The Theology of the Cross vs the Theology of Glory

At the End of Life

“In the Midst of Life, Caring for the Dying”

Schedule

Two Natures of GodBiblical BasisPastoral TheologyTeachingOur VocationEnd of Life

2

Luther in Contrast to the Medieval Tradition• Evangelical alternative to Ars Moriendi (The Art of Dying)

• Manuals about expectations, prayers, actions, and attitudes leading to a "good death" and salvation

• “A Sermon on Preparing to Die” of 1519 (AE 42:99-115)

• Suffering does not contribute to salvation; it should drive us to Christ

Care of the Dying: First Spiritual Diagnosis

• Symptoms of unbelief (sin) uncovered & addressed

• See “Fourteen Consolations (AE 42:121-166)

Holy Scripture

• Strength & comfort in God’s promises• Luther

– Romans 8—nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus

– John 14-16—the promise of the Comforter and Christ's victory over the world

– Philippians 1—the good work that God has begun in us will be brought to completion at the day of Christ)

– Romans 14—we are the Lord's in life and in death

– the whole Psalter

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

• Sacraments—pledges & tokens of God's favor in Christ

• Luther directs afflicted to Baptism and Lord's Supper

• God bestows forgiveness & peace by drawing suffering Christian outside of self to certainty of Lord's gifts

Faith Perceives Life in Death• Sickness and nearness of death,

the place where faith tested and strengthened

• Drawn ever deeper into Christ our Savior

• As health and life taken, left only with Christ

• Faith alone can perceive life in death

• "In death we are like all other men: the outward mode of our dying is not unlike that of others, except the thing itself is different, since for us death is dead. In like manner, all our sufferings are like the sufferings of others, but only in appearance. In reality, our sufferings are the beginning of our freedom as our death is the beginning of life" (AE 42:142)

Prayer

• Directed to Father on behalf of sick

• Directed against Satan and his works of desolation

• Basis for this prayer is promises of God

• Reflected in the Creed

Spiritual Conditions

• Luther—spiritual conditions in sickness – Impatience– Doubt– Misbelief

Six Attitudes of the Cross#1 PURPOSE•Jesus by choice came to earth, to the Cross

– "As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem..." Luke 9:51

•Called to proclaim salvation through Christ (Matthew 28:18-20)

– "Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, l AM sending you'" John 20:21

•Nothing more important—eyes set on mission, take up our cross daily

2nd Attitude of Cross

#2 LOVE•Jesus took up Cross not for Himself, but for others—as it is with us

•"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" I John 3:16

3rd Attitude of Cross#3 SURRENDER

•Jesus surrendered His whole life to will of His Father, because of great love for Him

•This is our expression of love to God

•"'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work'" John 4:34 (c.f. Hebrews 10:7; Matthew 26:36-46)

4th Attitude of Cross#4 SERVANT-HEART

•Though He was Lord of all, by own choice became the servant of all

•This is our desire, also

•"...But I am among you as one who serves" Luke 22:24-27 (c.f. Mark 10:45; John 13:3-17)

5th Attitude of Cross#5 FORGIVENESS•In the face of the mockery of His enemies and opposition to the point of death, Jesus forgave•Our attitude also•“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21b-22; c.f. Luke 23:33-43)

6th Attitude of Cross#6 VISION•Jesus saw beyond suffering of Cross to resurrection•Gave strength to bear the Cross•Faith in victory gives strength through trials•“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2 c.f. Hebrews 2:10

Decisions• Tyranny of the Possible

– moral people under pressure from science, media, and society to do, without moral consideration, whatever is possible

• Our vision not on moral rightness– we too will be wrong at times– Gospel forgives sin when choose wrongly– Change our lives in faithful response to the

things before us

Standard for Choosing• Old End justifies the means• New Motive justifies the means

– Replaces ruthlessness with personal motive ethic– “If I mean well, then all I do is good

• Bible; not isolated quotes, ‘devil can quote’– Not book of moralism– Proclamation of the new life in Christ through work

of Holy Spirit in Word, Baptism, Communion

Cross or Glory?

• God hidden and God revealed – In act of God’s self-revelation, paradoxically

concealed under opposite of what human reason expects

– God’s self-revelation at the cross is paradoxical, limited & indeterminate

– Theology of glory speaks of God’s self-revelation as certain, boundless & definitive

– Science-theology dialogue in context of cross allows for ethical decision making

Image of God• Retained in part (Gen. 9:6)

– Will—freedom of choice– Reason—use of intellect and wisdom– Righteousness—faith & love toward God– Soul—spiritual life– Dignity—value placed on selfworth– Relationships—our sonship with God,

marriage as sign of Christ and the church– Procreation—love of husband and wife– Dominion—legislation and justice

Medical Decisions• Conceived in sin, lost identity as child of God• In Baptism identity given as God adopts His

children by faith in Jesus Christ• Issues of end of life decision-making

– Usually about allowing versus causing death– Allowing death of irretrievably dying patient

acceptable– Causing death of a non-dying patient not

acceptable

Glory Culture• New age—death is mystical transformation of

life here to life in indefinable dimension• Postmodern—life after death is warm, sticky

sentimentality– Robin Williams film “What Dreams May Come”– Heaven and hell, of sorts, but no God– Inhabitants of heaven can rescue those in hell– Death not to be feared

Death Is Enemy• Eliminate suffering by eliminating sufferer• But, healing message of God in suffering is

Gospel proclaiming: – what God did through His suffering & death– what God continues to do in our suffering & dying

• The last enemy to be destroyed is deathI Corinthians 15:26

– 1) Death is unnatural (spiritually)– 2) Death is our enemy

Popular Culture• Word of God not popular in culture that

promotes taking charge of your life– Grasping both life & death from God– Do with as we wish– Ends in despair and hopelessness

• Death no friend that removes suffering– Some increases suffering of eternal kind– We fear & fight against it because—like Jesus—

we know what death really is

Hidden Work of God• God works through suffering & dying

– See it in Jesus’ suffering and dying– Jesus’ suffering & dying won our salvation– God’s work through our suffering and dying

assures of His presence & care• But, not see God’s work in our suffering

– We walk by faith, not by sight– Isaiah 45:15: “Truly you are a God who hides

Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior.”– I Corinthians 1:18-31: God hides in our suffering

End of Life Contrasts• Glory does not look for God in suffering, but in

the healing that removes suffering– Healing is gift of God, but all die– Theology of glory (the hope of immortality through

medicine) wants healing and not God as He comes to us in our suffering

• God works in suffering to reveal Himself as a Saving God, a God who cares and comforts– If learn to place ourselves in His hands– Peace is found

Luther on the Care for the Sick and the Dying

by John Pless