Peace, without peace

Martin Luther, in the midst of his teaching at the University of Wittenberg and his responsibilities as pastor of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, found himself fighting for the very souls of his students and parishioners. He wasn’t preparing to exorcise demons possessing innocent young ones or vulnerable consciences. He wasn’t boning up on the Mallaeus Malefactorum to roust a band of witches from the region. He was going up against other priests and monks. In fact, he was marshalling all his arguments to fight a whole group of church men sent by the pope in Rome. He was battling the highest power of the church in his day.

 A group of monks and priests had swarmed into Germany, preaching, teaching, and selling blessings for the people. The pieces of paper, marked with all the official regalia and seals of the pope in Rome, promised instant salvation and passage to heaven to the bearer or whomever the owner wished to bequeath it. Hell was no longer a threat, and even the long passage of time in purgatory (where even the weakest and uninterested Christian could work their way clean) was done away with. In the sellers’ own words: “As soon as the coins in the coffer rings, a soul to heaven from purgatory springs.”

 Dr. Luther, Professor Luther, Pastor Luther knew these pieces of papers, these indulgences, were just lies. Salvation does not come through official documents. Salvation cannot be bought with gold or silver. It does not matter how much of the precious metals you lay out. Salvation comes only through the sacrifice of life of Christ. Only His blood could buy the forgiveness of sins, and the entrance into paradise.

 Luther had to fight. He had to fight the “easy way” that the indulgence sellers offered. That way was not, and never would be, anything but a false trail. They were selling lies to the people. They were leading those poor people down a path that would lead not to the promised heaven, but to sure and certain death  and hell. So he wanted to expose them. He wanted to show them up for the liars they were. So he drew up 95 Theses, 95 Sentences to debate in public to display their lies and deceit.                                                     

 Those sentences began the whole movement back to Scripture and Scripture alone as the basis for the life of faith. Those simple lines exposing lies led many to see the truth of the Word that had been whitewashed over for so long. It was the first foray that led to the Reformation, and our church. This month we celebrate God’s display of that Gospel then, and His continued proclamation of salvation alone by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.

 No more whitewash. No more prophets declaring a false peace, when only Christ holds the true peace. No more soothing words except the only Real Word of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.

In His peace,            Pastor Red