Your job on this celebration of the Reformation is to proclaim the promise of God in Christ which justifies, and to help your hearers live like they believe it.
Question: What do you get when you add the preface to Luther’s Galatians commentary from 1535, a short story by Flannery O’Connor published in 1964, and a thirty-minute podcast with two systematics professors recorded in March of 2025?
Answer: A reading/listening list that will help you prepare a faithful sermon for your congregation’s celebration of the Reformation on the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost.
Let me explain.
I will begin with the selection of this Gospel reading. One of the unfortunate aspects of the lectionary used by the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is its lack of imagination on certain festival days. The Gospel reading for Thanksgiving Day, for instance, is Luke 17:1-9... every year. But there are so many other readings that could help us give thanks! Likewise, the Gospel reading for Reformation Day is the same each year. Two options are better than one (John 8 and Matthew 11), but there are only so many ways to preach the Gospel from these two readings. Furthermore, there are many other rich and wonderful texts that could be used to preach the Gospel on Reformation Sunday.
The Gospel reading for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost is one of them. Here is how it begins: “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt” (18:9).
Questions about righteousness stood at the center of the Reformation. Luther’s personal struggle to understand what it means to be righteous before God is well known. He also struggled to help Christians live rightly in their relationships with others. This dual theme (righteousness before God and living rightly in relation to others) appears again and again in his reforming work. He wrote sermons about the various kinds of righteousness in 1518 and 1519. He addressed righteousness when thinking about monastic vows in 1520. He explored a twofold righteousness in sermons on Genesis in 1523 and 1527. By the time he got to 1535, he took another look at Galatians and found himself referring to the distinction between righteousness of faith and righteousness of morality as “our theology.”
This brings us to my first suggestion for preparing for this sermon. Read the preface to Luther’s Galatians Commentary. It is in volume 26 of the American Edition of Luther’s Works, and it is only nine pages. Here you can read Luther’s most mature and most substantial reflection on what it means to be righteous.
By the time he got to 1535, he took another look at Galatians and found himself referring to the distinction between righteousness of faith and righteousness of morality as “our theology.”
After reading that, go back to the parable in Luke 18. Jesus told this story to people who were confused about what it means to be righteous. They “trusted in themselves that they were righteous” and looked down on others. The story centers around the prayers of two people. The first was a Pharisee. He found comfort in his righteous living (verse 11: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector”) and his righteous worship (verse 12: “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get”). This guy was socially adjusted enough not to brag about his piety in front of others (note how he was “standing by himself” in verse 11), but his heart showed itself to be turned in on himself. He took comfort in his behavior, trusting that his actions are what made him right with God.
This way of thinking is not uncommon among “religious” people. In many cases, the more pious the person is, the greater the temptation to think like this. Which brings me to my second suggestion. Read Flannery O’Connor’s “Revelation.” Again, it is not long, only twenty pages or so. This is among O’Connors’ most mature stories. By this time in her writing career, she had gotten really good at exposing hypocrisy among those who considered themselves more righteous than others. The main character in this story is a “good Christian woman” named Mrs. Turpin. Much like the Pharisee in the parable, she is quite confident in her position before God, which happened to be well-ahead of most others. I do not recall O’Connor using the term righteous, but there has rarely been a person more self-righteous than Mrs. Turpin. Read the story to see what I mean. O’Connor’s stories, after all, are better read/heard than summarized.
[Note to the preacher: I am not necessarily suggesting that you refer to this story or Mrs. Turpin in your sermon. You might. But the story could be just as helpful as a means for stimulating your thinking about what self-righteousness and contempt among “good Christians” looks like.]
Then there is the second person in the parable. The tax collector is entirely different than the Pharisee. Instead of proudly bringing his good works before God, he humbles himself in prayerful repentance. “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to Heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” (18:13). Jesus’ judgment about this man is an example of what it looks like to be justified by faith alone: “I tell you; this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other” (18:14).
Which brings up my third suggestion. Listen to “Faith Alone: We Really Mean It.” This is an episode of the podcast out of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis called “Tangible: Theology Learned and Lived.” In their conversation, Robert Kolb and Joel Okamoto discuss how they have noticed a pattern. Many good Christians (including seminary students) affirm the idea of justification by faith, but struggle to live accordingly. Perhaps it is because many “good Christian folk” want to bring something of value to God. We have a hard time accepting that faith alone makes us right with God.
The tax collector did not struggle with this. He realized he had nothing to offer God. His only hope was that God would be merciful. God was, and God still is. In His mercy, He sent His Son to bring forgiveness, life, and salvation to all people. Our faith clings to this promise. And the faith that saves us manifests itself in a life of love toward others. Your job on this celebration of the Reformation is to proclaim the promise of God in Christ which justifies, and to help your hearers live like they believe it.
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Luke 18:9-17.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Luke 18:9-17.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
