The devil does not delight in love and
harmony. He relishes discord and
sorrow. He seeks to create this by anger
and resentment. He does this wherever
there are relationships: Christ and the Church, husband and wife, Pastor and
Church, even between two friends. The
devil cannot tolerate harmony for where there is harmony, there the Word can be
proclaimed and indeed faith grows and more souls are brought to faith by the
Holy Spirit. And so the devil seeks to
create wedges of conflict.
The first example is clear. The devil sowed discord into all
relationships—between Adam and Eve and between God and mankind! The Devil knew that there was complete harmony
between Man and God. This was not
acceptable to him so he sought a way around this and he found it in the
relationship between man and woman. Here
were two creatures whom God loved, whom he had made perfect. The devil’s hope was to create distrust
between God and man and he did it by creating distrust between Adam and Eve.
Eve relied on the word Adam spoke to
her. Adam was already having discord sown. In his harmony with his wife he did not speak
up for her and show her that the serpent was trying to deceive her. Instead he allowed his wife to incorrectly speak
God’s Word rather than speak it on her behalf and thereby become deceived. Adam ate what his wife gave him trusting her
more than God. The devil’s plan was
successful. He had created disharmony due
to a lack of trust in the promises of God.
God was in discord with man. While
this discord was remedied by God providing the Messiah, the discord amongst
mankind was forever to be tested.
You see Adam and Eve didn’t trust each
other anymore. In fact, Adam blamed Eve
rather than owning up to his selfishness by protecting his wife from the devil
and the punishment that God was going to pass down. From that moment, sin came into the world and
discord ruled the day. We see this over
and over throughout Scripture as people were in discord with each other and
especially with God. The cause behind
this is always the devil. As 1 Peter 5:8
says, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking
someone to devour.”
For this reason the Lord seeks to
create harmony. We see this first of all
because the Lord sent the Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us and bring about a
reunion of faith. It is only in Christ
that we are united with the Father once more.
This we hear loud and clear in Ephesian 1:7-10, “In Jesus we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to
the riches of his grace, which
he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the
fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on
earth.” Because Jesus died for you and me, God created harmony that we receive
through faith.
The devil seeks to destroy this
harmony, so he creates discord in homes and the church. He seeks to cause division and it is only
through faithful catechesis of both husband and wife that this is
overcome. How often do we see discord in
a church because someone in the church refuses to hear God’s clear word on a
point of doctrine? This is especially
true when a church experiences change—for example the change of a pastor. For where there is a change in the pastor,
there is a change in delivery and emphasis in the midst of continued right
teaching.
While the Pastor’s teaching and his method
of delivery may be foreign to the new congregation in the midst of this change,
the devil will seek all the more to cause discord. In this manner, both Pastor and congregation
must recognize when something has gone awry and seek the scripture to
comprehend the discord that the devil is sowing. The congregation must trust
her elders to work with the pastor, and she must also listen to her called pastor
about what he is actually teaching comparing it to scripture and the
confessions and trust that he is listening to their concerns. In like manner
the pastor must hear the concerns that are presented and seek all the more
diligently to be sure that what he is presenting is truly from the Word of God. He must work to be clearer in the delivery
and answering the questions.
It is in this challenge that one also
can look to scripture at the relationship between the Pastor and the Church; that
it is like a bridegroom and the bride. How
do the bridegroom and bride interact?
Luther states, “It would give the devil great pleasure if a husband and
wife were constantly grumbling and mumbling against one another. Even better: If chairs, benches, and tables
were being constantly thrown back and forth!
Then the devil would rejoice! For
he would love to see the institution of marriage totally disappear from the
face of the earth and to have nothing good ever come out of it. The devil does everything in his power—being
the destroyer of God’s works and order which he is—to accomplish his goal.”
(What is Marriage Really? pg. 31)
In the same way the devil would
rejoice to watch churches tear themselves apart. For if he can remove the church from the
community, then the Gospel would be destroyed in that community! So instead we must see the devil for what he
does and understand that the Lord has created the marriage between the Church
and Pastor for her edification and salvation.
The Pastor does not demand or force his way, but gives himself up for
her. He lovingly speaks God’s Word of
Law and Gospel to her. He teaches
her. He does not use her for selfish
gain, but instead seeks to make her all the more beautiful in the eyes of the
world, not through vain action but by speaking well of her and grooming her
with the very Word of God. He is not to
be a glory hog seeking to build up the church to make himself look better so
that he may go on to a different church but love and cherish her as one whom
the Lord has given to him to care for and love.
Likewise the Church is called to submit to her pastor for what he does is
sacrifice for her. He cares for all her
needs giving of himself so that she would not lack. She listens to his words and trusts his
work.
Like every marriage we must not be
tempted to think we can find better. We
should not be full of sorrow and disappointment that they are not who we
thought they would be, but rather cling to God’s Word, and see that all our
relationships are given to us like a beautifully set gem (pg. 31). It is only by truly being in God’s Word that
any relationship will truly endure. For
the Word of God will certainly turn the bitter wormwood of marriage into honey
and turn sorrow once more into gladness (pg. 32)
Yes, the love that is found in
marriage or any relationship will have it struggles. But when we understand what God has done for
us, we will then turn away from our discord, anger, resentment, sorrow, and
hatred in that relationship and instead embrace a relationship founded on
forgiveness. Whether it is in marriage,
the church, or a friendship, when God’s Word is put first, the love of God
always prevails in true reconciliation, a coming together again, a truly
god-fearing relationship founded in Christ alone. For only in Christ can we truly come
together.
When one does come together in Christ,
there is an even greater excitement. The
love that pours out from that relationship results in a true confession of
Christ. Where the devil would seek to
destroy marriages, relationships, and churches, it instead is strengthened and
God’s Word goes forth to grow churches, relationships, and marriages. Where God’s Word is put first instead of our
own egos others desire to have what you have.
It is in the midst of Christ’s promise of forgiveness spoken to one
another that others will seek what you have.
So that in turn, you get to teach others. In teaching others about the joyful harmony
we have in Jesus Christ, the devil loses.
In that there is a great victory, especially in this Easter season as we
proclaim Jesus’ victory over the devil.
Discord is destroyed in Christ and harmony is created. May our Lord
always keep this beautiful gift before us.
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