What could be more Lutheran?

Yesterday's gospel about the wheat and the weeds and letting both grow up together until the end lent itself to several interesting applications of the Lutheran understanding of faith. First there is the similarity in appearance of wheat and tares or weeds. They are nearly indistinguishable. The good and the bad, those following Christ and those who aren't, saints and sinners can be difficult to distinguish from each other. Luther spoke of Christians as being simultaneously saints and sinners. Ahhh how very Lutheran this illustration is. We often like to pigeonhole people as Christian or not, in or out of God's kingdom. There are various varieties of the true litmus test.
Only God knows the depth of one's heart. Today's sinner may be tomorrow's saint.

This parable demonstrates that it is God who will be the judge of one's faith and commitment or lack thereof. Each of us falls and gets back up in our Christian walk. There are times when I am grateful that judgment is reserved for the end with said judge being God. We tend to be harsher judges than God because we make decisions based on limited information whereas God sees the total picture. His mercy and compassion exceeds our own. Luther echoes this in his response to the third article of the Apostles' Creed. Isn't it wonderful that God is so patient that he is willing to wait a lifetime for our response to him?

Flickr pictures.

Breaking the Rules

I am among those who too easily judge others, especially if they break the rules. Matthew 12:1-14 is a classic passage pitting humans against God, rules and laws against mercy and needs. Jesus responds to the Pharisees' protest of the disciples plucking grains to eat on the sabbath by countering with examples of David eating the bread of Presence and the temple priests guiltlessly breaking the sabbath.

"...something greater than the temple is here." God was among them in Christ and they didn't recognize him. He who is "Lord of the sabbath" was greater than the sabbath, greater than the temple, greater than the rules of men.

Verse 7, lying right in the middle of the passage, holds the key to that which should motivate our relationships, that which motivated Christ--mercy! This is further illustrated by Jesus healing on the sabbath.

He just never learned did he? He kept obeying his heavenly father despite the religious hierarchy's opposition. Just look at what this brought him--God's pleasure, but via the way of the cross-- just as it does for us. No cross, no crown. Are we willing to take the risk, to break the rules, to please our Lord?


Photo from flickr.