Beggars at the Feast [18 February 2023‪]‬ Not in Vain

Transcript
This transcript:Was machine generated.Has not been checked for errors.May not be entirely accurate.


On 15 February 1546, an aging and ailing pastor climbed into the pulpit for what would be the last time.

The topic of that last sermon is surely worthy of consideration, but not here and not now.

Rather, let us follow this pastor to a nearby town, where he helped settle a dispute before retiring to his room with chest pains.

He prayed the traditional prayer of the dying, Psalm 31, verse 5, Into your hand I commit my spirit, you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

And then he went to sleep.

Some hours later, around one in the morning, now the 18th, he awoke with more chest pain and was warmed with towels.

The pastor thanked God for revealing to him the son in whom the pastor fervently believed.

Two of the pastor's companions then asked him rather loudly, Reverend Father, are you ready to die, trusting in your Lord Jesus Christ, and to confess the doctrine which you have taught in his name?

The pastor replied, Yes.

This was his last spoken word, and he died of a stroke some hours later.

However, he left behind a note, his true last words, I trust you will indulge me if I update the German half from medieval to modern.

Wir sind betle, hoch ist veum.

We are beggars.

This is true.

That pastor, of course, was Martin Luther.

And so let me turn to the question, which you will already know if you read the show notes, why Lutheranism?

Or more specifically, why am I Lutheran?

Why should anyone be a Lutheran?

I have recounted elsewhere and more than once how I came back to Lutheranism.

I will decline to do so again here because I intend to focus on the actual question at hand.

I wish to be clear at the outset that I do believe that there are actual Christians in other traditions.

Lutherans have never held otherwise.

However, I do believe that other Christians have denied themselves the fullness of the faith.

We Lutherans are beggars.

All Christians are.

However, we are beggars who have found a rich man who has thrown open his home to all and has prepared a great feast.

Many scraps from this feast have been cast out here and there, and they can certainly nourish.

But such scraps are not the fullness of the feast.

At times we have been content to remain at the feast while so many others who have themselves been invited to the feast remain outside, content to survive on the aforementioned scraps.

And so, when I invite you to come to the feast, I stand to gain nothing, save the joy, of course, of seeing another brother come into the master's hall.

You have been invited to the feast, and you are my brother according to the flesh.

The assumption is always one of partisan spirit, that the goal is to win or simply to score points or similar.

This may be true for some, but it is not true for Lutherans.

You are not a point in some ongoing contest with Rome or the Reformed or anyone else.

You are a fellow beggar, and I have an invitation to the feast with your name on it.

Now the Lord is super abundant in his grace, in his mercy with his gifts.

It is not one place alone where we see or find available the forgiveness of sins.

It is not simply in the word.

Now that is what many will contend, and that is to say they are content with the scraps.

I do not mean to describe the word of God as scraps, but the exegesis to which certain Christians hold turns the scriptures into scraps.

They make it seem as if God is miserly with his grace when he is in fact super abundant, because you have not just the scriptures, yes, of course, the forgiveness of sins, faith, these good things are available in the scriptures, but they are also available in the sacraments.

What does Christ say?

What does scripture say of the cup?

Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

Forgiveness of sins is available in the Lord's Supper as scripture clearly teaches.

God is super abundant.

There are multiple means o