Wednesday, November 9, 2011

An few analogies about the focusing on the Law

Imagine that you are terribly, terribly sick, and that the disease is deadly. And you go to the doctor, and the doctor looks at you, sees your death coming, and he says, "Well, let me give you a cough suppressant, that way you cough less."

That's nice, I suppose. It helps a symptom but does nothing to provide a cure. And you'd still die.

If you want to know why I get so cranky when I come across people and theologians who always want to spout off about the Law, about Natural Law, about how to fix society... that's nice and all. If you are given by God the duty to care for this world and time in your vocation - go to it. Lawyers and legislators, go make good Law!

But if you are a theologian and a pastor, if you are given by God the duty of handling the Gospel, the power of God for salvation and life everlasting... why the hell in the world are you futzing around with the Law and social niceties and speaking ultimately a word of death instead of the Word of Life?

It would be like the chef at the wedding feast ignoring the preparation of the meal and instead trying to make sure that all the napkins on the table are neatly folded. Get to the Gospel! Get to Christ and Him Crucified for sinners instead of simply trying to make sinners less messy, less... sinnery.

...

Or is the problem really that you no longer believe that it is the Word of God that gives power and life and recreates and you think that instead you have to give your new rules to *make* people be good. Wise fool, the letter kills but the Spirit giveth life. And all your legal barns and constructions will be brought to nothing, all your works will be burnt away as the straw that it is.

Preach Christ and Him Crucified. Show the Cross and its folly which is our salvation. Give the medicine of immortality, not your moral cough drop.

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