Message: Rediscovering the Essence of Christianity / Mt 22:34-46
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a 34-year-old priest and professor, nailed his 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. These theses were theological arguments against indulgences and the authority of the pope. This event sparked a lot of excitement and hope for change in the church. We remember this day as the beginning of the Reformation.
A French poet, Eustache Deschamps (1346-1406), described the late Middle Ages in the West this way: 'Age of tears, of envy, of torment, ... Age of decline nigh to the end.' This was no exaggeration. At that time, there were numerous crises and problems, such as famines, a terrible disease called the Black Death, endless conflicts and violence like the Hundred Years' War, and fierce peasant rebellions caused by exploitation by the upper class. It was a time of darkness, despair, and chaos.
In particular, the church did not act as a source of light and salt; instead, it became an axis of evil. Priesthood could be bought and sold, and high-level church officials could appoint their family members or relatives to important positions. The church created unnecessary rituals and ceremonies to extract more money and forcibly collected various offerings. Some church leaders owned vast estates and lived in luxury. If someone spoke out against the church, they were accused of heresy and brutally executed.
One of the worst things the church did was the sale of "indulgences." They claimed that the pope was like God’s representative on earth and that one had to follow the church's teachings to be saved. They especially used the doctrine of purgatory, a place for those who could not go to either heaven or hell, to sell indulgences. They asserted that if you paid for indulgences, your family members in purgatory would gain entry into heaven.
But Martin Luther spoke out against the church. Before him, many priests and scholars had already been killed for doing the same. However, he wasn't afraid because he believed that he was saved by God’s grace through faith.
In fact, when Luther was younger, he followed the church's teachings better than anyone. He was extremely careful not to make any mistakes, thinking that God would punish him if he did something wrong. But the more he tried, the worse he felt. He could not free himself from guilt and anxiety.
Later on, Luther became a professor of biblical studies. Through the Bible, he learned that the essence of Christianity was God’s grace. He discovered that Jesus's message was all about God's love. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God and love others. Jesus repeatedly emphasizes that God loves everyone unconditionally, like a father embracing his prodigal son, like a hen gathering her chicks under her wings.
The Greek word for repentance (μετάνοια) in the Gospels has its roots in the Hebrew word שׁוּב (sub), which means "to turn around." In other words, repentance is turning back to God. When we turn back to God, we find God who is always there, waiting for us. God welcomes us and says, "You are my beloved child. Do not be afraid. I love you, and I've forgiven all your mistakes. Live as my beloved, with hope and freedom, loving me and loving others."
The Hebrews in Egypt were not saved because they strictly kept the Law. They were saved because God heard their cries and saw their oppression. The Law was given after their salvation, which means that the Law was a result of their salvation, not a condition of it. God gave the Hebrews the Law to make a difference in the world as they would love God, other human beings, and all creatures.
Today, we also have rules and laws for the sake of peace and justice. As citizens, we have to follow the laws of our country and community. As members of our faith community, we need to adhere to the Manual, which contains the regulations of the United Church of Canada.
But we also need to remember that no law is perfect for everyone all the time. Sometimes, political and religious leaders have misused laws as tools of oppression. For this reason, the United Church states as follows: “The Church’s faith is the unchanging Gospel of God’s holy, redeeming love revealed in Jesus Christ. It is declared in Scripture; it is witnessed to both in the creeds of the Universal Church and in the Confessions of the Reformed Churches; and it is formulated for a specific purpose in our Basis of Union. But Christians of each new generation are called to state it afresh in terms of the thought of their own age and with the emphasis their age needs. This we have attempted to do for the people of The United Church of Canada—seeking always to be faithful to Scripture and to the testimony of the Universal Church, and always aware that no statement of ours can express the whole truth of God.” (from A Statement of Faith, 1940)
The most common symbol of love is the shape of a heart. What does the heart do? It keeps the blood flowing so that it stays healthy. If the heart stops, we can't live. In the same way, our love needs to keep moving. To love God and love our neighbours, we need to resist the things that stop us from renewing ourselves.
Martin Luther resisted the church's misuse of power, so he and his followers were called Protestants. After he died, in 1555, there was a peace agreement called the Peace of Augsburg that recognized the Protestants and freed them from the control of the Roman Catholic Church.
We are also Protestants who resist all powers that separate us from God’s love. As Protestants, we resist all forces that exploit and marginalize. As Protestants, we resist all discrimination that threatens human dignity. As Protestants, we resist all greed that destroys the harmony of creation. As Protestants, we resist all violence that brings despair and suffering.
As a Protestant church, the United Church has always been at the forefront of transformation to live out God’s love in Canada. In 1925, the United Church reformed to bring together Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches in unity, not separation. In 1936, the United Church ordained a woman as a minister for the first time. In 1986, the United Church officially apologized to Indigenous Peoples for its part in colonization. In 1988, The United Church was the first to accept LGBTQ people as part of its faith community. In 2012, the United Church proclaimed that it would become an Intercultural Church.
This does not mean that the United Church is the only perfect denomination. But what is clear is that, as the heart of God, our denomination has done its best to answer God's call to transform itself to love God and love our neighbours.
The Reformation was a time when people tried to understand what Christianity was really about. We, as Protestants, rediscover the essence of Christianity today: God loves us no matter what, and when we turn back to God, God is always waiting with open arms. As God’s children, our mission is to love God more and love our neighbours more.
Today, on the doorstep of the Wittenberg Church, God is calling us as God’s hope. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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