After Darkness, Light

After Darkness, Light

The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.

Matthew 4:16

Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness.

Luke 11:35

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Romans 12:21

Quick—what holiday is today? Did you think of Halloween? Today is also a much more significant holiday. It is Reformation Day. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses (or topics for debate) to the door of a church in Wittenberg. At the time, the church was telling people they had to pay money to the church for their sins to be forgiven. People were forced to buy pieces of paper called pardons or indulgences from the church if they wanted the church to forgive their sins.

Luther knew that repentance is an inward experience and that indulgences had no spiritual value. He loved the truth from the Bible, and he wanted others to learn that truth. He and other reformers—people like John Calvin, William Tyndale, John Knox, and John Wycliffe—changed the world through their courageous and costly commitment. They believed strongly in allowing people to read the Bible for themselves, and they helped people understand that salvation is a gift of God, not something we earn. They taught that every Christian has their own personal relationship with God and doesn’t need another person to go to God for them.

On Reformation Day, we celebrate what God did to shine the light on the true gospel through these reformers. One of the Latin sayings of the Reformers was “Post Tenebras Lux.” This saying means, “After darkness, light.” The centuries prior to the Reformation were very dark, with people being ignorant of simple biblical truths. The Reformation brought light into the darkness. And that is worth celebrating!

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What is the difference between Halloween and Reformation Day in terms of what is being celebrated?

How would your faith be different if you couldn’t read the Bible in your own language?

The Reformers faced punishment and even death for bringing light to some of the dark places in the church. What do you think gave them the courage to stand up for the truth?