T H E O P H I L U S

John Calvin, one of the founding fathers of what we know today as protestantism and the reformation, 460 years ago preached in the city of Geneva. It is in this era of the Catholic Church the language which was preached throughout the liturgies were solidly communicated only in Latin – a language that had long been lost and was not the majority of tongue. It is in the midst of these times that there were all sorts of corruptions including the sale of indulgences and heresy in many orders to profit the church. John Calvin committed himself to the life of preaching the gospel in the language of the people, and held tightly to making the Word of God accessible and understandable to every person. This was after centuries the gospel was held away from the common people. He called the reformation Post Tenebris Lux, meaning, “After Darkness, Light”. It is in this time and era that the Reformers held strongly to the value “sola scriptura” meaning “by scripture alone” to preach the gospel. For 25 years John Calvin preached alongside many of the founding reformers facing many persecutions and near death experiences – including being burned alive. He lived a life that called all his comforts aside and persevered in preaching over two thousand sermons regardless of the opposition and threats that came his way. But it was also in a time when Geneva was one of the harshest, most immoral, and desolate places to live in Europe. There was no running water, no sewage systems, no medicine, and what was known as the “sweating sickness”, much similar to swine flu was on the rise. But today, we are at liberty to worship as protestants because in the midst of these dark times, the Lord had forged the way for the gospel to be heard by everyone, for every tongue.

It is by the price of great discomfort that we are comforted by the great news of the gospel today. Not only by the persecutions and sufferings of the reforming fathers that have made the gospel accessible to us, but incomparably, the blood of Jesus that we have access to the Father – in full mercy and Grace.

Jesus was in utmost discomfort so that you and I may be comforted by His grace. He suffered and died on the cross, but also lived a completely abandoned life so that he would serve comfort for his people. He was born into a manger, he owned no home, nor did he build a wardrobe beyond what he wore that day. He abandoned what on earth we would consider all of his creation, so that you and I would know that he came only for our salvation and that we would know the greatness of his love for us.

Be challenged to be a little uncomfortable today. When we think of the discomfort Jesus had for us, what little discomfort will it take for us to be as Christ called us to be for our neighbors – that his kingdom and love should be known to them?

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 – Isaiah 53:4-6

Reference

John Calvin. (2015). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 07:19, Feb 16, 2015, from http://www.biography.com/people/john-calvin-9235788.