Wednesday of Easter 7

The Fiery Trial

1 Peter 4:7–14 (ESV) The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

The Epistle reading for the Seventh Sunday of Easter calls upon us not to be surprised when we face “the fiery trial.” From the outset of his First Epistle, St. Peter has spoken of the positive benefits of trials for our faith: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:3–9).

One positive thing about suffering is “to test you” as a “fiery trial”—this implies the fiery process of separating metal ore from dross, freeing it of its impurities and refining it; just as fire refines precious metals, so the fiery ordeal tests and proves the genuineness and constancy of faith, and increases our trust in the Lord. As we sing in “How Firm a Foundation,” the Lord says, “When through fiery trials your pathway will lie, My grace, all-sufficient, will be your supply. The flames will not hurt you; I only design Your dross to consume and your gold to refine” (LSB 728:4).

Here are a couple excerpts from a sermon by Joel Osteen, followed by some of Dr. Luther’s comments on First Peter. Note a contrast?

Joel Osteen: “See, convince a man that there is no hope and you've done the worst possible thing in the world for him. If I want to be guilty of one thing, it is that every time I got up here I instilled hope in the people. See I know if I can get your hopes up, if you'll have hope, you'll start to have faith. You'll start to exercise your faith. And faith is what moves God to act… See I've got the hope that every one of you will be blessed in every area of your life. Not just finances. I believe God is pouring out his wisdom upon you. I believe you're going to...you know God's supernatural favor is going to overtake you. And we're going to rise up and have the healthiest, most prosperous, most sound congregation in this whole nation…See that's God's dream for all of you. That's God's dream for every one of you. God's dream is above all else you prosper and be in health.”

Dr. Luther: “When faith begins, God does not forsake it; He lays the holy cross on our backs to strengthen us and to make faith powerful in us. The holy Gospel is a powerful Word. Therefore it cannot do its work without trials, and only he who tastes it is aware that it has such power. Where suffering and the cross are found, there the Gospel can show and exercise its power. It is a Word of life. Therefore it must exercise all its power in death. In the absence of dying and death it can do nothing, and no one can become aware that it has such power and is stronger than sin and death. Therefore the apostle says ‘to prove you’; that is, God inflicts no glowing fire or heat (cross and suffering, which makes you burn) on you for any other purpose than ‘to prove you,’ whether you also cling to His Word…God lays a cross on all believers in order that they may taste and prove the power of God—the power which they have taken hold of through faith.”

Osteen’s outcome of truly faithful people is that they will be healthy, wealthy and wise; Luther’s outcome for the faithful is that God will place a cross upon them. Our Old Adam, our sinful flesh, hates the cross and is surprised when it comes, but our new man, created after the image of Christ, recognizes fiery trials as no surprise but as needful blessings. So, along with St. Paul, we can receive the words of Jesus: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And along with St. Paul, we can respond: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Prayer: O God, You are like a refiner’s fire, and Your Spirit enkindles the hearts of Your faithful people with the fire of Your love. Bless, we implore You, all who have kept the joyful Easter festival that, burning with desire for life with You, we may be found rightly prepared to share in the Feast of Light which has no end; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.