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"Sola Scriptura"
October 28, 2001 Rev. Dr. John Ward
As we celebrate Reformation Sunday and, as Gary said, the distinctions--the three great deposits of the Protestant Church: That we are saved by grace alone: "Sola gracia." That we are saved by faith alone: "Sola fide." As well, we understand our relationship with God through "Sola Scriptura," the Scriptures alone. That's the title of this morning's sermon. As we focus on the Reformation, we think of that beginning point, that lynchpin of the Reformation, being around 1517 with Martin Luther, the great Reformer, the author of the song that we sang this morning, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." When he tacked up what was called the "95 theses," or the 95 statements, he wished to clean up the church's act. He himself by that time was a university professor at Wittenberg and a Bible scholar. When he became true to his faith by understanding his relationship with God, he became an Augustinian monk. He had never seen the Scripture before. It wasn't until he was in the monastery, doing his normal job of dusting the stacks in the library, that he came across this book. He'd never seen it. His only understanding of it before was when the Word was given in the daily Mass and on the stained glass windows. People would see the wonderful stories, but that's about all that was given to the masses, to the people of God.
As Martin Luther got more into the Word, he discovered its power and of course became a scholar of it. He wanted to give it to every person who could read and, of course, was integral in bringing people the Bible, thanks to the wonderful invention of the printing press. It was by no accident that the Reformation occurred when it did. Many things occurred bringing the success of it to this point, but when the Bible itself was being printed into the native language of Germany, and so on, and so on, around the world, even to this day, we began to understand the great deposits of the Protestant faith. What I want to do today then is focus on God's Word as we do each week here. We are indeed at Faith Presbyterian Church, a church of the Word as Gary and I, when we preach, always begin with a passage and make that truly what the Word of God is about. It's about bringing the Word to you and to me.
Well, as John read for us in this wonderful story, I'd like this story itself to be the reminder of how powerful God's Word is. If you haven't turned already, please do so to page 79 in those pew Bibles because we'll be letting this story itself be our outline for the morning. Jesus is finishing up the seventh parable of this area of Luke. He's told six others already. He's not done yet--He's got at least four more in this section as Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to face His death on behalf of us all. He's telling these parables, and this is the last one in this particular section.
His listeners actually know the beginning of the story that He tells. This is an old Jewish tradition about a rich man who is cursed, not because he's rich, but because he didn't do anything very well with his riches. He did not honor God with his riches because as old as the Old Testament, as old as levitical law, it was said that for anyone who was poor, you were to watch out for them. So as the people and the community who heard Jesus' teaching understood, there was this rich man. He was three times rich, as Jesus says here. He was "rich" rich. He was "dressed in purple and fine linen" rich. And he was "feasting sumptuously every day" rich. Now, that's three times rich. That dressing in purple and fine linen was the dress of royalty. It doesn't say he was a royal person at all, but says he was rich enough to afford the very clothes, the most expensive to make in that day. Not only that he was able to (and did) feast sumptuously daily. Now, all people were called to feast days, and just about everyone could at least enjoy a feast. But this gentleman was so rich he could do so and took advantage of it on a daily basis. So Jesus makes the point and the Jews understand that, because this is an old Jewish tradition.
At his gate lay a poor man who was not three, but four times poor. He was "poor" poor. He was "covered with sores" poor. He was "hungry" poor. And "even the dogs were above him" poor. That's how poor this Lazarus was. Covered with sores, he was laid at the gate of the rich man. He longed for the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Back in that day if you were rich enough--of course napkins had not yet been invented. They were a long time to be invented from then. But if you had the wherewithal, what you would do is you would provide loaves of bread for your guests and you would wipe your hands on the loaves of bread. That would be the crumbs that fell from the table. That was understood by the listeners of that day.
That's how rich this man was. That's how poor Lazarus was. Lazarus longed for the crumbs that fell from the table, that were nothing more than napkins to those who were feasting. And he couldn't even get away from the dogs. He was too poor and too wretched himself to chase the dogs away that came after him. That's how poor he was.
Now, those who were the listeners of this parable in Jesus' day were catching all this. "OK, yeah, it's one of those parables about the rich and the poor. And this rich man was blessed by God with his riches, but he did not use them to show his obedience to God by caring for the poor." Again, as old as this levitical law, God has called the Israelites to show their obedience to God by caring for the poor, for the widow, and for the alien (for the stranger in their land). Interestingly, let me read to you from Leviticus 19:34 about this. This is the Word of God and it says this: "The alien living with you must be treated as one of your own native-born. Love him as yourself. I am the Lord your God." And another one from Leviticus 25:35: "If a countryman among you becomes poor, help him as you would an alien."
Make sure that everyone was cared for, that everyone was loved. That is what was understood by those who heard this story when the set-up of the rich man and Lazarus came forth. So those who were listening were saying, "OK, Jesus, we're with you this far, so let's see how much farther we can go with this." OK. Jesus continues on with the story and death occurs. Both Lazarus dies and also the rich man. In hades, where he was being tormented (this is the rich man), he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. Notice that the rich man notices and knows the name of Lazarus according to this story. In other words, the rich man knew that there was a poor man at his gate and he knew the name of that poor man, yet he was not known for helping him whatsoever, which is why it is understood in this story that he is in hades and in torment. He is suffering because he never cared for anyone but himself. He was given all of those riches, and he received them, and that's all he got in life. And for Lazarus, who never got a chance to be helped by those riches, he was brought by compassion by God to the bosom of Abraham.
Let me continue on. Let me repeat verse 23 first. "In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me.' " Notice how he treats Lazarus--just as he treated him before--as something not really worth caring for, but using. "Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and come over and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames." But Abraham said, "Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus, in like manner, evil things. But now he is comforted here and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us is a great chasm that has been fixed so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so and no one can cross from there to us."
So those, again, who were the audience hearing this for the first time are still with Jesus in this story. They've heard the familiar righteous and unrighteous person, the familiar reward for that. And now they can understand as Jesus is telling about this chasm in hades. So now in verse 27 comes a new addition to the story. He said, "Then, father, I beg you to send him my father's house, for I have five brothers that he may warn them so that they may not also come to this place of torment." So Jesus begins to say now the rich man, knowing how bad a situation he's in, thinks about his family and says, "Well, please then, send Lazarus from your bosom--send Lazarus from the dead and make him alive again. Perform such a miracle as that because that would convince my five brothers, who are acting just like I am." I would imagine the audience is with Jesus as well: "Yeah. Yeah, send a miracle. It didn't work for anybody else. It certainly didn't work for the rich man. He's now got concerns for his family. Yeah, we can understand."
And here comes the answer. This answer, in my mind, is a Reformation answer. It's an answer of "Sola Scriptura," to understand the power of the Word of God for salvation and God's plan for salvation, which is the proclamation of His Word, the understanding of it by those who wish to follow God. Abraham replied, "Well, they have Moses and the prophets. They should listen to them." Verse 30: "He said, 'No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead they will repent.' " Notice what's being set up here. Abraham said they have the Word of God. They have the covenant writings. They have the writings of how God created the earth, and how man rebelled, and how God even in his own nature promised reconciliation, and in the Second Person of what we know as the Trinity now--Jesus Christ--is the fulfillment of that promise that God would restore all people to Himself. Abraham says, "They have Moses and the prophets. They have the law of which we're called to obedience. They have the prophets talking about the promise of the Messiah coming. Let them listen to that. That will convince them." The rich man says, "No, it probably won't. So please send something greater than that." The answer is verse 31: "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
This is Jesus' statement to those to say that the importance of salvation comes from obedience to the Word. And those of us who live on this side of the resurrection, who live now as New Covenant people, understand this message is still true for us today. We have Moses and the prophets of the Old Testament, of the first covenant. And we have the apostolic writings about Christ's life and the church--the New Covenant. And we're called to listen to these to understand how to receive salvation. Nothing less than that is what Jesus is trying to tell the people of His day. Even as He becomes the fulfillment, even as He becomes the one who is resurrected, His resurrection points to the truth of God's Word for you and for me.
The first century listeners to this story were following along thinking, "Yup, you know I can understand the poor guy. I can understand the rich guy. I can understand what happened at that point. I can understand how the rich guy would like to save his family. And I can understand that the Word of the Lord is powerful. I would like, though, to see those miracles happen." And perhaps this is why Jesus twists it just a little bit.
Because isn't it true that you and I would love to have some confirmation miracles in our life for some of the things that we believe in Scripture? Doesn't God quite often provide miracles for you and me? But those miracles, as we see them, confirm what we have read in Scripture. Christ promises no more magic tricks, no more great miracles to convince us because, as He says here, if our hearts are not open to God's Word and to the message which is given to us by the Holy Spirit, then nothing of what Christ does will make sense to us. If a resurrection of Lazarus would not make sense, neither will the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His ascension make sense to us, unless indeed we are caught by the Spirit, by the Word of God.
Think about that for a moment. Even Scripture tells us that. Do you remember the wonderful stories about the feeding of the 5,000? That's in John chapter 6. Let me reference that before you real quickly. This is one of my favorites with regard to confirmation of what Luke says as he tells Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus. This story begins in chapter 6 with the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus feeds 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. After that He heads to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. What He does is He walks on water. There's two pretty exciting miracles right there, wouldn't you say? The feeding of the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish and then He walks on water and heads down south, to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The people who had received the food got worried because they didn't see Him and they had to take the long route, of course, around the shoreline.
When they got to finding Jesus, this is how the story takes up in John chapter 6: When they found him on the other side of the Sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" And Jesus answered them and said, "Truly I tell you, you're looking for me not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves." Now, isn't that interesting? Even Jesus Himself performing miracles, which John calls "signs" (because John is correct--these are signs that validate Jesus' ministry). They validate what He's teaching. What He's teaching is consistent with the Scripture because He has come to fulfill the law and the prophets. They're not catching on even to the miracles Jesus gives. But listen--it gets worse. Jesus says, "You're not looking for me because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill. You came because you're hungry." These people still are hard of heart and of hearing. Verse 27: "Don't work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on Him that God the Father has set His seal. Then they said to Him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus answered, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."
This is what they say. Now, OK. They were fed (5,000 of them). They had to catch up to Jesus because He was walking on water. And this is what they say: "What sign are you going to give us then so that we may believe you?"
That's sad. And what's sad about it is these were the eyewitnesses. And what's worse, you know and I know that we're asking the same things of Christ all too often. We're looking for the miracles. "Jesus, show me a sign and then I'll believe." And you know what? As Jesus told the people the first century, as He tells you and me today, "Go to the Word of God. And if you listen to the Word of God, then you'll understand everything. And any miracle that I give to you will be a confirmation of me to you when you have a pastoral need, when you need my presence--because I promise to be with you. But you don't need it for a miracle-fix because then you'll need miracle, after miracle, after miracle, after miracle, and you'll become a miracle-addict. And you'll still not understand. If the eyewitnesses would not understand, friends, neither will we unless our ears and our hearts are open to the Word of God. It's the Word of God through which God speaks to us in His Spirit about the fulfillment of God's will through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8: "For it is by grace through faith that you are saved." Second Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is inspired by God." (That "inspiration" word meaning "God-breathed.") Jesus Himself, just before the feeding of the 5,000, says to those who are trying to figure out who He is and what He's about: "You search the Scriptures for in them you hope to find eternal life and it is these that bear testimony to me."
Friends, we're given the Word of God. And the Reformation story was a battle to make sure that all people could have it. It's possible for you and me to understand God's Word, to be obedient by it, and for it, and through it, for God's behalf. Friends, there's nothing more or nothing less than God's Word for us. It's worth a battle for. It's worth battling time for to study it, to belong to study groups. It's worth our time to make this central to our worship. It's worth it to have Bible studies here at church, the ones that we host, not only of our own doing and organization, but other outside organizations that bring Bible studies here as well. It's been a great gift given to us, this Word of God. Sometimes it's hard to understand, but it's true. Most of the time it's not hard to understand, and it's very powerful. But in either way, it's God's Word for us, and we celebrate that today on Reformation Sunday.
Let's pray together. Heavenly Lord, as we seek you, we know that we will find you, because you promise that. We know that because Scriptures says so. Lord, we know that Scripture is inspired because the apostles write about that. We know that it's the power for salvation because you say so. Lord, as we continue to love you and to be your disciples of this particular time, we wish as much to understand your Word and be a people of the Book as all generations before us. Lord, concretely today allow us to make decisions to be readers of this book, studyers of it with others if we're not already, and livers of it and doers of it. In Christ's name we pray. And all God's people said, "Amen."
Rev. Dr. John Ward Associate Pastor for Discipleship Faith Presbyterian Church Minnetonka, Minnesota
[Transcribed from an audiotape of the 9:00 a.m. worship service on October 28, 2001] |
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