Bless Your Heart
Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary
Scripture Text: Galatians 2:16 and Psalm 14:1-3
Series: Comments on Galatians
One does not become righteous because she was raised in church. One does not become godly by doing good deeds. Righteousness is not a reward for being moral. People who are not righteous may be church-goers, doers of good deeds, and conduct themselves with fine behavior.
A southernism comes to mind. “Bless your heart, darlin’.” When southerners say this to someone, it does not necessarily mean that they are imparting a blessing. Indeed, it typically does not imply they have said a good thing at all. It means that they think you are such a dolt that you need God’s help to get better — indeed, that you are so far gone that he probably will not be much help either. Now it appeared at first that the southerner was being well-mannered but at second glance, it becomes clear that she was actually leveling an insult. Her seemingly righteous behavior was actually otherwise.
You go to church? You do nice things? You are polite? And as a result, you think you are a godly person? Bless your heart, darlin’.
May the full force of God’s law oppress you and me and convince us of our sinful standing before him. Only then will we be prepared to receive the grace of God that conveys his righteousness. This is not something we can do on our own. It is freely given by God to we doltish darlin’s who have come to realize that need his righteousness — and none of our own, as if we had any.
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Rev. Dr. Mark E. Ryman has served as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, since 2021. Previously, Pastor Ryman served congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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