November 8: MAKING TROUBLE
Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” 1 Kings 18:17
Ahab, king of Israel, married to the pagan queen Jezebel, was perfectly happy with the status quo which included worship of pagan gods. Elijah’s firm stance for truth caused him to be viewed as a troublemaker. But Elijah simply emphasized that people had a choice: “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word (v.21).
In our day, it seems that most professed Christians are reticent to even join a conversation about the swirl of conflicting teachings among the various denominations, for fear of offending someone. This is a type of idolatry: valuing one’s own image or popularity in the eyes of the world above the pursuit of truth. God’s name and reputation are at stake among those He is trying to save.
The outcome of the investigation of Luther at Augsburg had, to say the least, been disappointing for Rome. After all, the pope had already pronounced Luther a seditious, rebellious heretic. His Biblical preaching had made the name Martin Luther synonymous with troublemaker. How could this “poor monk” cause such an earthquake beneath the seat of Rome?
The spiritual illumination of so many minds across Europe had a very unsettling effect in Rome. It had been only a year since Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. During this brief time, the coffers in Rome had not been filled up as before. Fewer pilgrimages had been made to Rome; but the universities were swelling with students who wanted to study the Bible. While this was a positive development, Luther warned: “I am much afraid that the universities will prove to be the great gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, and engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not unceasingly occupied with the word of God must become corrupt.”
As Martin Luther continued in his life of devotion to God’s word and the sharing of it, a new king ascended the throne in Germany. The papacy was very quick to lavish congratulations and also to induce the new king, Charles V, to use all of his power against the Reformation. A great stir of excitement was generated as the idea of another trial for Luther was brewing. He was to appear before the Diet, an imperial assembly, at Worms, Germany. The pope’s assigned papal legate to this case, Aleander, knew that the eloquence and power with which Luther spoke would do harm to the papal cause, and therefore strongly urged Charles V to order Luther not to attend. But the German princes insisted that the man on trial must be in attendance in order for them to render a decision. The entire scenario was “second-guessing” the decision rendered earlier by the pope, that Luther was the enemy of the church and the state and must be destroyed.
“You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.” Matthew 10:18