“Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Have you ever heard that? That is what St. Paul was saying to the Corinthians in today’s epistle lesson. People may read the Old Testament and wonder “why did God allow the Israelites to wander for 40 years before entering the promised land?” Why did God let Israel suffer from time to time, to even be mostly destroyed, with a remnant taken into a captivity in Babylon so that even the faithful suffered?
St. Paul tells the Corinthians and by extension, us, why: “These things happened to them [the Old Testament Israelites] as an example, written down for our instruction. So that Christians, New Testament Israelites, do not repeat the same mistakes. Old Testament Israel was the Old Testament visible church, they had had God’s Word, yet many did a lot of stupid and unfaithful things: they were wicked and spiritually adulterous and idolatrous, time and time and time again. It’s like they never learned from their own history as to the results of going against God’s Law: the removal of God’s protection and grace. Doing the same thing again and again, yet expecting a different result, never learning, is the ultimate insanity. St. Paul, speaking to the fair-weather Christians in Corinth, points to the forgetfulness of the OT Israelites and God’s judgements upon OT Israel to punish the evildoers and get them to repent and said: “You’re doing the same thing those fools did. Adulterous, idolatrous, worshiping the things of this world, putting God to the test, grumbling against the rules of God, do you wish to suffer the same earthly consequences?” Learn from your history! God wrote all this stuff down for you, so you’re not doomed to repeat it!”
We look around at all that’s going on in our world, and we shake our heads in utter disbelief. Our nation politically, yes, but even with so many who claim to be of the Church who still haven’t learned from history. We’re still doing the same dumb and wicked things people of the past have done. Going after false prophets, denying and minimizing God’s Word of Law and Gospel. Then people are shocked when God permits the suffering even of minor consequences for our wicked, murderous, and idolatrous ways.
Let’s be careful. Not all repetition of history is a bad thing or something to be avoided. Paul never says “Don’t ever repeat history.” What he says is, “Learn from history.” There is a difference. In Church history and Holy Scripture, there are many good and faithful people for us to imitate, there is much that was done that was good and true and we should and must repeat as we make our way through this life at this time. Are the struggles of our communities, homes, and nation unique or new to mankind? Not completely. Not really. When speaking of whatever is going on, pandemics, fires, droughts, riots, assassination attempts, coup d’etat…we often like to use the word “unprecedented”, but it’s simply not true. It may be all new to us, but there’s nothing unique/new about what we’re experiencing. There is no new sin or result of that sin that isn’t just a variation of sins and their repercussions of the past, it is just more readily known and promoted because of technology and the internet. In history there were plenty of wars and rumors of wars, pandemics, government corruption, political unrest, fear mongering and economic uncertainty. In addition to this, every generation in history has had to deal with a sick/dying loved one, job loss or bills which are less extreme but no less sad or troubling results of the curse of sin.
Read the Scriptures! These things are all written down for a reason…for us to learn: to learn to repent of our sin, to turn from our wickedness, to then look to God and Jesus Christ and be saved, to look to the example of others whom God rescued and preserved and be inspired and comforted!
Are you discouraged by hardship, by sadness, ridicule and persecution? You’re not the only one to ever suffer or struggle or worry or grieve. Learn from history. Look to Job, to David, to Elijah, Jeremiah, Hannah, Leah, Abraham and Daniel! Look to St. Paul, to Stephen, to Simon Peter, St. John the Baptizer, and look to Christ. Jesus Christ sent from God to stop the cycle of repeating the badness of history. He came to show the Grace of God to those who learn from the wages of sin and repent, looking to God for mercy. Here it is, in Jesus Christ. He died on the cross, so that we would have life. He was made low for those sunk in their sins and suffering to raise them to the glory of God. Learn from history and see the mercy of God to all the saints and believers who turned to Him, who trusted in Him, who were built upon the Rock that cannot be moved. He kept them in the faith in sickness and in health, in tumult and uncertain times, and gave them strength by His Word to receive His salvation. The same salvation which God offers to you in these days and at this time.
Look at what has been handed down to us from our spiritual parents, and ultimately from God? What have the faithful always done when things get tough? They have learned their history. The history of God’s salvation and mercy. The Church turns to Scripture and the psalms and prayers inspired by the Lord, they look to the historic liturgy, to receive God’s eternal and unchanging answer to our sin and repentance. The answer which will be held out to you, without fail, without conditions, and without end, this day in Holy Absolution and the Lord’s Supper. The answer is God’s forgiveness of sins undeserved but freely given by the merits of Jesus who has been crucified and raised for the forgiveness of sins, to give life instead of the judgement of death.
The answer is in His invitation to “repeat history” in the daily, remembrance of our baptism where God sealed His grace to us, where many of us first came to faith by His Word, were purified and made holy by the blood of Jesus. Remember it, remember whose you are, and that God has promised to you to wash you and cleanse you again as you return in contrition. By His Holy Spirit, you learn from your sins of the past, so that they are overcome in Christ and you need not repeat them by His strength. Remember: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Remember this [Word and Sacrament] is what the faithful have always understood and fled to and held fast to. When tumult and tribulation rear their ugly heads; when Christians are made to feel fear and terror, the churches have always been filled with the faithful fleeing to God remembering a hope that goes beyond the hopes of this world.
Don’t put the focus on yourself and what we need to do/not do. The focus of the Christian faith is to concentrate on Almighty God and His faithfulness to His promises. All three of the lessons today point to that fact. God is unchanging. He will judge but He is merciful to those who love Him. Do not give up hope in any situation here on earth, hope in Him as we heard:
“This God His way is perfect;
the word of the Lord proves true;
He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.
“For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
This God is my strong refuge
and has made my way blameless.
He will make your way blameless. As you have received mercy from God, you be merciful, and God will show more mercy to you, and instead of a death cycle of repeating sin and receiving punishment as the world has, we have a cycle of grace and spiritual blessing here given.
God works all things for the good of those who love Him. He uses the joys in our lives too but sometimes also the crosses. Look no further than right here as an example [the cross]. Who would EVER think that this is good/victory?! But here it is. In our place, is Christ, The Father’s wrath against sin, placed on this battered, bloodied, and nailed body upon a cross for all the world to see. Here is how God views and handles our sin! By laying down His life for each and every sin of the entire crooked world, mine and yours included.
This is also that history from which we can and must every day learn from. What our sins deserve, but God’s mercy and grace in this precious gift for our salvation.
My fellow redeemed: Learn from your history and the history of the Church. How has God proven Himself to every believer in every age? By God clinging to them in good times, in bad times, richer, poorer, in sickness and in health, by preserving them in hope and mercy. All the examples are written down for you; for your sake for warning but also for comfort. Trust in your Lord. Learn from His history in dealing with you and all people of every age. He is a loving and gracious God, He is slow to anger, and quick to forgive. ALWAYS. This cross, these sacraments, are absolute proof to learn that your Lord loves you and forgives you and wishes your victorious salvation. He is faithful to make you faithful in believing and living in Him. Let there be no doubt! Your heavenly Father loved you so much that He gave His only-begotten Son to die for you! May we ever learn and grow in Him through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen!
Pr. Aaron Kangas