READINGS FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE:
Micah 6:6-8
Philippians 1:3-11
- St. Matthew 18:23-35
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father
and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.
Who speaks to you today, only through His Gospel, saying,
Thus far from our Gospel reading to remind us of salvation by faith alone. That is, no prince or elected official can save you from any event or work in your life. We should not trust in civics to show us compassion. We are not on God’s side, but He is on our side, offering us compassion through Christ Crucified.
Today we will cross the English Channel, to continue and conclude our history quest for Lutheran martyrs. We will cross it by blood. Emperor Charles V, of the house of Habsburg, whom Luther faced, had an aunt from the house of Aragon. Her name was Catherine and she was wed to King Henery VIII in 1509.
This is important, because Charles V is who presides over Dr. Luther’s “Diet of Worms” and yet also will not allow Henry to divorce his aunt, as Henry chases after a male heir to the throne and starts the new religion of England, on the coat-tails of the Reformation. Though later on, the English will trace its roots to long before the Reformation, any religious changes that took place in England were political.
Issuing the Act of Supremacy, a pliable parliament and country-wide clergy crony-ship, voted King Henry VIII as Supreme head of the church of England. Though not much changed as the kingdom continued to ravage the English with extortion, they simply now had the church on their side, publicly.
Though Henry could cut ties with Rome, he could not stop the Reformation’s teachings from infiltrating his happy island. At least, the Reformation supplied Henry’s new religion with some principles. At the most, it supplied him with martyrs who called it for what it was: heresy.
Among them is our final martyr this month: Robert Barnes. You see, Henry was making England great again. He was pulling them out of civil war, recovering the economy, and bringing normal life back to the island. So, if he wanted to get divorced against church teachings, who are his faithful constituents to say no? If he wanted multiple wives, start his own church, or even burn some anti-English priests, then who cares? As long as we don’t stop winning.
This was the England that Robert Barnes was living in. Born and raised there, he studied at Cambridge and became an Augustinian friar, same as Luther. He was also a member of a scholarly group that regularly met at a local pub called The White Horse Inn. These men were no longer satisfied by medieval scholasticism, they were disgusted by the corruption of bishops, and they were suspicious of church teachings that seemed to contradict the New Testament. They wanted reform. Within this circle, Barnes was introduced to the writings of Luther.
Preaching justification by faith alone, he was imprisoned for 2 years in London, yet still aided in the distribution of Lutheran books. In 1528, he fled from a warrant for his execution and found himself in Wittenberg, and subsequently thoroughly grounded in Lutheranism.
Learning at Dr. Luther and the other reformers’ feet for an entire year, Barnes published his most important work: A Supplication to King Henry VIII. This was an attempt to defend himself against the English bishops and to convince King Henry of Lutheranism.
The pure Gospel shines through Barnes’s pen, quote: “Scripture says that faith alone justifies because it is that through which alone I cling to Christ. By faith alone I am partaker of the merits and mercy purchased by Christ’s blood. It is faith alone that receives the promises made in Christ. Through our faith the merits, goodness, grace, and favour of Christ are imputed and reckoned to us.”
Henery was looking for approval for his divorce. The pope denied him, so he turned to the Reformers. Barnes was tasked to carry the reply to the king. It was negative. In 1540, Barnes preached his last sermon on the reformation, during Lent.
He was imprisoned and on July 30, Barnes and two other Protestant preachers were burned to death. To the very end, Barnes remained steadfast in his faith and was able to give a thoroughly Lutheran final confession: “There is none other satisfaction unto the Father, but this [Christ’s] death and passion only… That no work of man did deserve anything of God, but only [Christ’s] passion, as touching our justification… For I acknowledge the best work that ever I did is unpure and unperfect… Wherefore I trust in no good work that ever I did, but only in the death of Jesus Christ.”
Repent! If you are still trusting princes and rulers to guarantee your freedom of religion, then you are in for a let-down. Freedom and rights sound nice, until you are in the way of elite freedom and elite rights. As George Orwell put it, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
This is one lesson from our Gospel reading today. That you are the unforgiving servant who, when presented with trust and responsibility as a leader, immediately abuses his authority and claims immunity by divine right.
In other words, once we get the feeling that God is on our side, we take that as our signal to beat it into others. We take the grace and mercy we have been shown as a sign that we are now right. Absolutely right.
This results in the cry we hear from St. Micah’s lips in our Old Testament reading. First, since none of my offerings matter, then maybe my Lord will be pleased if I enact His justice. That I hate what He hates and loathe what He loathes and everyone is going to know the Lord is God, or else.
But second, then the Lord reveals to us just what sort of offering we are bringing to Him: sin-filled. That is, the blood of martyrs. And, as St. Micah concludes, in order to truly purify the world, it is not enough even to sacrifice the fruit of our own bodies: our children.
But by the Gospel’s doctrine, we are taught that we are no longer dependent upon princes, elected or otherwise. For though the servant was unforgiving and undeserving, he was forgiven a debt that 10 people could not repay in their lifetimes. It was not the begging that moved the king, but pity.
Pity, but more literally compassion. The king was moved by His own compassion to secure a worthy and forgiving place for our transgressor. The measure of a king is not how well he enacts his own will for the people’s benefit, allegedly, but how well he enacts his own Lord’s will.
Once he crosses that boundary, once he transgresses his vocation, then it is God’s Word versus his. And God’s Word demands payment. Payment for the spilled blood of Abel. Payment for rebellion. Payment for the lack of compassion.
There is no lack of compassion in Christ. He Who is able to forgive 100 denarii, is also able to forgive 10,000 talents. In order to authorize such unlimited compassion, He pays the debt in Blood. That is, He not only ascends the cross and does not step off until He is dead and the payment complete, but He also unites His divine blood to our mud blood.
In the Almighty’s compassion, He frees the guilty and sends His innocent Son to the jailers. Not just a Roman jail or Jewish jail. This jail is what was spoken of in Revelation 20:7, “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison.”
Indeed, since our true Prince and King has traversed the depths of death and hell, there is no place for earthly princes to send our beloved Robert where Christ cannot retrieve him. “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”, says the Psalms (118:6).
Jesus, at first to teach us, says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt 10:28), but then continues the promise with, “you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption” (Acts 2:27).
“This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (Eph 5:32). Those in His Church by Faith. For by Faith alone does a sinner stand before God. By faith alone is he declared justified for Christ’s sake. By faith alone does the blood of the martyrs grow the Church, just as the Blood of their Savior cries out to all for the forgiveness of sins.
This is what Henry was lacking. This is what all sinners lack: the compassion and righteousness of God. It is not to be found inside us. It is not to be found by divine right. It is not to be found on earth, except that a man turn to Christ’s Word and Sacraments.
It is for this reason that the Holy Spirit creates the Church, on earth, in opposition to all other entities of authority. Or rather it’s the other way around: once the Church is created, it is hated. Hated because of the free justification given. No earthly or political success or power is given. Only the power to have faith, be forgiven, and have eternal life.
Who speaks to you today, only through His Gospel, saying,
“And out of pity for him, the master of that servant
released him and forgave him the debt”
Thus far from our Gospel reading to remind us of salvation by faith alone. That is, no prince or elected official can save you from any event or work in your life. We should not trust in civics to show us compassion. We are not on God’s side, but He is on our side, offering us compassion through Christ Crucified.
Today we will cross the English Channel, to continue and conclude our history quest for Lutheran martyrs. We will cross it by blood. Emperor Charles V, of the house of Habsburg, whom Luther faced, had an aunt from the house of Aragon. Her name was Catherine and she was wed to King Henery VIII in 1509.
This is important, because Charles V is who presides over Dr. Luther’s “Diet of Worms” and yet also will not allow Henry to divorce his aunt, as Henry chases after a male heir to the throne and starts the new religion of England, on the coat-tails of the Reformation. Though later on, the English will trace its roots to long before the Reformation, any religious changes that took place in England were political.
Issuing the Act of Supremacy, a pliable parliament and country-wide clergy crony-ship, voted King Henry VIII as Supreme head of the church of England. Though not much changed as the kingdom continued to ravage the English with extortion, they simply now had the church on their side, publicly.
Though Henry could cut ties with Rome, he could not stop the Reformation’s teachings from infiltrating his happy island. At least, the Reformation supplied Henry’s new religion with some principles. At the most, it supplied him with martyrs who called it for what it was: heresy.
Among them is our final martyr this month: Robert Barnes. You see, Henry was making England great again. He was pulling them out of civil war, recovering the economy, and bringing normal life back to the island. So, if he wanted to get divorced against church teachings, who are his faithful constituents to say no? If he wanted multiple wives, start his own church, or even burn some anti-English priests, then who cares? As long as we don’t stop winning.
This was the England that Robert Barnes was living in. Born and raised there, he studied at Cambridge and became an Augustinian friar, same as Luther. He was also a member of a scholarly group that regularly met at a local pub called The White Horse Inn. These men were no longer satisfied by medieval scholasticism, they were disgusted by the corruption of bishops, and they were suspicious of church teachings that seemed to contradict the New Testament. They wanted reform. Within this circle, Barnes was introduced to the writings of Luther.
Preaching justification by faith alone, he was imprisoned for 2 years in London, yet still aided in the distribution of Lutheran books. In 1528, he fled from a warrant for his execution and found himself in Wittenberg, and subsequently thoroughly grounded in Lutheranism.
Learning at Dr. Luther and the other reformers’ feet for an entire year, Barnes published his most important work: A Supplication to King Henry VIII. This was an attempt to defend himself against the English bishops and to convince King Henry of Lutheranism.
The pure Gospel shines through Barnes’s pen, quote: “Scripture says that faith alone justifies because it is that through which alone I cling to Christ. By faith alone I am partaker of the merits and mercy purchased by Christ’s blood. It is faith alone that receives the promises made in Christ. Through our faith the merits, goodness, grace, and favour of Christ are imputed and reckoned to us.”
Henery was looking for approval for his divorce. The pope denied him, so he turned to the Reformers. Barnes was tasked to carry the reply to the king. It was negative. In 1540, Barnes preached his last sermon on the reformation, during Lent.
He was imprisoned and on July 30, Barnes and two other Protestant preachers were burned to death. To the very end, Barnes remained steadfast in his faith and was able to give a thoroughly Lutheran final confession: “There is none other satisfaction unto the Father, but this [Christ’s] death and passion only… That no work of man did deserve anything of God, but only [Christ’s] passion, as touching our justification… For I acknowledge the best work that ever I did is unpure and unperfect… Wherefore I trust in no good work that ever I did, but only in the death of Jesus Christ.”
Repent! If you are still trusting princes and rulers to guarantee your freedom of religion, then you are in for a let-down. Freedom and rights sound nice, until you are in the way of elite freedom and elite rights. As George Orwell put it, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
This is one lesson from our Gospel reading today. That you are the unforgiving servant who, when presented with trust and responsibility as a leader, immediately abuses his authority and claims immunity by divine right.
In other words, once we get the feeling that God is on our side, we take that as our signal to beat it into others. We take the grace and mercy we have been shown as a sign that we are now right. Absolutely right.
This results in the cry we hear from St. Micah’s lips in our Old Testament reading. First, since none of my offerings matter, then maybe my Lord will be pleased if I enact His justice. That I hate what He hates and loathe what He loathes and everyone is going to know the Lord is God, or else.
But second, then the Lord reveals to us just what sort of offering we are bringing to Him: sin-filled. That is, the blood of martyrs. And, as St. Micah concludes, in order to truly purify the world, it is not enough even to sacrifice the fruit of our own bodies: our children.
But by the Gospel’s doctrine, we are taught that we are no longer dependent upon princes, elected or otherwise. For though the servant was unforgiving and undeserving, he was forgiven a debt that 10 people could not repay in their lifetimes. It was not the begging that moved the king, but pity.
Pity, but more literally compassion. The king was moved by His own compassion to secure a worthy and forgiving place for our transgressor. The measure of a king is not how well he enacts his own will for the people’s benefit, allegedly, but how well he enacts his own Lord’s will.
Once he crosses that boundary, once he transgresses his vocation, then it is God’s Word versus his. And God’s Word demands payment. Payment for the spilled blood of Abel. Payment for rebellion. Payment for the lack of compassion.
There is no lack of compassion in Christ. He Who is able to forgive 100 denarii, is also able to forgive 10,000 talents. In order to authorize such unlimited compassion, He pays the debt in Blood. That is, He not only ascends the cross and does not step off until He is dead and the payment complete, but He also unites His divine blood to our mud blood.
In the Almighty’s compassion, He frees the guilty and sends His innocent Son to the jailers. Not just a Roman jail or Jewish jail. This jail is what was spoken of in Revelation 20:7, “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison.”
Indeed, since our true Prince and King has traversed the depths of death and hell, there is no place for earthly princes to send our beloved Robert where Christ cannot retrieve him. “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”, says the Psalms (118:6).
Jesus, at first to teach us, says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt 10:28), but then continues the promise with, “you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption” (Acts 2:27).
“This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (Eph 5:32). Those in His Church by Faith. For by Faith alone does a sinner stand before God. By faith alone is he declared justified for Christ’s sake. By faith alone does the blood of the martyrs grow the Church, just as the Blood of their Savior cries out to all for the forgiveness of sins.
This is what Henry was lacking. This is what all sinners lack: the compassion and righteousness of God. It is not to be found inside us. It is not to be found by divine right. It is not to be found on earth, except that a man turn to Christ’s Word and Sacraments.
It is for this reason that the Holy Spirit creates the Church, on earth, in opposition to all other entities of authority. Or rather it’s the other way around: once the Church is created, it is hated. Hated because of the free justification given. No earthly or political success or power is given. Only the power to have faith, be forgiven, and have eternal life.
