Verbum Domini Manet in
Aeternum, “The Word of the Lord Remains Forever,” was the motto of the
Lutheran Reformation. Abbreviated as four letters, VDMA, the motto was sewn on
to the sleeves of the clothing issued by two Lutheran territorial princes to
every member of their staff. From the prince on down to the boy cleaning out
the stables, they all proudly wore “VDMA” on their sleeves. This motto captured
the bold Spirit-wrought confidence that animated our first Lutheran fathers in
the faith. They knew precisely what they faced by defending and extending
Luther’s Gospel-rediscovery: the loss of property, life, and earthly honor. And
yet, so convinced were they of the powerful comfort of the Good News that God
is a loving and merciful Father who calls, gathers, and enlightens through the
Spirit’s use of the Word and Sacraments, that they were willing to take risks
for the Gospel.
And what about us today? What is
that we hold most dear and precious? In this month when we celebrate the
Reformation, we recognize that no celebration can, or should, begin anywhere
other than first with repentance. We hold ourselves up to the full measure of
God’s perfect Law and recognize that we indeed deserve nothing but His
punishment for the sins that so easily entangle. We repent of our apathy and
lack of concern for the great Gospel-mission our Lord Christ has sent us on. We
confess these sins and turn again to the confident motto of the Reformation and
recognize that when all else fails, the Word of the Lord endures forever. For
the last Word is never Law,
but always Gospel, always the “good newsing” we need every day and which He so
richly and daily provides, the assurance that your sin is forgiven. You are
healed. You are loved. You are redeemed. You are justified, sanctified, and
called to be His very own child.
May God bless your proclamation
of the Word that endures forever! Onward, ever onward in His footsteps do we
walk, where He leads. Happy Reformation!
