Reformation Sunday
Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 46; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-36
This Sunday, Christians of the Lutheran Tradition take a break from the Revised Common Lectionary to celebrate the beginning of the Protestant Reformation when the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses against indulgences at the door of the Wittenberg University Church as an invitation for academic theological debate. By doing so, Luther ignited the Christian Church, promoting its very first transformational awakening. In a little over five centuries, the gifts of this movement are myriad. Chief among them is the freedom bestowed on every Christian by the good news of the gracious gift of faith in the redemption that is in Jesus Christ crucified for the sake of the world and revealed in the Word of God.
In John, chapter 8, verses 31-36, Jesus declares himself to be the fulfillment of the forgiving divine promise of old (Jeremiah 31:31-34). He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and the truth is now what delivers freedom from sin (John 8:36).
After being freed from slavery, God’s faithful people shattered the laws of the Sinai Covenant, which aimed to promote peace and justice among neighbors, propelling them to illuminate the dark corners of the world (Isaiah 42:5-7). Yet, God’s love and grace persisted, and the cries of a crushed and exiled nation became the new thing God chose to do. God decided to no longer remember the sins of the people (Jeremiah 31: 34) and never again turn God’s back to us (33).
Paul declares to the church in Rome the consequences of the freedom from sin promised by the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31) graciously and lavishly poured over all who have faith in the death and resurrection of Christ. For him, the truth that frees is this: there is no distinction. We all have fallen short of the expectations of the laws of the old covenant (Romans 3:22-23). The gift of sincere and genuine faith that comes from the heart is what now justifies, that is, makes righteous everyone who believes (24 and 28).
The psalmist proclaims:
“Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge (Psalm 46:2-3, 1; NRSVue).”
Bridging Faith 