John 8:31-36

Reformation Sunday | October 30, 2022 | John 8:31-36 | Judson F Merrell |

³¹ Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, „If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples;

 ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.“

 ³³ They answered him, „We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‚You will be made free‘?“

 ³⁴ Jesus answered them, „Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

 ³⁵ The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever.

 ³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

 (Joh 8:31-36 NRSV)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

On this Reformation Sunday the church again celebrates the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, and all the reformers who fought for the confessional movement within the church.  History has taught us that schisms involving religion have always been a part of the world, and will continue to be.  What we celebrate today is a failure, because rather than actually reforming the church and bringing people together the church was broken.  Even today Lutheranism, a name hated by Luther himself, is not unified.  We continue to find ways to divide, rather than finding ways to unify as the body of Christ.  This isn’t only true of Lutherans, as other denominations in our midst have split and continue to do so today.

Jesus lived in the midst of a religious schism.  Some Jews believed in him, some did not.  Some had believed briefly, and then fell away.  Some hated Jesus and wanted to kill him.  In the midst of all that, Jesus looked at those Jews who had believed in him and said “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples.”   Think about that.  In the midst of a divided people, that is a bold statement.  It’s especially bold given not only the religious divisions of the day, but also the social and political divisions.  For Jesus and for the Jews, they lived in an occupied land.  Jesus’ words stir their thoughts about what a Rome-free Israel could look like.  His words stir them to imagine a time when they could live unified in their religion.  No longer would they be subject to Caesar or oppressed by Rome.  They yearned to be free from the occupation, to have their own kingdom and their own king again.  Not just a puppet of the government, but their own government they could hold accountable.  This is what Jesus offers them.  As he tells them “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples”, he does so with an extra proposition: “you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.“  Jesus offers the Jews a chance for unity, a chance for freedom, and a chance to be a disciple in a kingdom that is not of this world.  That in and of itself is remarkable, but it is a statement that automatically brings about some healthy skepticism among the Jews.

Jesus’ statement is one that conflicts with the very thoughts of how we live in this world.  Luther’s comment on this text is that this statement “appears laughable to reason and wrong to the world, and yet it is true.”[i]  We think of the here and now.  We think of worldly kingdoms and our day to day experiences of life.  It is no wonder the Jews answer Jesus „We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‚You will be made free‘?“  Their experience in life is being under Roman rule.  It is paying taxes to Caesar.  It is living under a puppet king.    Jesus is offering them an experience of a lifetime, an eternal lifetime that is different than anything they know.  All they have to do is continue in his word.  A quick glance at the history of the church shows that is a task that not everyone is willing to commit too.

Loyalty is hard.  Loyalty demands priority.  Loyalty demands hard work.  If we want a paycheck, we have to keep working at our respectable jobs.  We have to come in on time and not leave before our work is done.  Students must arrive at school on time and complete all their assignments or they will not get the grades needed to advance.  The church cannot exist without faithful believers who take an active role in the ministry of the congregation.  God demands our loyalty to him, we are called to be faithful when we are baptized.  In turn, God is faithful to us.  He offers us freedom within a kingdom that is not of this world.  He offers us a look at what truth really is…and it isn’t division, but unity.  Not theological arguments or social/political arguments, but the Word of God.  It is not giving up because the work is too hard, but instead abiding in the Word on a constant basis.

To be a disciple is to remain loyal to God’s Word.  It is to endure in this life, but also to suffer and bear what we must, so that the Gospel may be spread.  And this is what leads to freedom.  Not freedom from suffering, but freedom from sin.  For our Lord went to the cross and rose on the 3^rd day so that we all will one day taste that freedom from sin and death and bondage.  On this Reformation Sunday we are reminded to continue in the quest for freedom.  Religious schisms will certainly be a part of that.  Division will seem as though it is winning over unity.  Our understanding of the world may seem to make more sense than the Word.  And yet we are called to abide in the Word, to strengthen our faith constantly, so that our journey is one of discipleship and freedom.  It is a journey that does not lead to earthly riches, but instead to truth and freedom in the kingdom that is not of this world.  Jesus said „If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.“  Our task is at hand, and we have been called.  So let us go into world continuing in the Word, striving to be the very disciples that our Lord has called us to be.  In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Rev. Dr. Judson F Merrell, STS

[i] Luther’s Works Vol 23 pg. 394