Revelation 14:6-7; Romans 3:19-28; Matthew 11:12-19

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I remember teaching confirmation class on my vicarage and knowing that playing the silent game was my friend. It has worked for me in many different classroom settings with kids that don’t otherwise know when to be quiet. The silent game is just as the name says. Everyone must be silent or else they lose. The rules of competition quickly allow me to wrangle kids back in so they may learn whatever lesson I had for them.

Now, it's not just kids that need a reminder to be silent from time to time. There’s a reason if you’re ever arrested that police have to remind people they can (and should) stay quiet. Blabbering too much can quickly incriminate yourself. Even in cases outside the legal realm, we all recognize moments where it’s best to be quiet. In a movie theater, out on the golf course, taking a test, and so on. 

As we read in our epistle reading this week for the anniversary of the Reformation, the law speaks silence. It tells us to stop talking. Be quiet. Stop before you say too much. “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God,” Romans 3:19. There is no one that can speak a word to the Law of God. We can’t try to speak our way out of it because we’re guilty. Every single one of us. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23. Those that try to weasel their way around it will only find themselves in a worse situation.

For this is where the Reformation helped us to talk about faith. Faith isn’t a work of ours. It’s not us “accepting God”. We can’t “choose” to believe. Faith is nothing but a pure gift from God, just as St Paul writes, “For all have sinned… and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Romans 3:23-24. Faith rather springs from the good gifts of God being plopped right in our lap. There is no work of ours, no decision we can make before the Law tells us to be silent… and then to receive everything from our Lord’s hand. For justification comes “apart from the Law,” (Romans 3:21). 

God never asked you whether He should send his Son or not. He sent him. He never asked you whether you wanted forgiveness. He forgave. He never asked you whether you wanted eternal life. He gave you Jesus to die on the cross that it may all be yours. “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus,” Romans 3:26. For our Lord continues to give us all good things that he may plant, nourish, and grow faith in you that you may be declared righteous! For before the Law, we must be silent. But in faith, may we shout forth all praise to God who has redeemed us in Jesus Christ!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!