Today, of course is Halloween, October 31st, which is also the day on which we commemorate the Reformation--because it was on Oct. 31st, 1517 that Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church. We observe this festival every year, often moving the festival to the last Sunday in October--but the actual date is October 31st. And when I mention that to catechism students, the question is inevitably, "Why did Luther nail the 95 Theses to the church door on Halloween?" Some think that it must be because Halloween was a holiday, so he must've had the day off. Others assume Luther being a priest--having no kids to go trick-or-treating, probably didn't even realize it was Halloween. But the fact is, Luther realized fully what day it was, and was indeed nailing the 95 Theses, or Statements for Debate, on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany--on October 31st, 1517, for a particular reason.

     While Halloween, in Luther's time was known as All Hallow's Eve--or the Eve of All Saint's Day, which was November 1st, the customs Luther was addressing in his 95 Theses, were not, per se, the customs and traditions associated with October 31st--what he was really attempting to do was to make a point, by having the Theses posted on the door of the Castle Church as people came to the church to view relics on All Saint's Day. Relics were religious artifacts that were usually associated with our Lord, the Virgin Mary, or saints and religious figures. Prince Frederick the Wise, the Imperial Elector and ruler of Saxony, which included Wittenberg, was a dedicated collector of relics--having filled his Castle church with more than 19,000 things like a bone of the finger of Saint Peter, an eyelash of the Virgin Mary, or a nail from the cross of Christ. These were to be venerated, usually with an appropriate contribution--and in return for these good works, you were granted an indulgence--the remittance of a part of the penance required to receive forgiveness of your sins. Originally, this indulgence was only good for earthly, temporal penance imposed by a priest, bishop or pope. If your parish priest, as part of your private confession required you to say three "Our Fathers"--by saying a prayer at a relic, and making a monetary donation to the church, you could be granted an indulgence that would excuse you from having to say the three "Our Fathers". Which Luther acknowledged was the Church's right--if the Church imposed penance on a person, the Church could excuse or remit the penance imposed. What Luther had a problem with--was the misdirected preaching and teaching that suggested an indulgence, whether for the veneration of relics, or for simply making a required financial contribution--could grant forgiveness beyond earthly penalties. In other words, when Pope Leo X, and Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz, allowed the selling of a jubilee indulgence in and around Saxony--that promised this indulgence was good not only for you, in this life, but that they could be purchased for already dead relatives to gain them salvation for eternal life--this Luther could not accept. So, on the Eve of All Saints Day--Luther posted 95 Theses disputing these claims, on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church--All Saint's Church, by the way. His aim was to have these Theses posted right there on the door of All Saint's church, as the folk of Wittenberg would come to the Castle Church on All Saint's Day, as was the custom, to venerate relics, make their contribution, and hopefully, gain eternal life for their loved ones who had already died. Luther felt the sale of indulgences promising eternal life, would not give his parishioners hope, but false hope--and it was this, that Luther questioned, and attacked, with his 95 Theses, and with his other writings and strivings to end the sale of indulgences. Luther's concern was that the faithful not be offered false hope, but real hope--hope that was based, not on financial contributions, not on the basis of veneration of saints, not on trust in the pope--but hope that was based on Christ--and Christ alone! This was the crux of the Reformation, and even today, it must be the crux of any preaching that would claim to be "Luther-an". True Luther-an preaching must always strike a death blow against false hope, and proclaim only that which can provide real hope, through Christ. And it's my belief that we, today, are just as much in need of real hope as were the folks in Luther's time--because everywhere we turn we are being offered false hope.

     Of course, it would be all to easy to point to the present political campaigns to see just how freely and easily candidates offer to us, false hope masquerading as the real thing. Does anyone really believe George Bush or John Kerry can keep future terrorist attacks from happening? Yes, they may have an impact, and we will have to make our own decisions about who we think will have the greater, the better impact on our nation's safety and security. But let's not look to our president, whomever he is, to provide us with real hope. And at the same time, let's not look to our government, our society, or our culture to provide us with real hope. For that matter, as strange as it may sound, let's also not look to the Church for hope that is truly hope. For as sure as the Church is the earthly instrument through which God has chosen to communicate hope to us, the truth is, the Church has also, at times, provided false hope. That's what the Reformation was all about--false hope, provided by popes and bishops and relics and indulgences, with an eye toward fund-raising, rather than real hope provided by pastors and teachers who are committed to preaching Christ. And still, we have pastors and teachers who are providing false hope. Still, there are those who look for hope in academia, in psychology, in sociology; in all sorts of humanistic endeavors that look for hope in human experience and knowledge and opinion, rather than in the God who has revealed himself fully and completely in Jesus Christ. And the reason for the continuation of the Lutheran reforming movement, if we will continue to be the Luther-an reforming movement, is to be that voice--to be at least one voice in the Body of Christ, that continually calls the Body, away from false hope, to the real hope that comes from Christ alone. And where should Christians look for real hope in Christ? How can we know that what we are grounding our lives in is not false hope, but hope in Christ?

     Jesus himself, in our gospel lesson gives us the guidance we seek, when he says, "If you continue in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." False hope can never make you free. False hope can promise you freedom, and can make you think you're free, just as the folks who went to the Wittenberg Caste Church to view relics and make a contribution, thought that they were assuring themselves of eternal salvation--freedom from death and hell forever! But real freedom comes only from the truth, and the truth only comes from continuing in the Word. Placing your hope and trust in other religions, idols, persons, and things, leads only to death and destruction. Placing your hope and trust in the Son--Jesus, brings salvation. And the truth about Jesus--the truth about salvation--the truth that brings real hope, can only be known from God's Word. Which is why we are to continue in His Word--which is why we must continue in His Word, and cling to it, and write it on our hearts, and never depart from it--no matter what false teachers and preachers and bishops and popes may say about it. Jesus says that it is by continuing in His Word that we will know the truth, and it is the truth that will make us free from sin, death and the devil--and it is this freedom, that gives hope. Hope that is truly hope. Hope that will last a lifetime, and more than a lifetime. Because it is hope that comes from the Son, who has justified us by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith, as St. Paul writes. This is where real hope comes from. And this is the only way we can receive real hope. And just as that's what Luther was affirming on October 31st, 1517, that's what we are affirming, today. Not false hope, but hope that is truly hope--hope that comes from continuing in God's Word, which reveals the truth, that makes us free. Free, indeed.

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.