Vindicated for love
by Tim Castle-Schmidt
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Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me (Psalm 43:3a).
Read Psalm 43
Psalm 43 begins with a prayer we cannot finally answer for ourselves: ‘Vindicate me, my God.’ That is a brave prayer. It asks God to judge, defend, rescue and bring the truth out into the open. It is also a risky prayer, because if God judges us by our own righteousness, what hope do we have?
That is why Psalm 43 fits Reformation Day so well. Martin Luther knew what it was to long for a gracious verdict from God. He loved the psalm’s movement from accusation and darkness toward God’s light, truth, altar, joy and praise. ‘Vindicate me’ is not the cry of someone polishing their spiritual résumé. It is the cry of someone who needs God himself to act.
And in Christ, God has acted. The Reformation did not uncover a new trick for becoming impressive Christians. It recovered the old, bright gospel: sinners are justified by grace, through faith, because of Christ. God vindicates the ungodly by joining them to the crucified and risen Jesus. Our hope is not that we have loved enough, given enough, purified ourselves enough or repaired enough walls. Our hope is Christ for us.
But that verdict does not leave us unchanged. Psalm 43 asks God to send light and truth to lead us to worship. Vindication leads somewhere: to the altar, to joy, to praise and then back into the world as people being reshaped by mercy. God’s declaration creates a new people. Freed from self-justification, we can stop using others as props in our own holiness project. We can love them instead.
Vindicated by Christ, God’s people are freed and formed to love. That is Reformation comfort and Reformation calling. God has judged in favour of sinners in Jesus. So you are freed to put your hope in God. You can now praise him. And, by his Spirit, you are being formed into someone who loves.
God, our Saviour, vindicate us in Christ, send us your light and truth, and form us by your gospel into people who praise you and love our neighbours. Amen.
By his own admission, Tim Castle-Schmidt is a broken man. Broken in body, mind and spirit, he says he is learning that God is at work in and through human brokenness. He says that while God has not ‘fixed’ him, God continues to work through his brokenness to connect with the world. Tim is the pastor of Nunawading–Waverley Lutheran Church in Melbourne. After spending many years as a teacher in Lutheran schools, he finally listened to God’s call to the pastoral ministry. Tim is passionate about social justice and engaging the church with contemporary society. Tim shares his life with Fiona, Miranda, and a Jack Russell called Otto.
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