Homiletics 2 File 5 Professor Carl Fickenscher II Question by: Nick >> NICK: Now, that is harder, knowing whether it's a gospel moment or a law moment. And it obviously does matter doing it right. How will we always know? >> PROF. FICKENSCHER: You're right. It is tough. And it's very difficult to know exactly which we should be speaking at a moment, law or gospel. In fact, hear again the entire Thesis 3 that Walther gives us. He says, "Rightly distinguishing the law and the gospel is the most difficult and the highest art of Christians in general, and of theologians in particular. It is taught only by the Holy Spirit in the school of experience." It's very tough, and Walther underscores that in two ways, when he says, first of all, that it is very difficult for Christians in general, and then secondly, theologians in particular. Really, what Walther is saying, when he speaks of Christians in general, is of any Christian when he is hearing or receiving law and gospel for himself. Walther says it's tough as can be not just to preach it right or tell someone else correctly; it's first very, very difficult to understand law when I need law, or gospel when I need gospel. In 1 John 3, the apostle John says this. This is 1 John 3:19 and 20. He says, "We shall know by this that we are of the truth and shall assure our heart before him in whatever our heart condemns us, for God is greater than our heart and knows all things." You see what John is saying. He's saying that the truth is, our hearts are constantly raising this doubt, just like the devil in Genesis 3. Did God really say, "How can you really be sure our hearts, our sinful nature say that God forgives you?" The result is that we are natural born legalists in our fallen state. We are very, very good at taking gospel and turning it into law. Walther gives us a number of examples of this that are actually very powerful. In Psalm 51, David has an excellent example for us. Turn with me to Psalm 51. You know the situation there. David has committed adultery and then murder. Adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband, Uriah, and for nine months he lived in that sin until the prophet Nathan came to David and showed him his guilt. You remember what happened when Nathan told that wonderful parable about the man with the one sheep and the man with the many sheep, and David thought that the man with the many sheep who killed the one ewe lamb of the other man, thought he was someone else, he said, "That man must die." And Nathan said, "You are the man." And remember what David said in 2 Samuel 12. "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan answers, "The Lord has put away your sin. You will not die." Now, David writes this beautiful psalm, Psalm 51, a penitential psalm that we know very well from our liturgy. Verses 10 and 11, David says, "Create in me a clean heart, O, God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me." We could sing that together, couldn't we. Walther makes an interesting point about this psalm when he says this: David, as the psalmist, asks God for a clean heart. He asks him for the assurance that the Holy Spirit will not leave him when, in fact, David didn't need to ask for that at all. Why not? Because when Nathan spoke the words of God to David, "The Lord has put away your sin. You shall not die," David at that moment, by the speaking of God's word to him, already had a right heart, a right standing with God, the assurance that the Holy Spirit would not depart from him. David stood before God holy, absolved of his sin. And yet David continues to plead with God to cleanse him. He pleads with God not to desert him. Why? Because David's sinful nature, as John said in 1 John 3, continues to condemn him. David is right with God, he is holy before God, he has been absolved. And yet he says to himself again and again and again, "But I have done such a terrible thing. I can't possibly be forgiven, can I?" He wants God's assurance again and again. David had heard the law, but then the gospel from Nathan, and yet it was very, very difficult for David, a man who was a believer, who did believe in the forgiveness that had been given to him, to really cling with certainty to that gospel and not fall back again on the law. To remember again and again and again, "but I am so sinful." That's the law. "But I am so sinful." That's the law. You see, David heard gospel from Nathan, and yet he kept hearing law from his own heart. It's very, very natural for us to confuse law and gospel in that way. Another great example that we have in Luke 5 that also Walther discusses, Luke 5:1 through 11 turn there again with me. In Luke 5, Jesus has been preaching the gospel from the boat of Peter and Andrew, and he asks the disciples to row out a little bit from the shore, to throw down their nets. Peter says, "Oh, Lord, we've fished all night. Caught nothing. But at your word, I'll do it." Sure enough, you know what happens. The great catch of fish. They come ashore and you perhaps remember what happens next. Verse 8. Luke 5:8: "When Simon Peter saw what had happened" the great catch of fish "he fell down at Jesus' feet saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, oh, Lord.' For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken." Now, what had happened here? The Lord had helped them in a wonderful way. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen. They made their living that way. All night, they had fished. Caught nothing. They had nothing to sell in the marketplace. They would have no money to bring home to pay for their family's needs that day. Except that Jesus intervened. Jesus used his almighty power to work a miracle, to provide wonderfully for the needs of his disciples. That really was a beautiful expression of the gospel. You see, all of the good things that we receive and this is well worth remembering are a result of the reconciliation that we have in the cross of Jesus Christ. Because of our sin, we were separated from God. And we could have received no good thing from God if Jesus, by dying for our sins, taking those sins away, had not brought us back into a relationship with God. Because of the cross, we are now back together with God, so that we do receive so many blessings for our Heavenly Father, including, obviously, eternal life for all who believe that Christ's death and resurrection has earned that. So what Jesus has done for Peter and the disciples is a wonderful expression of the reconciliation of the cross. He gives them fish, something they intimately need. And yet when Jesus has performed for them a wonderful miracle of gospel, Peter says, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." You see what Peter was doing? He was witnessing gospel, the power of God used for his benefit, and instead he interpreted as the power of God which could only destroy him in his sinfulness. Jesus was showing Peter that he was reconciled to God by what Jesus would soon do on the cross. And Peter saw it instead as law, which could only condemn him. "This Jesus I'm near has so much power that he could destroy me. I can't bear to be with him when I am sinful." We realize what Peter should have said, right? "Don't depart from me at all, Lord. Stay with me, for I am a sinful man." And that was Jesus' intention. That's something the disciples would learn, as time went by. But you see what happens, once again. Peter, on the receiving end of law or gospel, receives law receives gospel and witnesses it, interprets it for himself as law. Walther says, first of all, for Christians in general that is, for us as recipients of law or gospel it is very, very difficult to properly divide the two, to get it straight. And then as we could certainly also imagine, it's tremendously difficult, as Walther points out, to be dispensers of law and gospel in proper distinction. Here, Walther says in Thesis 3, it is difficult for theologians in particular. Now he's really speaking, certainly about pastors, but in truth about any Christian who is also dispensing, speaking law or gospel to somebody else. And Walther gives a number of excellent examples from scripture on this one as well. The first example he gives of note is Mark 10, beginning at Verse 17. This is the story of the rich young ruler who comes to Jesus and he says Mark 10:17 "He fell before Jesus and asked, 'Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' and Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments. Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' And he said to him, 'Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.'" Now, here's a situation where Jesus is cast in the role of the dispenser of law or gospel, a situation where a man comes to him, he asks Jesus for help. Jesus says, "Keep the commandments," and the man says, "I've kept them all from my youth up. Those things I've done." As a pastor, we would be asking ourselves at this moment, is this a law moment or is it a gospel moment? What does this young man need to hear? Does he need law at this point, or does he need gospel? What would the answer be? Let's see what Jesus does. Verse 21. "And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, 'One thing you lack. Go and sell all you possess and give to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.' But at these words, his faith fell and he went away grieved, for he was one who owned much property." What did Jesus give him? Law or gospel? About the most severe law that this particular man could ever hear, right? Jesus who is, of course, omniscient realized that this man's heart was wrapped up in his treasure, and so no greater demand could be placed upon this young man than to say, "Give it all up. Financially, give it all up." Jesus knew that this young man was a sinner who did not yet realize his sin. He was secure in his sin. "Lord, I've kept all the commandments from my youth up. I've always obeyed them." He didn't realize that in every commandment he had really already fallen short, and so Jesus knew that for him, it would be necessary first to come to the realization that he did not measure up, that he had not kept the commandments perfectly, and so Jesus gives him what is nothing more than an elaboration of the eighth of the seventh commandment, when he tells him not to value those treasures, not to steal, not to hold onto those things, or the commandments on coveting, the ninth and tenth commandments as well. When the young man hears how severe God's law really is, he goes away grieved. A couple of observations here that are very important. First of all, from Verse 21, it says that Jesus looked at him and loved him. It's very important for us to understand, isn't it, that speaking of the law, even the most severe law in this particular case, is not unloving. It's not cruel. It really is an expression of concern, of love for someone when that someone is at a law moment, when he needs to hear the law right now. Secondly, we see in Verse 22 that the young man went away grieved, and that may lead us to say, "Well, Jesus blew up." We know better than that. What we don't know is, how it finally came out for this young man. Perhaps at some time in the future, he did realize that he needed Christ as savior, not just as the one who would tell him what he was to do. Perhaps he then came back to Jesus and trusted in Jesus for his salvation. Perhaps he didn't. We don't know. We do know that when it is a law moment, when the law is necessary, then we can do no other than to speak that law, as tough as it may be. And this, of course, is going to be the case for us, not just in one on one situations with your members and our congregation, but also as we speak to our entire congregations. It does them no loving service, it is not loving to them at all, to fail to speak the law when the law is necessary. And for all of us, at many moments in our lives, it is necessary. Another example that Walther gives in Luke, Chapter 7 this time, is the story of Jesus having dinner with a Pharisee when a sinful woman comes and anoints his feet. Luke 7, beginning at Verse 36. Perhaps you remember this story as well. Simon, the Pharisee, invites Jesus to his house for dinner. And as they were dining, a woman comes in, a woman who everyone in town knows to be openly very, very sinful. She begins to anoint Jesus' feet and kiss his feet. And Simon, the Pharisee, says to himself, "Hmm, this Jesus can't possibly be a prophet because if he were, he would know what kind of woman this was. He would have nothing to do with her at all." Now, we've got a situation for law or gospel. And the question is, if you were the pastor, if you were Jesus, what would you speak now? Would you speak law or would you speak gospel? It's a bit of a trick question, isn't it. The answer has to be, well, to whom are we speaking? To the Pharisee or to the woman? Jesus says to the Pharisee, Verse 40, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it teacher." Jesus says, "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed 5 denarii and the other 50. When they were both unable to pay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them, therefore, will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And Jesus said to him, "You have judged correctly." And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with perfume." The Pharisee, Simon, was outraged that Jesus would associate with this sinful woman, because he was confident that he himself had no sin. And what Jesus gives him is another severe dose of law, isn't it. He says, "Simon, when I came here, you gave me none of the creature comforts that would have indicated you loved me." The reason, of course, was because Simon wanted to keep Jesus at arm's length. He didn't want anyone to think that he was really interested in this Jesus until he had a chance to check him out. Simon felt that he had no sins to forgive, and so Jesus shows him how he had fallen short even of the most minimum expressions of concern for any common guest. For Simon, the Pharisee, it was a law moment. On the other hand, same situation, same point in time, the sinful woman. Now, her sins were known to everyone, and they were known to Jesus as well. And yet despite her great sinfulness, Jesus knows that for her, it's a gospel moment, because what she does, as she comes to anoint Jesus, is an expression of her sorrow for her sin and her deep desire to be forgiven of her sin and received graciously, lovingly, by Christ her savior. And so what does Jesus say to her? Verse 48. "Your sins have been forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." In other words,, once again, as those who would speak God's law or God's gospel, we ask ourselves always, is this a law moment or a gospel moment, and give to each what is healthful, wholesome for him or for her. Walther gives us one more example that I'd like to point out as well, and that's from Matthew 27. In Matthew 27, Jesus has gone before the Jewish council for trial, and upon their convicting him, they have sent him on to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who will eventually, of course, condemn him to die. Chapter 27 of Matthew, Verse 3, tells us what happens to Judas: "Then Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that he had been condemned. He then felt remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver, the piece he had received for the condemnation, to the chief priests and elders, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.'" Now, this is an interesting one, and I think it's also a very sobering one for us as pastors. Judas realizes what he's done. And it's essentially the worst sin he could ever commit. He's been a follower, an intimate friend of the savior of the world, and for 30 lousy pieces of silver, he has betrayed him to the chief priests and elders of the Jewish nation. We don't know all the motivations that Simon that Judas had in mind. The love of money certainly was one of them. Others perhaps might have been involved as well. But now when he sees that Jesus is not going to use his power to save himself, suddenly he is seized with remorse. He realizes that what he has done has been wrong. He realizes Jesus has done nothing to hurt him. He wants now to undo the damage that he has done. And so he goes and gives back the 30 pieces of silver. Is this a law moment or is this a gospel moment? Realize that the sin that we're talking about is the most heinous kind of wickedness that one could ever imagine. Realize also that at this point, Judas does not trust in Jesus' forgiveness. At this point, he does not believe that God will forgive him. Quite the contrary. At this point, Judas is terrified that there is no possible hope for him. Now, some would say that it's a time for law because his heart isn't right with God yet. And indeed it's not. It's not right with God because he does not yet believe in the forgiveness that Jesus offers. But is it really a moment for law or is it a moment for gospel? If we stop to think about it for just a moment, let's remind ourselves that if we wait until someone is right with God in his heart to give him the gospel, he could never then become right with God because it is only by the assurance of the gospel that he can become a believer, that he can come to love and trust in God. No, a person who is simply terrified of eternal punishment is already someone who is prepared by the Holy Spirit to hear the saving gospel message. So what did Judas get? Continuing Verse 4: "After Judas says, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,' the chief priests and the elders say, 'What is that to us? See to that yourself.'" The ultimate expression of the law, "See to that yourself." You take care of it. It's in your court. It's your responsibility. It's all up to you. And we know what happened, don't we. Judas went out and hanged himself. Consider this: Consider how eternally different everything could have been for Judas if at this moment of tremendous spiritual terror, instead of throwing it back to him "see to it yourself, you do it, that's the law" someone had spoken to him and said, "Despite the heinous nature of your sin, you are forgiven because even this death that you are causing pays for your sin, also for your sin, as for the sins of the whole world." Things might have been different for Judas for all eternity. And now consider this also. Ironically, Judas really did go to the right place when he was in spiritual turmoil. Obviously we wish he could have gone to Jesus, but Jesus was unavailable. The other disciples were scattered. Judas went to those men that God had ordained to be the proper dispensers of law and gospel. The council. The chief priests. Those that God had entrusted with dispensing law and gospel in proper distinction confused law and gospel. At a gospel moment, they gave Judas the law. And as a result, Judas despaired. Every one of us, as pastors, will have people come to us in moments of great spiritual turmoil. Perhaps some of them just as severe as this one. It is obviously incumbent upon us to dispense to them the right medicine: Gospel when it's a gospel moment, but also sometimes, when they are hardened rather than in turmoil, to dispense to them the law. And the responsibility that we have in that capacity really is of eternal significance. Do you sense just how crucial this really is? The Formula of Concord, one of our Lutheran concessions, says, "Changing law into gospel would rob disturbed consciences of the comfort which they would otherwise have in the holy gospel when it is preached purely without admixture, for by it, Christians can support themselves in their greatest temptations against the terrors of the law." Luther says this: "This is why St. Paul strongly insists that among Christians, these two doctrines, the law and the gospel, are to be well and truly separated from one another. Both of them are the word of God: The law or the Ten Commandments; and the gospel. Both were given by God, the gospel originally in paradise; the law on Mt. Sinai. That is why it is so important to distinguish the two properly and not mingle them together. Otherwise, you will not be able to have or hold on to a correct understanding of either of them. Instead, just when you think you have them both, you will have neither." This is really what Walther means in Thesis No. 4. He says, "The true distinction the true knowledge of the distinction between the law and the gospel is not only glorious light affording the correct understanding of the entire holy scriptures, but without this knowledge, scripture is and remains a sealed book. Without properly dividing law and gospel, it is impossible to really grasp the comfort that holy scripture gives to us. The word of God, instead, is a sealed book to all of us." And one more quote from Luther, which I always appreciate, and frankly is rather comforting to me. He says this: "There's no man living on earth who knows how to distinguish between the law and the gospel. We may think we understand it when we are listening to a sermon, but we are far from it. Only the Holy Spirit knows this. Because I've written so much and so long about it, you'd think I'd know the distinction, but when a crisis comes, I recognize very well that I am far, far from understanding. So God alone should and must be our holy master." Even Luther says, when push comes to shove, you just can't do it. It's that difficult. Perhaps that realization, and perhaps reflecting back on times that we have shared law and we should have shared gospel, or gospel when we should have spoken law to someone else, makes this a gospel moment for us right now. Isn't it great to realize that we, who serve as sharers of God's word, and when a man is called to be a pastor to dispense that word to the congregation, that he, too we, too are under the forgiveness that Jesus earned for us on the cross? Yes! We have and we will confuse law and gospel again and again and again, and yet God says, "I understand and yet I'm placing you in the holy ministry to be the dispenser of my word and I will accomplish my will through you. And then for all the times you blow it, the death of my son also forgives you for that."