The Lenten season begins with Ash Wednesday which this year falls on 18 February. The Lenten season is often considered a time of reflection and repentance. Its forty days reflect the time during which Jesus was in the desert being tempted by the devil, which is like being in Las Vegas but without all the glamour. To avoid temptations and sin, it has long been tradition that people give up something for Lent.
The idea of refraining from or foregoing fleshly pleasures to lead a holier life predates Christianity. Unfortunately, very early in Christianity the notion took root that giving up something sinful, potentially or actually, was meritorious, i.e. earned points with God. So arose the various religious orders of monks and nones who believed that living lives of poverty, chastity, and obedience would earn them favour in the economy of salvation, and thereby salvation became a type of business. Once the Vatican started selling indulgences, the economy of salvation became really big business.
As indicated a couple weeks ago in a sermon, this emphasis on getting the old Adam, the sinner, in us to behave is well intended but biblically misguided. According to Lutheran theology all of us believers are simul iustus et peccator (simultaneously justified and sinner, or at the same time saint and sinner). Being both saint and sinner at the same time, however, does not mean that we can do sinful and saintly things at the same time. No one can multitask, not even computers which operate by switching on and off between ones and zeros, countless times to complete their programmed tasks. So, if Christians spend their time trying to get the sinner to behave, they are not exercising their gospel created faith manifested in loving their neighbour.
In contrast to the Roman Church and to much of Christianity throughout the ages, the Lutheran reformers following biblical example repeatedly propounded that only good trees can produce good fruit. Trying to get a bad tree to stop bearing bad fruit was, so to speak, a fruitless effort. Furthermore, good trees bear good fruit as a matter of course. So, if the tree is good, i.e. justified by faith alone, good works come on their own. In relation to Genesis 29:1-3, Luther describes this dynamic implemented as follows:
“But we teach that first of all the person must be looked at, whether it is just and godly, which takes place through the Word he believes. Then, however, it carries out its ministry in the church: teaches, exhorts, prays, learns and hears the Word, bears the cross for the sake of the Word, and is mortified in the flesh. That person is saintly, alive, and well-pleasing to God. It proceeds to other external offices after it has heard the Word, believed, prayed, and discharged its duty in the church. Thus after David has done this, he proceeds to the administration of the kingdom, hears lawsuits, wages war, draws up his army, attacks the enemy, kills, and sheds enemy blood. Properly speaking, these are not duties of the church; they are political. Accordingly, if anyone says: ‘Then David is not saintly, for he is a soldier and bears the sword,’ that person judges, too grossly, as the papists do. For who is that man David who sheds blood and wages war? He is a person who has been justified in the church by the Word and faith. But later he has the political administration entrusted to him. Therefore he judges, condemns, justifies, administers the state, punishes the guilty, and wages wars. Nevertheless, he remains a man of faith and a good tree. But that spilling of blood is pleasing to God, although the world, the monks, and all other hypocrites are violently offended, because they look only at the external mask of the works. They do not see the Word, faith, the spirit, and the impulse of God, who governs the person not only in sublime duties but also in those that pertain to the state and the household. For David was called by God to do this, as is stated, ‘that he should do My whole will,’ which also orders him to humble the Philistines, the Damascenes, the Amalekites, the Ammonites, etc.
“‘But what does this mean?’ the papists say. ‘He had to pray, sacrifice, and bring offerings in the temple.’ Right indeed! He also performs the works of the church in accordance with his place and rank. In the morning he prays, meditates on the Word, believes, sings psalms, and carefully discharges the duties that pertain to the church. Afterwards he also administers political and household affairs, procreates children, takes care of the household, eats, and drinks. Thus David goes along in a godly and saintly manner through all three hierarchies: the church, the state, and the household.
“In the same manner our life, too, must be arranged, so that we are found in the rank and station which is pleasing to God according to His Word. Above all, you should believe in the Word, confess it, and be prepared to suffer and die for the Word. Later, whether you are a magistrate or the head of a household, you should serve your calling in your place. Such a life pleases God and is honored by God with many great rewards and successes” (LW 5:268-269).
So, rather than “giving up something for Lent,” perhaps it would biblically and theologically more fruitful to take up new activity for Lent which conveys the gospel both in the church and to one’s neighbour. The possibilities would seem endless, restricted only by our lack of faith, i.e. the sinner in us.
Why wait for Lent? As Luther advises, remember your baptism, put the old Adam to death daily, and let Christ raise and set loose the resurrected believer to bear and share the gifts of God’s love for all us sinners, repentant or not!
Archive for February, 2026
Giving Up Something for Lent?
Christmas Seeds
Sadly but not unexpectedly, this year’s turkey holiday supplanting supporters were sacrificed for thousands of grateful Americans wittingly or unwittingly celebrating the Pilgrims’ survival in the New World in search of religious freedom. When considering the Pilgrims’ plight, would you leave your homeland with a handful of travelers, venture to Europe, and then sail across a vast ocean to an unknown continent just to escape English religious oppression? Since most of us find it difficult, if not impossible to leave the comfort of our beds on Sunday morning to battle minimal traffic to land in a padded pew at our local parish, risking life and limb for the sake of free worship is probably out of the question.
In that light, how much more unlikely is the story of the promise given to Adam and Eve that Eve’s “seed” would conquer the forces of evil and would rescue humanity from the powers of sin and death? To think that God, instead of punishing Adam and Eve for falling into unbelief and following the serpent’s temptations, forgave them their trespass and then promised them that one of their progeny, one of Eve’s seed, would be sacrificed to effect the forgiveness of sin for all humanity, seems highly unlikely at best.
If we follow the story, this promise was given to one family, and they passed the promise to one of their progeny. That son started his own family in order to communicate the promise to another generation. In all the history of the people of Israel, this is how the promise of the Messiah was propagated. Although the tribes of Israel grew into various kingdoms, were conquered and exiled because of their rampant sinfulness, eventually some of them were freed to return to their homeland, a chided and chastened people, to propagate the promise. With Jerusalem rebuild, would God now send his Messiah to restore the glory of the Davidic monarchy?
God would restore Israel’s royal lineage, but the means and method in so doing resembled more the situation of Adam and Eve. God would speak to Mary, a young woman betrothed to a man named Joseph, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33). In Mary, Eve’s promised seed would come to fruition.
We generally take it for granted when we read the biblical stories that the story of the promised seed necessarily weaves and winds its way safely and assuredly through history. From our vantage point, we view viewing biblical happenings and progress as secret spectators, knowing that, of course, it all had to happen that way because it is in the Bible. Viewed from our eveyr day perspective, how unlikely is a promise given to one newly sinful couple to be realized generations later in a newly betrothed pair, who from an outsiders perspective, would appear to be “living in sin”?
The seed of Christ promised by the Holy Spirit to Mary would be planted by Jesus in the hearts of many people in his day. That seed would then be put to death on the tree of the cross and buried in the ground. God’s promises, however, do not die. They are the source of life in the face of death, of forgiveness in the midst of vengeance, and of grace when surrounded by murderous hate.
By virtue of Christ’s resurrection, the promised seed made incarnate at that first Christmas is still given from one person to another, particularly from individual couples to their children. Likewise, church families in their various forms of teaching, preaching, praying, and praising plant the same seeds of Christ’s gospel in the hearts and minds of each new church generation. In that sense, the first Sunday in Advent is an ideal Day of Thanksgiving for all us pilgrims, venturing through our world of sin and sorrow, yet buoyed by Christ’s promises, to celebrate the freedom from sin and death given to all humanity in Christ Jesus, our one and only Lord.
A Psalm of Thanksgiving
For US Americans, the end of November brings the holiday of Thanksgiving. The holiday itself and its establishment are obscured in lore, but marking the holiday is not. Even today, most people are still cognizant of the occasion’s roots in the Pilgrim fathers (and mothers and children) leaving religious persecution in England and seeking via the Netherlands religious freedom in a new world. Their story reminds us that taking God and scripture seriously pits the world and even our sinful selves against the Christian faith. Unfortunately, their story is nothing new.
Luther views Psalm 118 as a psalm of thanksgiving in the midst of persecution. When did you last read it? Do you remember ever reading it? Not regularly reading our Bibles likely reduces our chances of suffering religious persecution, but it also diminishes our exposure to the word of God and the blessings of the faith which it creates in us. Following the 29 verses of Psalm 118 below is Luther’s commentary to the fourth verse of this psalm. Not surprisingly, faith in God is always accompanied by trials and tribulation, but as God the Father did not leave God the Son in the grave, so too we are given promises by God which carry us through every adversity in life for which we together weekly give God thanksgiving.
Psalm 118
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever – (publisher’s title)
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees;
they went out like a fire among thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
15 Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
16 the right hand of the Lord exalts,
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!
O Lord, we pray, give us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 118:1-29 – ESV)
Luther’s commentary:
118:4 – Let those who fear the Lord say: His steadfast love endures forever.
“This fourth prayer of thanksgiving is for the true assembly, namely, for the elect children
of God and all the saints on earth, the genuine Christians. For them this psalm was especially
written, and of them it speaks to the very end. In the previous three groups—as, first, in the
spiritual government or ministry—there are many who abuse it to satisfy their avarice, pleasure,
and honor. Consider the heretics, the sectarians, and our present priesthood. Yet the order is
nonetheless good and holy and a divine gift, not to be condemned because of its abuse. Just so
the whole world shamefully abuses the holy name of God, Baptism, the Sacrament, and the
Gospel, in fact, God Himself and all His gifts. It does not fear God above all things.
“It is also true that in the second group, the temporal rulers, the majority use that which has been entrusted to them for pride, vanity, pleasure, mischief, and all manner of wantonness,
without any awe or fear of God. Nevertheless, government remains God’s good and useful
gift and is a blessing in itself. And in the third category, among the common people generally,
there is almost nothing but out-and-out abuse, since everyone uses his position, trade, skill,
money, and possessions against his neighbor. At least he does not use them for the good and
welfare of his neighbor, as God intends when He gives and preserves all things. There is no fear
of God or respect of men. Yet God preserves them all, and for this He is to be praised and
thanked.
“This little group fears God and is pious. Its membership is gleaned from the three groups mentioned above. For there are still to be found pious, God-fearing, faithful bishops,
ministers, preachers, and pastors. One also finds pious and godly princes, lords, nobles,
aldermen, and judges, and many pious and God-fearing artisans, farmers, servants, and maids,
though they are rare. Because of them God preserves the three groups listed above and bestows
so much good on them. Were it not for these, the world would pass away this very hour, as
Sodom and Gomorrah did.
“The holy prophet David clearly separates this group from the other three, thereby
indicating that the others do not honor, fear, or serve God. They serve themselves and seek and
have their enjoyment in this life. They even persecute this little group incessantly and
vehemently, and refuse to tolerate them, solely because these fear and trust God. They honor and
teach the Word of God, which the others have no desire to hear or see. In Hebrew “to fear God”
really means “to serve God.” The fear of God is the service of God. Now we cannot serve Him
bodily and visibly here on earth, for He is invisible. We can serve Him spiritually by honoring,
teaching, and confessing His Word and by living according to it. Of course, crosses, suffering,
and affliction from the devil, the world, and our flesh are the results.
“Now tell me, for what kind of gift may these people be expected to give thanks to God? It cannot be a place in a religious order, for God gives this to one of the other groups. Neither can it be temporal glory, honor, might, peace, or the obedience of men; for these are given to the
second group. Nor can it be money, possessions, house, home, health, wife, or child; for all these
God gives to those in the first group. It must be something higher and nobler, far surpassing these
gifts of our temporal and transient life. David devotes the rest of the psalm to this gift, while he
reserves only the first three verses for the other three groups. What is it? He himself will discuss
it fully. It is comfort and help in every kind of suffering, want, and trouble. This is nothing
less than the beginning of everlasting life. The world in the three groups mentioned above—the
God-fearing excepted—with all its goods, might, and skill, could not give a single drop of this.
For when man is in peril of death, there is small comfort in singing about dancing, pleasure,
possessions, honor, power, skill, wife, and children.
“As these would now honor God’s Word and serve Him, they must truly suffer and endure mockery, shame, hurt, hatred, envy, defamation, fire, sword, death, and every other calamity from the other three groups, besides much evil, dangerous, and wicked treachery from the devil and his angels, and sin, unrest, and heartache from their own flesh. Paul says (2 Tim. 3:12): “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” And Christ Himself says (Luke 9:23): “If any man would come after Me, let him take up his cross.” In Acts 14:22 we read: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” And the wise man tells us (Ecclus. 2:1): “My child, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself to be tried.”
“Thus the favor bestowed by God on this little group is completely hidden from the world and appears to be nothing but eternal wrath, punishment, and torment from God Himself. By
contrast, the ungodly in the three groups seem to be the very children of God, because they are so fully and richly endowed with the visible, temporal, and manifest blessings of God. Therefore it
demands skill and grace to discern this secret and hidden blessing, especially since the psalmist praises its eternal character and devotes so many lavish words to it, as we shall hear. Though the
spirit is willing and ready, the poor flesh is weak and unwilling (Matt. 26:41). The flesh would rather have evident, temporal consolation and help, and be above anxiety and need. But it must not and cannot be otherwise. There is no other way to life eternal than this narrow path, which so few come upon (Matt. 7:14) and only this small band finds. In short, the blessing of the three groups is this temporal life and being; the blessing of the small group is everlasting life. Therein lies the real difference” (LW 14:56-68).
