The Presentation of the Augsburg Confession – Sunday 25 June A✠D 2023
✠ Psalmody: Psalm 119:46;34:1–2, 11, 22;48:1a, 12–14a;Luke 12:32
✠ Lection: Nehemiah 8:1–10;1 Timothy 6:11–16;St. Matthew 10:26b–33
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Many Christians celebrate, remember, and give thanks for the event that took place on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. They consider it the genesis of what came to be whatever doctrinal belief system to which they belong. Arminians, Calvinists, Baptists, Presbyterians: they all have no qualm with saying that Luther started what they have had to finish. That day was very significant and indeed the spark that led to what we now refer to as the Reformation. But it is not the 95 Theses that we hold to to this day, especially not as Lutherans. Nearly 13 years later, in 1530, after many threats, excommunications, papal bulls, and other unrighteous deeds done by the Roman Catholic Church over that period, a far more defining moment happened in the city of Augsburg. It was there that faithful Christian laymen stood before mighty Emperor Charles V and other powerful Romanist men and gave a bold confession that could’ve cost them their lives even though they were confessing God’s truth. Beforehand, they had gathered together and written down foundational teachings about the Christian faith to which they adhered so that the government, and the oppressive “church”, would have no doubt about what they, as “evangelicals” eventually slandered with the label “Lutherans”, believed, taught, and confessed about the one true faith. Their confession was solid on fundamental doctrines such as God, original sin, the Son of God, justification, the Ministry, the Church, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, Absolution, and much more. It was on June 25 of that year that these faithful men stood before that threatening band of wretches and spoke in the light what Christ had revealed in the dark and what they heard in the ear they thus preached on the housetops. Their actions as slaves of Christ and as our fellow saints and heirs of eternal life display a trust in Jesus’ words, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Such is the contrast that is evident every second around us; not that there are bands of hooligans awaiting us in ambush in between every stoplight through which we drive, but in the evidence of how most evil that is done is attempted to be kept hidden. For Christians, the tendency to do so is out of shame and disgrace for we do not like to acknowledge to one another that we are sinners and struggle with certain things even though it is true for us all. But for unbelievers, and especially for those steeped in wicked deeds, hiding evil thoughts, words, and deeds is done for the sake of furthering the evil. Accountability would mean not only having to make restitution for all that was gained through deception, theft, and greed, but significant punishment may be due. This is why once one begins to walk in the way of the wicked, it consistently grows more and more difficult to turn away from it. Sin crouches at the door and gladly overtakes those willing to flirt and play with it as if it has no sting or consequence.
But there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. This bit of truth matters little if the one coming to know about the covered and the hidden things is a powerless peer or an underling. Many common people over recent years have come to feel this way as we see how corrupt our own government is while those who could hold scoundrels accountable only say empty words of promise at best, much less take any real action in reestablishing morality in our nation. The powerful elite among us believe for the time-being that their debauchery, theft, and murder are all well-hidden, or at least hidden away from measures of them being held accountable. But Jesus speaks not of our accountability to one another, but to Him. God will have holy and righteous vengeance; to a reserved degree in this age, but in full, unbridled force at the end of it. All lawless deeds will be uncovered and those who have done evil in His sight will receive their due reward. What they hide for the sake of evil will not endure, nor will it go without reckoning from He Who will come with glory to judge both the living and the dead.
The Christian life also has times for hiding our deeds. Yes, we tend to conceal our sins out of shame, but the Lord, along with the new, regenerate heart which He gives to all His children, seeks for good deeds to be done in secret, not letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing, so that such works are done for the benefit of our neighbor and the glory of God, not for our selfish gain. Therefore, the Christian hides deeds, too, but not out of deception or for manipulation, but for the glorification of the Lord Who Himself is good to all, Who desires us to love and serve one another as He loves and serves us with all good things.
But Christian service also calls for times for things not to be hidden, such as at Augsburg in 1530 and such as in our own lives as the Lord brings us into situations where we’re to confess and defend the hope that we have within us, too. Good deeds in service to neighbor are to be done, hidden, void of boasting or the seeking of recognition, but the fight for the faith, be it in a hostile environment before kings, presidents, emperors, or judges, or be it in more personal settings with those we’ve gotten to know in life, can be done without fear. We serve the one true God Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. It is He Whom we are to fear above the ridicule of unbelieving friends, family, and neighbors, but not in a fear of how He might destroy us if we stumble getting the right words out. He is neither evil nor unjust and it also doesn’t mean that we wield truth uncontrollably like some gang member hanging out of the window of a speeding car letting bullets fly and land where they may with no regard to life or situation. It does mean that as God divinely orchestrates opportunity for us in the relationships that He establishes in our lives, that we take heart and have courage and confidence in Him to guard and protect us in all things, and that we speak in the light as He has taught and nourished our minds and hearts with what He has said to us and done in us. Remember what you believe, teach, and confess as a Lutheran, as a Christian. If you’re not confident with those things, do the noble, hard, honorable work at making it so, letting your pastor know so he can help, and covering all such good and godly desires with prayer, because your heavenly Father will provide you with what you need. If you are to have fear, let it not be of those who can truly do little to you, for even a death that they could bring is only of the body and but of very brief consequence. If you are to have fear, let it be of the One Who can bring about a longer-lasting consequence of death in hell and let that fear also accompany love and trust of He Who is almighty, pure, just, and gracious to you; Who values you more than sparrows, numbers the hairs on your head, and guards and protects you unto eternity in any and all confessions that you make about Him in these evil days that need to hear godly confession from you.
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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