with your Savior at Transfiguration; it was Jesus’
upcoming Passion and Death at Calvary—the Gospel of forgiveness by Christ’s crucifixion—Paul’s
message—Luther’s message—your message of Mercy for Jesus’ sake by faith in Him
alone.
The Lord of Hosts, Jesus is with you. Jesus
is here this evening in His absolution and in His Supper—for you and all of
your corruption. He reforms you by giving you Himself. His God Blood is the
transfusion you need to be reformed and healed of the blood cancer of sin. His
God Body is the food you need to vivify and reform your corpse body and make
you glorified in the eyes of His Father. His Words of peace spoken into your
ears reforms your nature and makes you part of Him. The God of Jacob—Jesus the
Christ—is your refuge—A Mighty Fortress indeed!
You celebrate the Festival of the
Reformation not by bashing the false communions of Trent and Geneva, nor by
burning to death Muslims and secular opponents; but rather you are reformed by
the Righteous Branch Himself.
Salute Luther; yes of course. Pray for the
conversion of the Mohammedans, such is your love as Christians. Confess truth
and be willing to die for orthodoxy when needed and required against the erring
and heterodox all the while praying for their enlightenment in He Who is the
only Light, such is your privilege as heirs of Martin, Athanasius, Paul of
Tarsus and Elias of Mount Carmel.
But this day, be reformed by The Reforming
and Merciful God at His Table with His Body and Blood. Repent Ye! Take eat and drink and believe the Good News!
In The Name of The Father and of The + Son and of
The Holy Ghost
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