three things that Lutherans can add to the pro-life discussion

About this sermon

Here are my notes on the topic: Three important things Lutherans bring to the pro-life conversation 1. The three estates 1.1 Martin Luther understood that the Lord divided up the world into three realms, family, church, and state, and then each realm had their own good works and boundaries. 1.1.1 We know that there are three estates in this life: the household, the state, and the church. If all men want to neglect these and pursue their own interests and self-chosen ways, who will be a shepherd of souls? Who will baptize, absolve, and console those who are burdened with sins? Who will administer the government or protect the common fabric of human society? Who will educate the young or till the ground? Yet these duties, which have been commanded and approved by God, have been scorned and cast aside… (on Genesis 43) 1.2For what? 1.2.1 Church: eternal life 1.2.2 Family: life 1.2.3 State: Little death to protect life (sword) 1.3 Each in All 1.3.1 Middle Ages: either/or, Luther: both/and, each of us has a place in each institution 1.4 So what? 1.4.1 We recognize the primacy of the family in the Lord’s giving of life 1.4.2 We recognize the role of the state to protect life (And we can see when the state fails) 1.4.3 Sola Politica: Reaction to Texas Law: I hope you will have free health care, etc. 2. Suffering. 2.1 Paul in Athens: Epicurean and Stoics, what of suffering 2.1.1 Epicureans: Suffering must be avoided 2.1.1.1 This is our culture. When we look at the things that stand behind the arguments for abortion, the logic of the pro-abortion arguments, the logic of our culture of death, we see that it is suffering that is being fought against. 2.1.1.2 What if the child is unwanted and unloved? 2.1.1.3 What if the child is disabled, or underprivileged? 2.1.1.4 What of the mother whose life is disrupted? What of this suffering? 2.1.1.5 So the culture of death goes to end suffering the only way it knows how: by ending the sufferer. 2.1.2 Much of current Christianity talks about the Christian life as if it was one of success 2.2 What do we think of suffering? This is where we find God, in the suffering of Jesus. This is where we find salvation. 2.2.1 Jesus: if anyone would become My disciple, let him take up his cross, and follow me. 2.3 Seven Marks of the church (On the Councils and Churches) 2.3.1 Seventh, the holy Christian people are externally recognized by the holy possession of the sacred cross. They must endure every misfortune and persecution, all kinds of trials and evil from the devil, the world, and the flesh (as the Lord’s Prayer indicates) by inward sadness, timidity, fear, outward poverty, contempt, illness, and weakness, in order to become like their head, Christ. And the only reason they must suffer is that they steadfastly adhere to Christ and God’s word, enduring this for the sake of Christ, Matthew 5 [:11], “Blessed are you when men persecute you on my account.” 2.4 We are sufferers who live among sufferers who have a God who suffered for us, and we teach how to suffer, how to find joy in suffering. We recognize that suffering is bad (and we try to help and find relief), but that it is no 3 The proper distinction between law and gospel, 3.1 We end with hope. 3.2 There's a lot of work to get to the sinfulness of a thing, but then what do you do? What does God say? 3.3 There is a lot of harm done by the sin of abortion, not only to the dead, but also the living. 3.3.1 Statistics tell us that 23.7% of women in the United States have had an abortion by age 45. Silent suffering and shame of abortion is tremendous. There are fathers involved in that silent darkness as well. And doctors, nurses, politicians, families. There is a lot of blood on a lot of hands. 3.3.2 For this, Jesus suffered and died, to forgive sin. 3.4 Remember King David, after his adultery, murder of Uriah the Hittite (a mighty man) and his repentance: The Lord has put away your sin. 3.4.1 One of the most glorious truths of the Gospel is that the Lord Jesus has so reconciled David to Himself, that when David enters heaven he is received with joy and open arms by Uriah, the murder and the murdered, reconciled by the blood of Jesus. 3.4.2. 2 Corinthaisn 5: 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 3.5 To the moms and dads mourning what they have done, listen, the children gathered to Jesus long before their time, they are waiting to welcome you. 3.6 Only Jesus offers that hope. Only Jesus brings light into that darkness.

Topics

• Justice & Mercy