God's Ways

God's ways are truly not our ways.
We get things upside down all the time, sort of like this sign I found in the heart of our small town. I wondered as I took this photo if anyone else noticed that the sign was pointing in the right direction but the "directions" were turned on their head? No matter, the human eye can read things upside down and sideways and even backwards when we have to. . . a gift God gave us to discern things when they aren't quite right, I suppose.

This week's lesson from Luther's sermons comes to us from Luke 18: The Pharisee and the Publican. Sometimes our piety gets the best of us. . . we get judgmental about our "faith" and stoop to comparing it to the faith of others as if there was some cosmic measuring stick that we could audaciously hold up to the faith of others. Only God knows our hearts. Humility is a gift of the Spirit and of a contrite heart.

Luther writes: Here again we have a picture and an example of the divine judgment on saints and good people. Two extraordinary persons are presented to us in this Gospel; one thoroughly good and truly pious; and one hypocritically pious. But before we take up the example and consider the terrible sentence, we must first notice that Luke here makes the impression as though righteousness came by works. For Luke is most accustomed to do this, as when we at present preach that faith alone saves, he observes that people are led to desire only to believe, and to neglect the power and fruit of faith. This John also does in his Epistle and James, where they show that faith cannot exist without works.

Thus Luke, in the beginning of his introduction, would speak as follows: I see indeed that many have preached how faith alone saves, by which they have brought the people to strive for a fictitious faith; hence I must also speak of works by which they can be assured of their faith, and prove it to the people by their acts. Consequently it sounds as though Luke everywhere taught that righteousness came by works; as you have recently heard: Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; and, make unto yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness. And here it appears as though the publican had obtained his goodness by praying and smiting his breast. So this Gospel appears as though we should become good or pious by our works. 

How does our piety get the best of us at times? 

Chime in here and as always if you want the full text of this sermon shoot me an email and I'll send it to you.

Yours in Christ,
a.