Tag: truth

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Speak Well of Others

Holy Father,
The Ten Commandments are intended to be a blessing, not a burden. In the Eighth Commandment you command us to speak the truth, especially regarding our neighbor. Falsehood and gossip can do great damage to others that is not easily undone. Lies bring into question the reputation and character of others that can ruin their good name.

When I lie, when I am dishonest, when I slander others, how I need the truth of your forgiveness! Cleanse not only my lips, but my heart as well, which is the spring from which my words flow. May my mouth always speak the truth, and always in love. Let my speech be useful in building others up rather than tearing them down, in defending others rather than defaming them, and in forgiving rather than fault-finding. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Truth That Truly Frees

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(John 8:31-36)

The trial is winding down. Closing arguments are being made. Shortly, the jury will reveal its judgment on the man accused of murder. The family of the victim has of course expressed its hope that justice is carried out and that the truth prevails. 

A husband has his suspicions. His wife has been working at the office much later into the evening in recent weeks. On more than one occasion he has entered the room to find her texting, followed by a rather frazzled explanation of who it was on the other end. They haven’t spent any meaningful time together for several months. He’s worried that she’s cheating on him and he’s ready to confront her because he has to know the truth. 

Suppose the truth is discovered in each of the above scenarios. The man accused of murder is found guilty. The wife suspected of being unfaithful was in fact having an affair. The truth prevailed. But where does knowing that truth leave the family of the victim? What has changed for the husband whose suspicions have been confirmed with the truth of an affair? Yes, there is certainly something to be said for the truth being brought to light. There is peace of mind that results when a suspicion or a gut feeling is finally confirmed and uncertainty is erased. 

Sadly though, the truth won’t bring the victim alive and back to the family. The truth of the affair won’t restore the trust that was broken in the marriage commitment. I point this out to underscore how out-of-place it is when we see the words of Jesus from John 8 snatched out of context and lazily applied to the general pursuit of truth in any imaginable situation. When Jesus’ words, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (v. 32), are invoked in the noble name of truth alone, with all due respect, no, that truth may not set a person free. In both of the previous scenarios, the truth came out, but ask the ones left picking up the pieces if they’d use the word “free” to describe how they’re feeling. I doubt it. When this Bible verse is often quoted in similar settings, it misses the mark. No, not just any old truth will set a person free. 

But there is a truth that does. And 500 years ago, a German monk discovered that truth. These words of Jesus had a profound impact on him. That impact not only changed the trajectory of his own life, but also the direction of the church of his day that had lost its way. Martin Luther’s discovery of the truth of Scripture that freed him from the prison of his own unrighteousness drove him to hammer his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. The truth that he discovered freed him to boldly stand up to church and state authorities to debate and defend it. To appreciate the courage that took, let history display the embers and ashes of those who went before him, burned at the stake for having had the audacity to question church authority. What truth would be worth that sort of a risk?

That truth is beautifully summarized by Jesus himself so simply in verse 36: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Jesus’ words are so straightforward and succinct so as not to be confused or mistaken. If a police officer lets you go with just a warning, then you are free and under no obligation to pay a ticket. If your server knowingly throws in a menu item free of charge, then you are under no obligation to pay for it. If Jesus frees you, then you are free. There are no strings attached, no future favors expected in return, and no disclaimers or fine print hiding some loophole. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Who is in need of that kind of freedom? Those listening to Jesus didn’t think they were. Notice how his listeners bristled at the notion that they would need any kind of freedom. “They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’” (v. 33). The Jewish people listening to Jesus were hearing him offer something that they didn’t think they needed and hadn’t ever needed. They were very well aware of their status as God’s special, chosen people.

Jesus explained it for them. “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin’” (v.34). Their minds were set on physical slavery. But Jesus did not come to promise freedom from any physical chains or earthly master. Rather, Jesus was speaking of spiritual slavery to sin. 

Kind of a harsh way to describe our relationship with sin, isn’t it? Is Jesus possibly overstating things just a bit – using hyperbole, as he often does – an extreme statement to make his point? 

No, and it’s just as true today as it was in Jesus’ day. If you sin, you are a slave to sin. That, after all, is how sin plays the game. It refuses to be the servant and insists on being the slave master. Sin does not invite us to try it out for a time and then respectfully understand when we decide we’d like to be done with it and move on. No, sin is like an invasive plant. When it is permitted to grow without removal or restraint, it refuses to give up any ground gained until it takes over everything. 

And your own experience has taught you this! Sin stakes its claim in our hearts and once it does, does not willingly or easily give up ground. In fact, it demands more of us. It wants to expand its rule in our hearts. A chip on our shoulder expands into full-fledged bitterness. A quick glance here and a brief look of lust there explode into raging addiction. A polite discussion in person or online becomes a heated argument bent on being right and pride puffs up to pummel the other person and put them down. A few dollars now and again that we’ll surely pay back becomes significantly more until the concern of paying it back is replaced by the concern of covering our tracks.

Sin does not play the role of servant! It demands to be in charge. Jesus’ words are true; everyone who sins is a slave to sin. If that were not the case, we would stop today. Right now. But we cannot. Because we are helpless. We are enslaved.

In Luther’s day, those who turned to the church looking for freedom from that slavery to sin were offered a variety of solutions… which would cost them a pretty penny. One could pay handsomely for a slip of paper called an indulgence, which declared forgiveness for its bearer. There were holy relics and sacred sites, which could be viewed and visited… for a price or donation. Of course, these options appeared all the more appealing against the message of hell and torment and eternal punishment that echoed from preachers and pulpits! 

Today we are thankful for those who stood their ground before us, contending for the truth of the gospel and capturing the essential truths of Scripture articulated in our Lutheran Confessions. Thankfully, we who by nature are slaves to sin know exactly where to turn for freedom. It is not to a corrupt church. It is not to an unholy pope. It is not to our own bank account as if we can buy or purchase it. Freedom from slavery to sin was, is, and only always will be granted only through Jesus Christ.

Now please do not make the mistake so many in our day are making and presume that means you don’t need the body of Jesus Christ, that is, his church, made up of all believers. To think that, to detach oneself from the body of believers is to slowly sever oneself from Jesus Christ himself. Do not buy Satan’s lie that freedom is somehow found outside the church and away from the gathering of the saints around the Word of God and Sacraments. That would be a grave mistake.

A passenger of a ship in the middle of the ocean recalled a bird aboard the ship escaping from its cage. The bird left the ship behind and flew off to embrace its newfound freedom by exploring the unlimited reaches of life not confined to a small cage on a ship at sea. Hours later, however, the passenger made a peculiar discovery: the bird had returned. Having become exhausted in flight and unable to find food or land in the middle of the ocean, he returned to the ship and place of his former cage. What had been previously perceived as a prison suddenly offered more than he realized, and what he had previously presumed would offer freedom was not at all the true freedom he expected.

So it is with those who celebrate that they have “escaped” from some perceived prison of the local church or organized religion. The thought goes that freedom is not being constricted by or confined to some set of dogma or doctrine. To throw off those shackles, whether they were imposed at an early age by parents or some previously misguided pursuit of spiritual enlightenment – that is real freedom, or so many think.

One of the popular phrases that captures this version of woke Christianity is “deconstructed faith.” It’s really nothing new, but the same old buffet-style false religion with a false god by which an individual determines what to pick and choose in search of “true freedom.”

But Jesus’ words this morning don’t permit that. How exactly did Jesus stress that a person can know the truth and the freedom that comes through it? “Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (v. 32-32). Whose teaching? Not mine. Not yours. Not whatever else anyone else may construct or deconstruct, but Jesus said “my” teaching. His. Sure, you and anyone else are free to pursue your own teaching, but you won’t find freedom there. Nor will you find it anywhere else. Only the Son sets free, and only in the Son is truth that truly frees.

Where do we find that Jesus? Where his believers gather around Word and Sacrament. Where Jesus’ words of the freedom of forgiveness are pronounced each and every Sunday in the Absolution. Where grace trumps guilt. Where justification (the term that describes God’s declaration that in Jesus, we are “not guilty”) wins over judgment. That is where Jesus longs to be found, known, and believed.

Where Jesus is, dear friends, we find the truth, and where we find the truth, we find freedom. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (v.36). 

We Want Peace, But God’s Word Divides

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(Luke 12:49-53)

The debate will never be resolved. Sports analysts and fans will never be able to agree on who are the greatest players or teams in any given sport. The problem goes back long before weeding through and sorting out statistics. The problem starts with the definition. How does one define “great”?

Does greatest mean the most championship rings, because there are plenty of players who were not superstars, but who had the privilege of being shuffled around and playing on multiple championship teams. Does greatest mean the best statistics? If so, which statistics matter the most, and what if someone has great statistics but no rings? Does greatest mean record-holder in any given statistical category? What if a player dominates in only one statistical category, but is mediocre, at best, in others? And what about sports where different players play entirely different positions – a great lineman on the football field cannot be compared to a great quarterback by using the same metrics for greatness. It’s impossible to nail down the greatest, because it’s impossible to agree on the definition of greatest.

Part of the reason Jesus’ words from Luke 12 are so striking is that we’re not naturally on the same page when defining the word peace. Just as rabid sports fans will become rather unruly when discussing who is the greatest, should it surprise us that issues are also going to arise if no two people are able to agree on a definition of peace? How does one define it? Absence of conflict? Tolerance? Complete agreement? Indifference? If two people cannot even agree on a definition of peace, then it is really difficult to imagine how peace could be achieved.

How does the world define peace? The world has its own version of peace, but it isn’t easy to come by. Peace, as our culture has come to define it, is what happens when you agree with me on a matter. So for peace to exist between two individuals, each requires that the other side shares their same opinion. It isn’t acceptable anymore for someone merely to keep their opinion to themselves or choose not to get involved and just let others do as they wish; no, peace will only come when you see things my way and are willing to let go of your “wrong” opinion on a matter. How likely do you suppose it will be to achieve peace with that understanding?

How do believers define it? We talk about it. We sing about it. The Bible discusses it, but that doesn’t matter too much if you have your own working definition of peace. I think we know that peace doesn’t mean that Christians will get a pass on problems in life, but still we find ourselves struggling perhaps more than we should when the going gets tough. We still slip into that transactional understanding of our relationship with God: so long as we do the things Christians are supposed to do – go to church, pray, read our Bible – that sort of thing, then God will keep the trouble off our radar and his favor flowing freely, and for the most part, we’ll be at peace. 

Or we may have a rather simplistic, hardly-scratch-the-surface understanding of peace. Peace means Jesus has forgiven my sins. This is true! But knowing it and living and breathing it are different things. If I don’t live in that peace that flows from the forgiveness of sins but shelve it instead, how much will peace really characterize my life?

When we take a hard pass on the peace of Jesus in favor of pursuing the perfect partner, do we wonder why we’re restless? When we put our family and kid schedules in place of the peace of Jesus, are we surprised that stress and chaos carry the day? When we worry endlessly about money and focus on our possessions, where does peace have a place at the table?

Are you ready to consider how God defines peace? What does his Word reveal about his definition of peace? Try this on for size: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 4:25-5:2). Paul here gets right at the root of the problem by pointing out the reason Jesus had to be delivered over to death: our sins. Our sin smacks God in the face and undermines any sort of relationship with him. It is a wrong that must be made right, but as the wrongdoers, we cannot help ourselves because the only thing we’re capable of is smacking God in the face again and again with our sin. How can peace exist in such a scenario? It can’t!

Jesus had to bring it. By his death then, he righted the wrong of our sin, making payment in full, and because of Jesus’ resurrection, God determined that we are no longer guilty, since all of our wrongs have been righted in Christ. We now stand in grace, not guilt. 

So the peace we have with God is like this: imagine two circles. One circle is guilt. The other circle is grace. While in unbelief, we stand in the circle of guilt, because of our sin. But when we come to faith, believing in Jesus and what he has done for us, we embrace that God says we no longer stand in that circle – the circle of guilt. Instead, we stand in the other circle, the circle of grace. So peace with God means no guilt, just grace. 

Let’s now revisit Jesus’ words to us, the hard truth he expressed in Luke 12. “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division” (v.51). When we consider the words of Isaiah 9:6 (where Jesus is referred to as the Prince of Peace) and the rejoicing of the angels at Jesus’ birth, Jesus’ words here certainly appear to contradict them! 

But let’s apply the understanding we just gained from God’s definition of peace from Romans 4. Even though Jesus was delivered over to death for the sins of all people, allowing God to declare all sinners not guilty, those who don’t believe it remain standing in the guilty circle. However, those who believe all that Jesus has said and done as their Savior stand in the circle of grace.

Now picture that. Two different circles – one of guilt and one of grace – are filled with only two different categories of people: those who believe and those who don’t. What is the result? Division. There is a division between those who rejoice in the peace Jesus came to bring and those who refuse it. 

So did Jesus come to bring the division? Yes, because he was responsible for bringing the peace that would be rejected by many in the world. So the division is Jesus’ fault in the same way that it is dad’s fault for taking the whole family out for ice cream. One child was in a pouty mood and stubbornly decided he didn’t want any. However, after seeing everyone else enjoy theirs, suddenly he determined it wasn’t fair that everyone else got some and put up a stink about it. That division wouldn’t have come if dad had not taken the family out for ice cream! So, in that sense, yes, it’s dad’s fault.

When the division of which Jesus speaks comes into the picture then, it stems from those who don’t want the peace he came to bring, but then decide it’s not fair that others would want it or have it and puts up a stink about it. And, as Jesus described, this kind of division goes deeper than just a group of Christians and those outside in the unbelieving world. It often hits home and we experience the division right under our own roof. 

And Jesus knew that division would happen. Jesus didn’t look forward to it, but he knew it would happen. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but he knew it would happen. That’s what he meant when he lamented, “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!” (v.49-50). Jesus came to save sinners, and he knew the grueling payment that was required of him to make that happen. But he also knew something else that would be equally agonizing: in order for sinners to be saved, they must first acknowledge they need saving. The refining fire of repentance needs to do its work. But many will refuse to acknowledge their need for repentance over any wrongdoing or sin against God. That’s why wherever Jesus is, division is right there with him.

And wherever the church is doing the work Jesus entrusted to it, division will result, just as he promised. Not only is this a hard truth because it hits close to home for many of us; it’s a hard truth because it is an undeniable reality of the ministry of the church. We are called to bring peace, yet God prepares us for the hard work of ministry by telling us that our efforts will result in division. We experience that kind of division as we live out our faith and seek to bring peace to others in our own personal mission field. That division will result when certain teachings turn others off and away from a congregation. That division will happen in a school ministry when the values or beliefs of families don’t always align with the mission of the school. Ministry involves many challenges, so Jesus warns us that we can count division among those challenges as we proclaim peace. 

But as long as we proclaim peace by his definition – peace that comes from being justified (declared “not guilty”) and peace that means standing in grace – then we have nothing to worry about. Jesus himself proclaimed peace and he was rejected. Those following in his footsteps will not be surprised to experience the same rejection. And we will have thick skin when we do. Why? Because we know and believe God’s definition of peace, and that through Jesus, that is exactly what we have. About that there is no doubt and no debate.