Enough evidence to convict

In tomorrow's Gospel reading, Jesus tells of the last judgment:

The righteous will answer him, `Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, `Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

In preaching on this passage before, I told a parable Søren Kierkegaard, an important Christian philosopher of the 19th century. He considered running in to the German Reformer Martin Luther. Kierkegaard wrote,

Assume...that Luther has risen from his grave. He has been among us, though unrecognized, for several years, has watched the life we lead, has been observant of all the others, and also of me. I assume that one day he addresses me and says, "Are you a believer? Do you have faith?" Everyone who knows me as an author will recognize that I after all am the one who might come out the best from such an examination…

“How is that,” replies Luther, “for I have not noticed anything in you, and yet I have watched your life; and you know, faith is a perturbing thing. To what effect has faith, which you say you have, perturbed you? Where have you witnessed for the truth. And where against untruth? What sacrifices have you made, what persecutions have you endured for Christianity? And at home in the family life, how has your self-sacrifice and abnegation been observable?”

My reply: “I can protest to you that I have faith.”

“Protest, protest—what sort of talk is that? With respect to having faith, no protestation is needed, if one has it (for faith is a perturbing thing which is at once observable), and no protestation is of any avail, if one does not have it.”

“Yes, but if only you will believe me, I can protest as solemnly as possible....”

“Bah, an end to this nonsense! What avails your protestation?"

“Yes, but if you would read some of my books, you will see how I describe faith, so I know therefore that I must have it.”

“I believe the fellow is mad! If it is true that you know how to describe faith, it only proves that you are a poet, and if you can do it well, it proves that you are a good poet; but this is very far from proving that you are a believer. Perhaps you can also weep in describing faith, that would prove that you are a good actor.”

In this parable of Kierkegaard’s, Luther is completely unimpressed with what the philosopher has written about faith or his protestations that he is a believer. What mattered most was rather in observing his life, could someone tell that he did have faith. Put differently, "When they drag you in to court for your faith in Jesus Christ, will there be enough evidence to convict you?"

The full text of the sermon is online here: Perturbed on Behalf of the Least of These.

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor