Today is Reformation Sunday in honor of Martin Luther, founder of the German Lutheran Church. I wonder if he really understood what his 95 Theses would mean for the world and every new-born religious denomination. He was strongly against the Catholic Church’s policy that parishioners could pay indulgences to the Church to have their sins forgiven. In my upbringing, only God can forgive your sins, and no payment is necessary because that debt for my sins was paid for by Jesus Christ dying on the cross.
With everything going on in the world, perhaps we should look at Luther’s hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” God is the fortress equipped with sword and shield for victory. He destroys the oppressor’s rod and wins our salvation. Satan has strongly fought to overpower us and give us pain. Satan’s power is dreadfully crafty, and there are no equals to him on this earth.
Our strength cannot match Satan’s might, and we are lost and rejected. God sent us a champion to fight for us, and even if we doubt His power, Jesus Christ is the mighty Lord and God’s only Son. With Him, all things are possible and victory can be achieved.
We may be fearful of the hordes of devils that have threatened to devour us, but with God’s help, we stand firm and unmoved. Their power holds no sway with us. The world’s tyrants can rage, but we will engage them in battle. Satan’s power will fail, and God’s judgment will triumph. Our words and deeds will destroy Satan’s will and power.
Our foes fear God’s Word, because it will abide among nations. God fights fort His children with Spiritual weapons. If we lose our homes, goods, honor, children, or spouses,our foes will not win the battles. Even with our deaths, God’s Kingdom is ours forever because we are His children.
Wars in the Ukraine with Russia and Israel with Palestine may not touch us for the miles between, but as long as we believe in the One true God, He will provide for us. America’s divisions will be healed by His love and grace, as we learn to love one another again. Our broken families will re-unite as we place God in the center of our lives. God’s creation will return to the beauty He created when His light returns to our souls, and we learn to take care of His creation. The sins of the world are paid in full by God sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, and with our gratitude and praise, we will continue to walk towards our Eternal home.
Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2006. Page 504.
Anna Hartt
