Reformation Day (28 Oct. 2018, obs.)

Father Abraham, had many sons...

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.  And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."  Revelation 14:6-7

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; He utters His voice, the earth melts.  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come, behold the works of the LORD, how He has brought desolations on the earth.  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire.  "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah . Psalm 46

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.  It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.  For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.  Romans 3:19-28

So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed in Him, "If you remain in My words you all are my true disciples.  And you all will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."  They answered to Him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved yet, how do you say that 'you will be free?'”  Jesus answered them, "Truly truly I say to you that all who are committing sins are slaves to sin.  The slave does not stay in the house forever, the Son remains forever." John 8:31-36 (translation mine)

Who are the Children of Abraham?

It is a loaded question regarding a loaded term.  And one that has caused quite a bit of contention for the last few thousand years.  But the answer is pretty simple, so simple that the Jews got it, and were angry, as soon as Jesus spelled it out to them.

Every single true child of Abraham is a Christian.  Joseph?  A Christian.  Moses?  A Christian.  Deborah?  A Christian.  David?  A Christian.  The Pharisees?  Not children of Abraham.

That's the hard and cold truth of the matter.  The people of Israel were not, universally or consistently, Children of Abraham.  Especially post-Exile.  This is a people and religion in turmoil, in trauma, and react as such.  Unfortunately, they still end up looking away from the promise made to Abraham and double-down on making the Law their god.  They even used the trauma of slavery as their justification for this, while simultaneously denying it happened to them.

To say they were "never slaves" is stupid on two levels.  One because the people of Israel were under someone else's authority throughout their entire history other than those few years David and Solomon reigned.  On a more important level they were slaves to their original sinful nature, as are all humans.

The Jews, with egotistical pride, built a religion around self-justification following absurd man-made laws.  They've been stuck on the first four stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression) since the beginning.  Never have they accepted that the house they build is on a foundation of quicksand.

So if the nation of Israel is not the descendant of Abraham, then who is?

Christ.

And because we, who are Christian and believe in Christ as the Son of God, are joined with Him through baptism and communion, we too are the true Sons of Abraham, not slaves.  We belong in the house, with the Father, where we will inherit life.

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Sorry this is a little late.  Things have gotten busy at the end of the quarter, and extracurricular writing was the easiest thing to abandon.  But we did translate the Gospel text in Greek Readings, and had some interesting insights (Judaism is a religion of trauma).

After the new Church year starts, I'll be switching to the Three Year series, and focusing primarily just on the Gospel reading, since that's what we are translating in Greek Readings class.