As we near the end of our summer
sermon series,
20 questions in 10 weeks, today’s questions are about
Reward, Equality, and Baptism.
Todays question is: “Reward” in heaven is mentioned many times
in scripture. Yet, it is not what we do, but what Christ does, that saves us.
What does “greatest” and “least” in the Kingdom of Heaven
mean? How does that square with “neither Greek nor Jew” etc,? Aren’t we all
equal?”
Yipes.
Let us pray.
I must begin by stating that I set
up this sermon series with the easier questions, one’s I’d already reflected
upon in one way or another and felt confident in answering at the start, which
was great… until… we’re no longer at the start.
This particular question might have
to be thrown in again next summer if we do another sermon series like this.
That said here’s what I know.
Reward—a word that causes Lutherans
everywhere to sneer, or at least one that only crosses our lips with great
trepidation
—after all, reward
suggests there is something to reward
—specifically a work,
an action, that we can just do something.
Reward has the
danger of nullifying grace, making God’s works into a mock movement of man.
Yet, as the question says, reward
language pops up frequently, it flows freely from Jesus’ lips—proof that Jesus
wasn’t a Lutheran I guess.
And it’s not like Lutherans don’t
know this, that we don’t read our Bible or something, we’ve struggled with reward
language since Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the wall.
According to Article 4 of the
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, one of the documents we as Lutherans affirm
to be a right interpretation of scripture, there are several things that can be
said about reward.
1. At our most bold “we concede that works
are truly meritorious” and can receive a reward, but not “the forgiveness of sins or justification.” As a rule, when we
hear reward language we recognize that such rewards only come in light of being
made right by Jesus, that faith is implied whenever there is any talk of fruits
of good works.
Essentially, the indignities
suffered because of living our Christian faith, led by the Spirit, will find a
parallel reward. If the Islamic State chops off your head like John the
Baptist, your head will be held high in Heaven—that kind of thing.
Honestly as North
American Christians I fear very few of us will have to worry about such
rewards.
2. Additionally, when we read of rewards,
we ought to remember Augustine’s maxim, “God crowns his own gifts in us.” That
is, eternal life can be called a reward because it is owed to the Justified on
account of a promise, that promise being the unconditional one made to us in
Jesus Christ.
3. When talking of heavenly reward the
question you ought to ask yourself is “does such talk assuage your conscience?”
We know the
promise that God is merciful and passes over, and frees us from, our
trespasses, faults, sins, and mistakes, brings us peace. We don’t know if talk
of reward does the same, in fact, from experience, we know it does not. At our
death bed we want to hear about the loving actions of God for us, not about our
own actions.
So, when we read about rewards in
heaven we are not talking about our salvation, or if we are, we’re talking
about God rewarding us because of the promise found in Jesus Christ, and
finally, the reason reward makes us feel squirmy, is that at face value it
could make us trust in our own goodness, which often is lacking.
As for Jesus’ talk about the least
and the greatest in heaven, it is preached in the same breath as the beatitudes
“blessed are the poor, the hungry, and the weeping.”
It is part of
Jesus’ inversion of values, Jesus taking the God’s eye view instead of the
human view.
Proclaiming that
when God rules, the last are first and the first are last.
That as people of
God it is important to look at the world through the cross, to look at our
world and remember where we find Jesus—outside the city walls, among oppressed,
suffering with them, killed with them.
This is very similar to that first
way of talking about rewards in heaven—on earth you are tear gassed, depressed,
and besieged, but in heaven you are enthroned, joyous, and protected. The God’s
eye view of the world is so very different. Those who appear least are greatest
and greatest least.
Finally, how does this square with
Paul’s baptismal affirmation that in Christ there is no longer Jew or Greek,
slave or free, male or female?
In Baptism we are entering into that
God’s eye view, we’re struggling—just as the Galatians and Paul himself
struggled—to live into who we are together
—live into our
calling to be part of the Body of Christ
—live into the
vision of humanity set out by God through Jesus Christ.
A vision that breaks down barriers
between believers and allows for nothing to get in the way of life together
resting in God’s grace.
And Taylor, today,
Today you will
enter into this vision.
Today you will
become a part of the body of Christ.
Today that promise
of God will be made concretely to you in the waters of Baptism.
Today you will be
baptized with Christ Jesus. Baptized into his death and raised to a brand new
life—united with Christ.
A+A
