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Sermon on Daniel 6:10-12; 16-23 Mt. Olive Lutheran  October 30, 2011 Pastor Joel B. Schroeder "The Untouchables: Daniel and Luther"  1. Untouched by the Fear of Death and Hell  2. Untouched by the Fear of Man

Do you remember Eliot Ness? Ness, hero of a  TV show in 60s, was a federal agent about 1929 charged with breaking up gangster Al Capone's multi-million dollar illegal breweries and the mob's hold on Chicago. Ness chose 11 men carefully, because law enforcement in Chicago was very corrupt. When Ness and his men rejected a bribe attempt by Capone, the media dubbed them "Eliot Ness and the Untouchables." Ness's work so weakened Capone, he was sent to prison for income tax evasion. As we celebrate the 494th anniversary of the Reformation, we'll look at Daniel, an Untouchable who lived hundreds of years before Jesus. What made Daniel Untouchable? What made Martin Luther Untouchable 2,000 years later--so he served the church so mightily we still bear the name "Lutheran" today?  What made them Untouchables: they were "Untouched by the Fear of Death and Hell." When that's true a person will also be "Untouched by the Fear of Man."

If news media had been around in Daniel's day, they might have dubbed Daniel "the Untouchable." Daniel was a powerful man among powerful men. When Belshazzar of Babylon lost his kingdom one night, as God's finger writing on the wall had prophesied, his successor, King Darius the Mede appointed 120 men to rule his kingdom, then chose three men to supervise them. Daniel was one of those three. Daniel  so distinguished himself over the other two super-governors that King Darius planned to set Daniel over the whole kingdom.

Such blessings and power produces jealous enemies; Daniel had them. The other administrators looked to get something on Daniel. Had he lined his pockets with government money? Taken kickbacks or bribes? Benefitted from people seeking government contracts? Nope. They couldn't find he'd wrongfully taken a single sheckel! Had he been negligent? Did he overlook some corruption? Let criminals go free? Fail to carry out even a minor decree of the king? Take too many vacations? Party with women when he should have been governing? Nothing.  You can hear frustration and hate in the satraps words: "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has to do with the law of his god."         

What praise from his enemies! They don't say, he's done wrong, but we can't find it. They didn't say, he's not done anything wrong yet. Daniel was such a good man they said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel..." But they saw one opening. Daniel lived by the law of his god, Jahweh. If the law of Jahweh given to Moses commanded it, Daniel did it. Could they nail Daniel by getting the king to pass a law pitting the law of the Medes against the law of Jahweh? If so, they might get Daniel.

So they got King Darius, in stupidity and pride to issue an edict if anyone prayed to any god or man except Darius for 30 days, he'd be thrown into a lion's den. They got Darius to put it in writing so it couldn't be changed--they thought their king was a god, and gods don't err. The law was published. Daniel's enemies watched to see what Daniel would do. Would he disobey his LORD and stop praying to him? Would he pray only to Darius? They didn't have to wait long. At noon that day Daniel went home to the upper room of his house, opened his windows toward the Temple in Jerusalem, and prayed to LORD--just as he'd always done--three times a day like clockwork.

How could Daniel have such courage? Other places in the book of Daniel reveal where it came from. It came from his Lord. That Lord had already demonstrated his faithfulness and love to Daniel. When Daniel refused to eat food prescribed for young men chosen to serve in the palace, God kept him strong through Kosher food. God had given Daniel great wisdom, leadership gifts, and ability to interpret dreams. Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon what he'd dreamed, then what it meant! Daniel saw up close how God kept safe his pals, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,  in the fiery furnace when they refused to bow down to the King's gold idol. Daniel knew a fourth being, who was like a son of the gods, protected them in the furnace. God gave Daniel the meaning of the handwriting on the wall at Belshazzar's feast. What government worker has ever been so blessed as Daniel--a foreigner who's chief advisor to three different world empires? Daniel knew from the dreams about the future, and from seeing how empires changed during his lifetime, who was really controlled all world events--including Daniel's life.

Everyone else thought Daniel was above reproach. In a prayer in Chapter 9, Daniel confessed sins he'd committed against his Lord. "We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets... Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame...because of our unfaithfulness to you..."But Daniel, the guilty sinner, knew another side of his Lord. "The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving...O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill...For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary... We do not make our requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act!"

Later in Daniel we learn more about Daniel's God. The Lord showed Daniel the the Son of Man, given authority, glory, and sovereign power over all nations and ultimately worshipped by them and their rulers. Daniel was told this ruler's kingdom would never end! Gabriel told Daniel this One would come after a fixed period of time--70 sets of 7 years, and put an end to sin by atoning for wickedness. He would bring everlasting righteousness. Gabriel called this coming ruler "the Anointed One," the Messiah, the Christ. God told Daniel not to be afraid for God's angel was fighting for Israel against the prince or angel of the Persian kingdom. Daniel who'd confessed his sins and those of his nation without excuse, said, "How can I, your servant, talk with you, my Lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe." God answered:"...the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 'Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed,' he said. 'Peace! Be strong now; be strong.' When he spoke to me I was strengthened..." Daniel was given an overview of world history until the end of the world. He was told "Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked... As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."

Do you see why Daniel was able to pray even though it carried a death sentence? Daniel knew he was a sinner, but also knew the grace of God. Daniel knew his Savior, the Anointed One, the Son of Man, Jesus, was coming in 500 years. Daniel knew even if Darius put Daniel to death, the future, and his future was safe in the Lord's capable hands. The LORD would rule the nations as he choose until he brought the world to a close. Daniel would rise from the dead, so he didn't need to fear death or hell. "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance." Daniel was Untouchable. Because he didn't fear death or hell, he was untouchable by men.

Set the dials of our time machine 2,000 years later, and travel from modern-day Iraq to Wittenberg, Germany. There we come across another Untouchable, professor, pastor, and church leader, Martin Luther. And we see a similar story. A healthy concept of personal sin. So badly did young Luther feel his guilt for violating God's commandments he entered a monastery to try to please God as a monk. Even there, he found no peace. He took the lowest, dirtiest, smelliest jobs in the monastery. He starved and beat his body to show God his sorrow. He prayed and prayed and still found no comfort. His father-confessor, John Staupitz, tried to turn Luther's eyes to the cross and Christ's mercy, but the message was slow to sink in. It had been drilled into Luther since childhood: God is righteous. God is holy. God hates sin and sinners. You must do everything the church tells you to try to get right with him--and even then you can't be sure. Do enough good works, fast, pray, beg, give money, worship, go on pilgrimages to Rome, venerate Mary and the saints, buy our indulgences; maybe you'll eventually escape suffering the fires of purgatory and be let into heaven. But Luther still knew his sin and felt sure he was lost.

Finally Luther was called to lecture on the Psalms and God led him to a great discovery. Psalm 31:1 was a key: "Deliver me in your righteousness." How can God's righteousness condemn me when this verse says God's righteousness delivers me? God must give me his righteousness! In Romans 1:16-17 he found the clincher: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." When I believe in Jesus, I, a sinner, am counted righteous by God! Luther raced through the rest of his Bible and confirmed what he'd found. He was a sinner, but Jesus was righteous. His sin would have condemned him, but Jesus by his death and resurrection secured his pardon. Jesus got Luther's sin; Luther got Jesus righteousness. Good works can't earn God's forgiveness: forgiveness is a gift that comes through the gospel, a gift taken by the sinner through faith in Jesus.

Like Daniel, Luther knew Jesus as his Savior. Knowing Jesus as his Savior meant Luther was not afraid of dying or going to hell.  As Daniel was able to face being torn apart by lions and keep praying because Daniel believed in Christ. The fear of God is the fear that removes all others. Since Daniel wasn't afraid of God's wrath--his Savior had taken all God's anger and punishment on himself, Daniel didn't fear what Darius or the 120 jealous satraps could to him. Just think what Luther was willing to face because Jesus had removed his fear of death. He went against his father's desire for him to become a lawyer--and face the pressure his family surely put on him not to defy the whole Christian church. Luther was able to stand up against the church's most able scholars, like Erasmus who knew Greek and Hebrew, and learned theologians like Zwingli and Calvin; kings like Emperor Charles V who could declare Luther an outlaw or King Henry VIII of England. He wasn't afraid to be excommunicated from his church--the only Christian church in Germany--and stand alone. He was willing to defy the pope who claimed to be Christ's vicar, the sole interpreter of God, and one whom Christians had to obey to be saved. When Luther wasn't afraid of death or spending eternity in hell, that took away any fear of man. After all, if a person is knows he'll be OK with God when he dies and will go to heaven, what can man do to him? A ruined reputation's a heavy cross. Being discriminated against or losing one's rights and property hurts.  Hatred's tough to endure. Imprisonment or beatings are never pleasant. But none of these will last beyond the grave. They won't last forever. Heaven with God and all believers will.

Our Savior was innocent of all sin. He had a perfect relationship with His Heavenly Father. He obeyed his Father's will so the world would not have to perish. And because he had that relationship with His Father, he was Untouchable by death and hell, and Untouchable to the fear of what men could do to him--even on the horrible cross. No wonder Daniel could face death by ferocious lions and keep praying. No wonder Martin Luther could face the disapproval of the whole Christian church and keep speaking, teaching, and writing the truth of the gospel. Daniel and Luther were Untouchables through Christ. Untouched by the fear of death and hell. Untouched by the fear of man.

It's sometimes said we preach same things too much: sin and grace, law and gospel, our corruption and Christ's rescue. We do not apologize. That's what the sinful heart most needs to keep hearing. I'm sinful and lost by myself. In Christ I'm forgiven, free, an heir of heaven. Untouchable to the fear of death and hell. It's sometimes said we warn too much about false doctrine by pointing out the errors of others. But if the truth of the gospel makes us untouchable, error will make us subject again to the touch of the fear of death and hell. How can we do otherwise? The truth sets us free. Error will take away the fear of God and leave in its place all sorts of horrible fears of death, hell, and man.

Are you afraid to die? Are you afraid of hell? Are you afraid of people? Then join the Untouchables--Jesus, Daniel, Luther, and many other heroes of faith. The sure mercies of God, his free forgiveness through Christ, alone will remove your fears. You may not face roaring lions or be condemned by the whole Christian church and your government when you trust in Christ as your Savior and live your faith. God may not put you in those situations. But through Christ and his gospel you can defeat the roaring lion seeking to devour your soul. When you trust God's Savior like Daniel or Luther, you'll witness to others even though you are afraid. You'll do the right thing though it may bring persecution. You'll endure great personal suffering and agony if God brings it to you.  An angel shut the lions' mouths so they didn't eat Daniel. Luther was able to reform the Christian church and die a natural death at age 63. God hasn't promised us we will come through our trials and suffering as well as they did. But through faith in Christ, the same faith Daniel and Martin Luther shared, you and I can live our lives as Untouchables. Untouched by the fear of death and hell. Untouched by the fear of men. God grant that to us for Jesus' sake. Amen.