+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Mark 12:42
Theme: Two Sacred Mites
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God has His eye on those in need. They never escape His notice. Widows and orphans are special cases. They give the most despondent souls reason to hope. About this widow we know nothing at all. What as her history? Was she stricken with grief? Was she overcome with desperation? Had she endured many years of poverty and hardship? We know nothing of her particulars but we know a great deal about the general status of widows in ancient times. There was no government welfare. Widows depended up male relatives for their livelihood. When that support was not available their situation could become dire. The bible makes many references to the care of widows by believers.
So what was the crux of the issue in today’s gospel account? It was not the quantity of her gift, it was the quality. Her two small coins were nothing in and of themselves but what they represented was an enormous treasury of trust. Possessing nothing she gave everything and in so doing she cast herself completely on the mercy of God. Vulnerable to the world as a result of her circumstance she made it clear she wished to be vulnerable to God as an expression of her faith. Having nothing to offer God faith receives the righteousness of Christ.
If we read this account of the widow’s offering only as an example of comparative generosity we miss the point almost entirely. The wealthy were giving far more but needed not to rely on God’s grace. Proud of their earthly riches they were missing out on heavenly treasures. But this widow entrusted her whole livelihood to God. Materially poor, she was spiritually rich.
Now here is where the rub is: Our sinful nature will not allow us to entrust our livelihood to someone we do not fully trust. And so we turn to other sources of security. Sin, by definition, means the sinner doesn’t fully believe he or she is in God’s good graces. We doubt God’s intentions or His capabilities. God becomes an enemy, or at best is kept at a distance. In fact we can’t even believe God is trustworthy on our own. The Holy Spirit must break our hardened hearts. He points us to the cross. And there we see that the equality with and independence from God that we seek by nature is an illusion and a dead end. Yet we doubt the integrity of His forgiveness because it leaves us indebted to His mercy.
Forgiveness always involves unequal partners. By its very definition it involves a willingness and capacity to forgive on the one side and a desire for forgiveness on the other. At the heart and centre is the reality of an undeserved favour. God’s forgiveness towards us in Christ is not conditioned by our value, worth or efforts. We have no right to it. We can make no claims on it. Christ’s forgiveness is not even predicated on our repentance. It is by grace. It is available to all. “[Christ] died for all.”1 Repentant souls will never fail to find it. The beauty of forgiveness is that it gives all repentant souls equal standing in God’s sight.
Forgiveness is by grace. It sets us free. But do not abuse it for something it is not. Do not trivialize it. Repent honestly. Rejoice confidently. And resist sin steadfastly. Forgiveness does not equal tolerance. Love does not mean tolerance. God forgives the repentant sinner; he does not tolerate the sin. God absolves the person who repents; He doesn’t give him permission to go on sinning. When forgiveness is equated with tolerance and love is equated with license then the church becomes an enabling institution in the worst sense of the term.
We may hear much about being forgiven in God’s sight for our sins, and as well we should. If we do not hear about forgiveness the gospel is not being proclaimed. But we may not hear as much about forgiving those who sin against us. Though we find this imperative is at the heart of the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”2 how often do we take this to heart? How easy it is to hold grudges! How easy it is to want satisfaction or revenge on those who have wronged us! But to withhold forgiveness from those who seek it is not a right we possess. Even when we are painfully hurt we do not have authority to deny pardon to others. In fact, it is a sacred privilege to grant to others freedom of conscience by assuring them they are forgiven.
The forgiveness of God is not pie-in-the-sky, wishful thinking. Jesus Christ assumed our humanity so that we could have the favour of the Deity. He was crucified in the flesh. He rose in the power of the Holy Spirit. His forgiveness is offered to you in the concrete means of bread and wine. The body and blood of Christ imparts to believers pardon, peace, and strength. At His altar you have exactly what He promises to give- the food of immortality.
The baptized are consequently no longer ruled by fear. We have had the threat of condemnation removed by the blood of Christ. The baptized have citizenship in His kingdom. In baptism we go from being vulnerable to the accusations of Satan and chaos of the world to the protection and stability gained for us by the cross. This is a communal reality shared by the fellowship of believers. We do not live an abstract faith. We live in real time and space interacting with real people in our lives. We share joys and sorrows. We have a purpose in God’s kingdom; vocations in which we embody the love of Christ to the world.
We may wonder if we are cut out for the task or if it really makes a difference. But think of this widow. And never underestimate what God can do. God sometimes uses the most unlikely people for the most important tasks. Moses never thought he could lead the Israelites out of Egypt. And today we heard of another widow. Ruth was the daughter-in-law of an important biblical widow named Naomi. Ruth was the great-grandmother of David and David was an ancestor of Christ.
Dear friends, the church- the bride- will never be left widowed. She will never be abandoned. She will never be forsaken. The only-begotten Son has sacrificed everything for her well-being. He lives to give her life. Widows were examples of vulnerability. As such they were illustrative of all sinners. At the mercy of those who had the means and willingness to show compassion they were dependant on benefactors. And so too, we who are lost apart from the mercy of God in Christ Jesus can be confident we are never overlooked or forsaken. The Bible says, “He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself…He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”3
Our livelihoods are in God’s hands. And that’s exactly where we want them to be. He never fails to come to the aide of those who are vulnerable. He seeks those who are lost. He comes for sinners and He welcomes them into His eternal kingdom. May the Holy Spirit clothe our hearts with those sacred wedding garments that transform His church from spiritual widow to cherished bride. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
11 November 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 5:15
2 Matthew 6:12
3 Hebrews 9:26-28
Monday, November 12, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Twenty First Sunday After Pentecost (B) 2012
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Mark 10:42-45
Theme: Humility In Christ
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
We seldom value the same things God does. Humility is today’s example. We may appreciate humility in someone else but is it something we value for ourselves? Christian maturity involves coming to an ever better understanding that what God cherishes is often scorned by the world. He treasures humility and servanthood. The world esteems recognition and power. Christ stands these values on their heads. His throne was a cross. “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”1
Today James and John were hardly examples of humility. They had aspirations of glory. Their objectives were not in line with the Saviour’s. But we must not be too critical.
They were being true to themselves. Are we any different? But to be true to one’s self in contradiction to God’s will is simply to become an illustration of all manner and expression of the power of our inborn sinfulness. It begins at conception.
It certainly runs counter to human reason to suggest that an infant requires the forgiveness of sins. Newborns are often held up as the closest thing possible to pure innocence. But to deny the need for forgiveness is to misunderstand the radical nature of sin. Original sin involves such a deep corruption of the human being that every natural inclination and propensity of the heart, mind, and will is expressed in self-centred independence from God. The Bible speaks of a spiritual deadness before the Word and Holy Spirit act. Luther’s words are well-considered when he says, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel.”2 “I believe that I cannot…believe [on my own].” That is the crux of the matter and denotes well the helplessness of every human soul.
We chronically underestimate our dependence on the mercy of God. We think we just need aide when we really need rescue. We think we just need a push when we really need to be carried. We think we just need equipping when we really need defending. We think we just need some tolerance when we really need forgiveness. We think we just need renovation when we really need resurrection. And if we can’t fathom our need because our life has to this point been relatively painless and carefree, we will certainly come to an understanding when we face our mortality.
Today Jesus speaks of undergoing a baptism of fire. He did so to make immortality available to us. To be baptized with fire is to be immersed in the crucible of trial. Our Scripture says, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission.”3 Jesus explicitly states the reason for His coming. He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom. All the other implications of Jesus’ coming- His ethics, His morality, His example, His miracles and displays of divinity, His modesty, His humility, His influence on the hearts and minds of people from that time right up to the present day- are given lasting meaning only because of His sacrifice for the sins of the world. Without His death and resurrection, without His sacrifice, everything else would just become confined to the history books. Our God is not a deceased hero; He is the eternal source of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
His salvation is first offered to us not in a baptism of fire but a baptism of water and the Spirit. Sacramental baptism involves a cleansing from sin and purging of the soul. The inner reality affects the outward expressions of life. Of course we cannot infallibly discern if the two always match. Only God can. The well-known phrase says “It’s the thought that counts.” And that has a kernel of truth in it. If a person’s intentions are honourable but they are prevented following through with their plans their integrity still remains intact.
When we assess peoples’ actions we must learn to be discerning so that we don’t cause undue offense. Like the pastor who received for his family a pie from a woman who was a terrible cook. After tasting the pie, they simply threw the rest in the garbage, unable to eat it. The next Sunday, the woman asked the preacher, "How did you like my pie?" The pastor responded, "A pie like that does not last long around our house!"
The phrase also contains an element of truth in a more important spiritual way. Our Christian walk, our bearing of our crosses, our keeping in step with the Spirit can only be God-pleasing when our motivations are in tune with His will. We don’t seek God’s help merely so He can guide our outward actions. We pray that He will change our thoughts, our intentions, and our motivations. We pray that we are changed from the inside out. To change the heart and will is a far greater thing than to restrict or promote external action. The latter will follow from the former.
Dear friends, we have the confidence that every time pardon is offered to us; every time we are drawn back to and through our baptism; every time we receive the forgiveness offered in the body and blood of Christ; God is wiping the slate of the conscience clean. We can’t necessary notice because our hearts are battered and bruised and struggling with guilt and pain. And yet precisely because it is independent from any input from us it is all the more certain. It involves the invincible and irrefutable declaration of God. A decree made indisputable by the blood of the Lamb. Our salvation depends entirely upon the initiative of God in Christ. We are justified- we are declared righteous- we are set right with Him- only by grace through faith.
This truth is so precious it has no peers. But it has many challengers. Many are the distractions and diversions which would draw our focus away from the promises of God in Christ. How easily our attention is averted. How many have been drawn away from the church in the last decades! When Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes; he (Martin Luther) said, 'Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. He has no other thought, wish or hope."
The devil has many tools in his arsenal. He attacks with precision. He doesn’t own a shotgun. His strikes are much more exact. He knows when to aim for the heart. He knows when to aim for the mind. He knows when to aim for the will. But he cannot penetrate the armor with which the heavenly Father protects the baptized. The promise of your baptism is the promise of pure grace. And this grace is never lacking. The allurements of the world will always be persuasive. But in Christ we learn to look past these temporary challenges even when they are severe. And in doing so we also learn true humility. We learn to take refuge in Him who “humbled Himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!”4 In Him we have life! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost
21October 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Mark 10:45
2 The Third Article Explanation, LSC
3 Hebrews 5:7
4 Philippians 2:8
Text: Mark 10:42-45
Theme: Humility In Christ
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
We seldom value the same things God does. Humility is today’s example. We may appreciate humility in someone else but is it something we value for ourselves? Christian maturity involves coming to an ever better understanding that what God cherishes is often scorned by the world. He treasures humility and servanthood. The world esteems recognition and power. Christ stands these values on their heads. His throne was a cross. “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”1
Today James and John were hardly examples of humility. They had aspirations of glory. Their objectives were not in line with the Saviour’s. But we must not be too critical.
They were being true to themselves. Are we any different? But to be true to one’s self in contradiction to God’s will is simply to become an illustration of all manner and expression of the power of our inborn sinfulness. It begins at conception.
It certainly runs counter to human reason to suggest that an infant requires the forgiveness of sins. Newborns are often held up as the closest thing possible to pure innocence. But to deny the need for forgiveness is to misunderstand the radical nature of sin. Original sin involves such a deep corruption of the human being that every natural inclination and propensity of the heart, mind, and will is expressed in self-centred independence from God. The Bible speaks of a spiritual deadness before the Word and Holy Spirit act. Luther’s words are well-considered when he says, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel.”2 “I believe that I cannot…believe [on my own].” That is the crux of the matter and denotes well the helplessness of every human soul.
We chronically underestimate our dependence on the mercy of God. We think we just need aide when we really need rescue. We think we just need a push when we really need to be carried. We think we just need equipping when we really need defending. We think we just need some tolerance when we really need forgiveness. We think we just need renovation when we really need resurrection. And if we can’t fathom our need because our life has to this point been relatively painless and carefree, we will certainly come to an understanding when we face our mortality.
Today Jesus speaks of undergoing a baptism of fire. He did so to make immortality available to us. To be baptized with fire is to be immersed in the crucible of trial. Our Scripture says, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission.”3 Jesus explicitly states the reason for His coming. He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom. All the other implications of Jesus’ coming- His ethics, His morality, His example, His miracles and displays of divinity, His modesty, His humility, His influence on the hearts and minds of people from that time right up to the present day- are given lasting meaning only because of His sacrifice for the sins of the world. Without His death and resurrection, without His sacrifice, everything else would just become confined to the history books. Our God is not a deceased hero; He is the eternal source of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
His salvation is first offered to us not in a baptism of fire but a baptism of water and the Spirit. Sacramental baptism involves a cleansing from sin and purging of the soul. The inner reality affects the outward expressions of life. Of course we cannot infallibly discern if the two always match. Only God can. The well-known phrase says “It’s the thought that counts.” And that has a kernel of truth in it. If a person’s intentions are honourable but they are prevented following through with their plans their integrity still remains intact.
When we assess peoples’ actions we must learn to be discerning so that we don’t cause undue offense. Like the pastor who received for his family a pie from a woman who was a terrible cook. After tasting the pie, they simply threw the rest in the garbage, unable to eat it. The next Sunday, the woman asked the preacher, "How did you like my pie?" The pastor responded, "A pie like that does not last long around our house!"
The phrase also contains an element of truth in a more important spiritual way. Our Christian walk, our bearing of our crosses, our keeping in step with the Spirit can only be God-pleasing when our motivations are in tune with His will. We don’t seek God’s help merely so He can guide our outward actions. We pray that He will change our thoughts, our intentions, and our motivations. We pray that we are changed from the inside out. To change the heart and will is a far greater thing than to restrict or promote external action. The latter will follow from the former.
Dear friends, we have the confidence that every time pardon is offered to us; every time we are drawn back to and through our baptism; every time we receive the forgiveness offered in the body and blood of Christ; God is wiping the slate of the conscience clean. We can’t necessary notice because our hearts are battered and bruised and struggling with guilt and pain. And yet precisely because it is independent from any input from us it is all the more certain. It involves the invincible and irrefutable declaration of God. A decree made indisputable by the blood of the Lamb. Our salvation depends entirely upon the initiative of God in Christ. We are justified- we are declared righteous- we are set right with Him- only by grace through faith.
This truth is so precious it has no peers. But it has many challengers. Many are the distractions and diversions which would draw our focus away from the promises of God in Christ. How easily our attention is averted. How many have been drawn away from the church in the last decades! When Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes; he (Martin Luther) said, 'Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. He has no other thought, wish or hope."
The devil has many tools in his arsenal. He attacks with precision. He doesn’t own a shotgun. His strikes are much more exact. He knows when to aim for the heart. He knows when to aim for the mind. He knows when to aim for the will. But he cannot penetrate the armor with which the heavenly Father protects the baptized. The promise of your baptism is the promise of pure grace. And this grace is never lacking. The allurements of the world will always be persuasive. But in Christ we learn to look past these temporary challenges even when they are severe. And in doing so we also learn true humility. We learn to take refuge in Him who “humbled Himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!”4 In Him we have life! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost
21October 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Mark 10:45
2 The Third Article Explanation, LSC
3 Hebrews 5:7
4 Philippians 2:8
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost (B) 2012
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Mark 10:9
Theme: The Faithful Bridegroom
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God’s thinking isn’t limited to human categories- though of course, He created them. God often presents the truths of the kingdom in humble antithesis to the accepted wisdom of humanity. Christ is the very epitome- God-in-the flesh- image of this truth. In Christ we learn to think differently from the world. Today Jesus said, “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child he will never enter it.”1 Heaven and hell are hardly childish things. Yet here Christ warns against the skepticism and suspicion of trying to look behind the truth He is proclaiming. Like children, we are to receive Him as He appears in simple faith.
This is no small request. The experiences of life can make us cynical. The words of the creed roll off our lips “I believe in God, the Father Almighty…”2 but where are our hearts and wills? What impact does the lordship of Christ have? What does our Scripture say, “In putting everything under Him, God left nothing that is not subject to Him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to Him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”3
We don’t observe that the world is subject to Christ. This is a matter of faith. That makes navigating the godlessness of the world a challenge. People like to be their own judges.
No one wants to be held accountable. We have an incurable addiction for alibis. Who will be answerable to God? Jesus was asked about the legality of divorce. Divorce was a problem in Jesus’ day. It always has been. The law of Moses permitted divorce in certain circumstances. But this was a concession to peoples’ sinfulness and hardheartedness. Christ reminded them that from the beginning it was not so. “What God has joined together, let man not separate.”4
Human relationships fail. People fail. We are driven by self-interest. We are overcome with hopelessness. We are filled with bitterness, anxiety, and resentment. We become enmeshed in complicated relationships beyond our control. Yet sin must always be confessed. Never excused or condoned. If the church moves away from the biblical understanding of marriage it forfeits its calling to be the purveyor of God’s will for the foundation of society. To accept promiscuity in relationships in general and unfaithfulness in marriage in particular is to redefine the God-given pattern for the well-being of humanity.
We can fail at the game- for this we can be forgiven. But we can’t change the rules. Once the criteria are changed we have no certainty that God will bless our pursuits. We may get overcome in the contest of being faithful in our relationships; we may be too weak for temptations- for this there is absolution for the repentant soul. But we cannot give up the truth of what God has ordained for us. Then we deny Him and drive away the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t promise to bless our experimental forays into self-determined attractions according to where our indulgent tastes are leading us at the time. If the definition of marriage is changed the game is changed. If we no longer recognize as sin what God defines as sin then we are simply making our own rules. What could be more uncertain or dangerous?
The Bible uses the analogy of marriage to compare the relationship between Christ and the church. Christ is the perfectly faithful bridegroom. He loves His bride (the church) unconditionally. For her He died. He lives to serve her. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. This remains the foundation of Christian hope and joy. It is a breath of fresh gospel air in a world suffocating under the weight of legalistic religious pursuits. Striving, reaching, fretting, brooding, struggling, wrestling, they seek to acquire some measure of peace of mind about the well-being of their souls. Meanwhile, there stands for us a cross and empty tomb. We are washed with sacred water and fed with the Saviour’s body and blood. At the cross our searching ends.
People can never have certainty based on any or all efforts to please God that He has accepted them. Any such claims are an illusion, a deception. Yes, you want to know. That is human. But apart from Christ and His Spirit it is also carnal, sinful. You cannot manufacture your own certainty. Not with knowledge, piety, or feeling. Least of all can you have faith in your own faith. But you can have faith in this: You are baptized and that means you are claimed by the One whose name you have been given. You are in the guardianship and fellowship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God knows our deepest trauma and our most agonizing grief. Yet Christ is not just a sympathizer or even an empathizer; He is a justifier. His declaration of pardon is the balm for all our woes. He gives meaning to our suffering and offers hope in our despair. He can do this because He is in the midst of our suffering. He doesn’t cheer us on from a distant place. He is present in our sorrows and our joys.
God reaches down. He stoops. He condescends. He initiates, orchestrates and consummates the reconciliation between Himself and humanity. He leaves nothing unattended, nothing undone. Born in humility; died in infamy; raised in glory, He rules eternally. He honoured shepherds at His birth; kept company with criminals at His death and is worshipped by angels in His glory. What did our Scripture say, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”5
These truths are not merely information. Christ is not a hero of a bygone era to be sentimentally admired. His act of reconciliation and on-going intercession alter our status with God and other people. He constitutes a kingdom. We are part of a family, children of the heavenly Father, the collective bride to the Bridegroom. The church is unparalleled in any organization of society. It may bear many outward similarities to other associations. It may engage in similar activities to some extent. But there the similarities end. You are part of the “one, holy, Christian and apostolic church”6 instituted by the Almighty Himself. You participate in the sacred treasures of word and sacrament. Your fellowship involves immense privileges and great responsibilities.
The Bible constantly exhorts Christians to encourage one another. Sometimes this involves rebuke. Other times compassion. But it always involves speaking the truth in love. To do this beneficially we must get to know and build trust with one another. Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, "Brother, the grass grows on your path."
Dear friends, there is no grass that grows under Christ’s feet. He is constant in His love for us. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost
7 October 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Mark 10:15
2 The Apostles’ Creed
3 Hebrews 2:8-9
4 Mark 10:9
5 Hebrews 1:3
6 The Nicene Creed
Text: Mark 10:9
Theme: The Faithful Bridegroom
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God’s thinking isn’t limited to human categories- though of course, He created them. God often presents the truths of the kingdom in humble antithesis to the accepted wisdom of humanity. Christ is the very epitome- God-in-the flesh- image of this truth. In Christ we learn to think differently from the world. Today Jesus said, “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child he will never enter it.”1 Heaven and hell are hardly childish things. Yet here Christ warns against the skepticism and suspicion of trying to look behind the truth He is proclaiming. Like children, we are to receive Him as He appears in simple faith.
This is no small request. The experiences of life can make us cynical. The words of the creed roll off our lips “I believe in God, the Father Almighty…”2 but where are our hearts and wills? What impact does the lordship of Christ have? What does our Scripture say, “In putting everything under Him, God left nothing that is not subject to Him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to Him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”3
We don’t observe that the world is subject to Christ. This is a matter of faith. That makes navigating the godlessness of the world a challenge. People like to be their own judges.
No one wants to be held accountable. We have an incurable addiction for alibis. Who will be answerable to God? Jesus was asked about the legality of divorce. Divorce was a problem in Jesus’ day. It always has been. The law of Moses permitted divorce in certain circumstances. But this was a concession to peoples’ sinfulness and hardheartedness. Christ reminded them that from the beginning it was not so. “What God has joined together, let man not separate.”4
Human relationships fail. People fail. We are driven by self-interest. We are overcome with hopelessness. We are filled with bitterness, anxiety, and resentment. We become enmeshed in complicated relationships beyond our control. Yet sin must always be confessed. Never excused or condoned. If the church moves away from the biblical understanding of marriage it forfeits its calling to be the purveyor of God’s will for the foundation of society. To accept promiscuity in relationships in general and unfaithfulness in marriage in particular is to redefine the God-given pattern for the well-being of humanity.
We can fail at the game- for this we can be forgiven. But we can’t change the rules. Once the criteria are changed we have no certainty that God will bless our pursuits. We may get overcome in the contest of being faithful in our relationships; we may be too weak for temptations- for this there is absolution for the repentant soul. But we cannot give up the truth of what God has ordained for us. Then we deny Him and drive away the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t promise to bless our experimental forays into self-determined attractions according to where our indulgent tastes are leading us at the time. If the definition of marriage is changed the game is changed. If we no longer recognize as sin what God defines as sin then we are simply making our own rules. What could be more uncertain or dangerous?
The Bible uses the analogy of marriage to compare the relationship between Christ and the church. Christ is the perfectly faithful bridegroom. He loves His bride (the church) unconditionally. For her He died. He lives to serve her. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. This remains the foundation of Christian hope and joy. It is a breath of fresh gospel air in a world suffocating under the weight of legalistic religious pursuits. Striving, reaching, fretting, brooding, struggling, wrestling, they seek to acquire some measure of peace of mind about the well-being of their souls. Meanwhile, there stands for us a cross and empty tomb. We are washed with sacred water and fed with the Saviour’s body and blood. At the cross our searching ends.
People can never have certainty based on any or all efforts to please God that He has accepted them. Any such claims are an illusion, a deception. Yes, you want to know. That is human. But apart from Christ and His Spirit it is also carnal, sinful. You cannot manufacture your own certainty. Not with knowledge, piety, or feeling. Least of all can you have faith in your own faith. But you can have faith in this: You are baptized and that means you are claimed by the One whose name you have been given. You are in the guardianship and fellowship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God knows our deepest trauma and our most agonizing grief. Yet Christ is not just a sympathizer or even an empathizer; He is a justifier. His declaration of pardon is the balm for all our woes. He gives meaning to our suffering and offers hope in our despair. He can do this because He is in the midst of our suffering. He doesn’t cheer us on from a distant place. He is present in our sorrows and our joys.
God reaches down. He stoops. He condescends. He initiates, orchestrates and consummates the reconciliation between Himself and humanity. He leaves nothing unattended, nothing undone. Born in humility; died in infamy; raised in glory, He rules eternally. He honoured shepherds at His birth; kept company with criminals at His death and is worshipped by angels in His glory. What did our Scripture say, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”5
These truths are not merely information. Christ is not a hero of a bygone era to be sentimentally admired. His act of reconciliation and on-going intercession alter our status with God and other people. He constitutes a kingdom. We are part of a family, children of the heavenly Father, the collective bride to the Bridegroom. The church is unparalleled in any organization of society. It may bear many outward similarities to other associations. It may engage in similar activities to some extent. But there the similarities end. You are part of the “one, holy, Christian and apostolic church”6 instituted by the Almighty Himself. You participate in the sacred treasures of word and sacrament. Your fellowship involves immense privileges and great responsibilities.
The Bible constantly exhorts Christians to encourage one another. Sometimes this involves rebuke. Other times compassion. But it always involves speaking the truth in love. To do this beneficially we must get to know and build trust with one another. Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, "Brother, the grass grows on your path."
Dear friends, there is no grass that grows under Christ’s feet. He is constant in His love for us. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost
7 October 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Mark 10:15
2 The Apostles’ Creed
3 Hebrews 2:8-9
4 Mark 10:9
5 Hebrews 1:3
6 The Nicene Creed
Monday, October 1, 2012
Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost (B) 2012
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Mark 9:42-48
Theme: Better With Christ
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Things are seldom as they appear. There is more to most things than meets the eye. Lack of transparency is a weakness of sinners. How often are true motives and actions disguised in order to give another impression? With God appearances can be deceiving too. He may appear weak, apathetic, and distant. He seems even to let the devil have His way and the arrogant of the world make a parody of Him. A crucifixion seems to be a paltry way to institute universal governance. Yet this is the way of Christ because of His compassion for sinners.
Today Jesus pulls no punches when addressing the problem of sin. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell.” 1 We won’t concern ourselves with the nature of the hyperbole Jesus is using. The message is clear enough: Sin is the most pressing menace anyone faces. It must be addressed at any cost. Because sin is so powerful the cure is radical. We cannot manage sin. Sin must be destroyed. This only happens when it is confessed, shunned, and left in the hands of Christ.
The rhythm of the Christian life should be such that we are always addressing this reality. Remember how Luther expresses it when describing baptismal living, “It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”2 Otherwise what happens? We become acclimated to our sinfulness. We become accepting. As soon as we become accepting in the sense of not identifying sin for the danger it is we pull the rug right out from under repentance. We assimilate our sinful habits into an accepted version of ourselves and then repentance becomes necessary only for those things which fall outside of our new image. That is, we fallaciously shift the parameters of what should be classified as sin.
Examples are easy to name. Do we believe our gossip is socially acceptable? Is our dishonestly in personal or business affairs publically tolerated? Is our silence when the truth needs to be spoken deafening? Do the vulnerable- the unborn, the aged, and the outcast- suffer because of our quietism? Do we spend greater effort and resource tending to our own kingdoms than we do God’s kingdom? Is the spiritual well-being of others of little interest to us? Do these things become so second nature that we no longer identify them and seek forgiveness for them?
This happens all the more easily in an environment in which belief in absolutes has been nearly abandoned. If everything is relative than the shifting of parameters according to a whole array of subjective tastes is inevitable. Ironically, those who cry for tolerance soon become intolerant of any concrete position. A pragmatic consensus is upheld as the ideal as long as it serves certain ideological agendas. Truth and accountability are pushed aside as less important.
But pragmatism is never the answer to temptation and sin. We manage temptation by shunning it, resisting it, fleeing from it. We never manage it by thinking we have a handle on it. Dear friends, forgiveness can only be truly appreciated when sin is fully unmasked. Do you wish to receive absolution only for your petty lapses- the ones you may already be convinced hardly worry God anyway? Would you give God such a small task? Would you try to maintain your public piety in this way? Christ is not merely the absolver of minor infringements; He pardons the darkest transgressions of the penitent soul. He remits the sins of the transgressor who knows he or she deserves nothing but judgment and hell.
Remember the sinful woman who anointed Jesus feet with perfume. She was set in contrast to the Pharisees who thought they had no sins to forgive. Jesus said, “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”3 The most sincere fruit of faith is the gratitude shown for the pardoning of sins. The mercy of God does not demand formal but hollow expressions of gratitude. It creates true movement of the heart. Such love can never be manufactured, not with the greatest attention to external detail. It is always a divine work of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray- as we are bid to do by the Redeemer Himself- that He grants us His Holy Spirit to this end.
Sin can only be destroyed because of Christ’s sacrificial death. He took our sins to the cross, but the two, Christ and sin, will not co-exist together in eternity. The power of sin was crucified with Christ. Atonement was accomplished in that act on our behalf. There will be a separation, an unbridgeable rift in eternity. The sinner must recreated, reconstituted, resurrected. We will never be glossed over inclusive of our sins. We will be freed! This is the final implication of your baptism. Because you are united with Christ you will not be exposed to sin’s corrupting and condemning power.
So even now we live in defiance of the dying and decaying pattern of the world and we walk in step with the Spirit. In so doing we are doing nothing less than previewing the future. “It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than...be thrown into hell.”4 Better? Does Jesus not know what He is saying here? Infinitely better! Eternally better! Quantitatively better! Qualitatively better! Indescribably better! Better because all pain, suffering, sorrow, and adversity are euthanized. They are given a proper death in the Son to the glory of the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The future of the world is not indeterminate. Christians are forward-looking in the widest sense. And we plan accordingly. We are not bound to the demise of this place of temporary residence. Human activity in all its fervor and frailty will cease. “The earth will wear out like a garment.”5 Christ will come in glory. These truths are not irrelevant they are part and parcel of our hope in Christ. The Scripture says of believers of old, “They admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth…they were longing for a better country- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.”6
Things are not as they now appear. Christ waits patiently but His rule is not in doubt. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost
30 September 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Mark 9:43
2 Luther’s Small Catechism
3 John 7:47
4 Mark 10:47
5 Isaiah 51:6
6 Hebrews 11:13-16
Text: Mark 9:42-48
Theme: Better With Christ
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Things are seldom as they appear. There is more to most things than meets the eye. Lack of transparency is a weakness of sinners. How often are true motives and actions disguised in order to give another impression? With God appearances can be deceiving too. He may appear weak, apathetic, and distant. He seems even to let the devil have His way and the arrogant of the world make a parody of Him. A crucifixion seems to be a paltry way to institute universal governance. Yet this is the way of Christ because of His compassion for sinners.
Today Jesus pulls no punches when addressing the problem of sin. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell.” 1 We won’t concern ourselves with the nature of the hyperbole Jesus is using. The message is clear enough: Sin is the most pressing menace anyone faces. It must be addressed at any cost. Because sin is so powerful the cure is radical. We cannot manage sin. Sin must be destroyed. This only happens when it is confessed, shunned, and left in the hands of Christ.
The rhythm of the Christian life should be such that we are always addressing this reality. Remember how Luther expresses it when describing baptismal living, “It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”2 Otherwise what happens? We become acclimated to our sinfulness. We become accepting. As soon as we become accepting in the sense of not identifying sin for the danger it is we pull the rug right out from under repentance. We assimilate our sinful habits into an accepted version of ourselves and then repentance becomes necessary only for those things which fall outside of our new image. That is, we fallaciously shift the parameters of what should be classified as sin.
Examples are easy to name. Do we believe our gossip is socially acceptable? Is our dishonestly in personal or business affairs publically tolerated? Is our silence when the truth needs to be spoken deafening? Do the vulnerable- the unborn, the aged, and the outcast- suffer because of our quietism? Do we spend greater effort and resource tending to our own kingdoms than we do God’s kingdom? Is the spiritual well-being of others of little interest to us? Do these things become so second nature that we no longer identify them and seek forgiveness for them?
This happens all the more easily in an environment in which belief in absolutes has been nearly abandoned. If everything is relative than the shifting of parameters according to a whole array of subjective tastes is inevitable. Ironically, those who cry for tolerance soon become intolerant of any concrete position. A pragmatic consensus is upheld as the ideal as long as it serves certain ideological agendas. Truth and accountability are pushed aside as less important.
But pragmatism is never the answer to temptation and sin. We manage temptation by shunning it, resisting it, fleeing from it. We never manage it by thinking we have a handle on it. Dear friends, forgiveness can only be truly appreciated when sin is fully unmasked. Do you wish to receive absolution only for your petty lapses- the ones you may already be convinced hardly worry God anyway? Would you give God such a small task? Would you try to maintain your public piety in this way? Christ is not merely the absolver of minor infringements; He pardons the darkest transgressions of the penitent soul. He remits the sins of the transgressor who knows he or she deserves nothing but judgment and hell.
Remember the sinful woman who anointed Jesus feet with perfume. She was set in contrast to the Pharisees who thought they had no sins to forgive. Jesus said, “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”3 The most sincere fruit of faith is the gratitude shown for the pardoning of sins. The mercy of God does not demand formal but hollow expressions of gratitude. It creates true movement of the heart. Such love can never be manufactured, not with the greatest attention to external detail. It is always a divine work of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray- as we are bid to do by the Redeemer Himself- that He grants us His Holy Spirit to this end.
Sin can only be destroyed because of Christ’s sacrificial death. He took our sins to the cross, but the two, Christ and sin, will not co-exist together in eternity. The power of sin was crucified with Christ. Atonement was accomplished in that act on our behalf. There will be a separation, an unbridgeable rift in eternity. The sinner must recreated, reconstituted, resurrected. We will never be glossed over inclusive of our sins. We will be freed! This is the final implication of your baptism. Because you are united with Christ you will not be exposed to sin’s corrupting and condemning power.
So even now we live in defiance of the dying and decaying pattern of the world and we walk in step with the Spirit. In so doing we are doing nothing less than previewing the future. “It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than...be thrown into hell.”4 Better? Does Jesus not know what He is saying here? Infinitely better! Eternally better! Quantitatively better! Qualitatively better! Indescribably better! Better because all pain, suffering, sorrow, and adversity are euthanized. They are given a proper death in the Son to the glory of the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The future of the world is not indeterminate. Christians are forward-looking in the widest sense. And we plan accordingly. We are not bound to the demise of this place of temporary residence. Human activity in all its fervor and frailty will cease. “The earth will wear out like a garment.”5 Christ will come in glory. These truths are not irrelevant they are part and parcel of our hope in Christ. The Scripture says of believers of old, “They admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth…they were longing for a better country- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.”6
Things are not as they now appear. Christ waits patiently but His rule is not in doubt. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost
30 September 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Mark 9:43
2 Luther’s Small Catechism
3 John 7:47
4 Mark 10:47
5 Isaiah 51:6
6 Hebrews 11:13-16
Monday, September 24, 2012
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (B) 2012- Meribah 85th
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Mark 9:37
Theme: Welcomed In Christ’s Name
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Faith never exists in a vacuum. Neither do sinners. We are not sovereign, self-determined souls. We exist only in context. We are contingent. Today we reflect on the history and context of God’s saints at Meribah. Certainly in the bigger context Christians have very meager spiritual beginnings.
Today we find the disciples acting very unsaintly. They had aspirations. They were competitive. They had egos. They wanted to make names for themselves. They were human. How far could they ride the coat-tails of Jesus? Perhaps they were counting their chickens before they were hatched? Regardless, we find them at this point to be poor examples to future generations. The problem would be corrected in due time.
It is human nature- and a particularly sinful expression of it at that- to presume. Presumption is an indicator of our spiritual attitude. We make plans; we take liberties regarding things we have no ability to control. Operating on false assumptions is very dangerous. God owes us nothing; a truth we must be continually convicted of lest repentance become only a hollow ritual.
Three women arrived at the gate of heaven at the same time. St. Peter came but he had some pressing business and asked them to please wait. He was gone for a long time. Finally, when he came back, he asked one of the women if she had minded waiting.
“No”, she said, “I’ve looked forward to this for so long. I didn’t mind at all.””
St. Peter then said, “Well, I have one question in order for you to enter heaven. How do you spell God?” She said, “G-O-D.” St. Peter said, “Go right on in.”
He went and got one of the other women, told her to come on inside, “Did you mind waiting?” She said, “Oh, no. I have been a Christian for fifty years, and I’ll spend eternity here. I didn’t mind at all.” So St. Peter said, “Just one more thing. How do you spell God?”
She said, “G-O-D.” St. Peter said that was good and sent her into heaven.
He went back out and invited the third woman in and asked her if she had minded waiting. “Yes, I did,” she said. “I’ve had to stand in line all my life; at the supermarket, when I went to school, when I registered my children for school, when I went to the movies- everywhere. And I resent having to wait in line for heaven! St. Peter said, “Well, that’s all right for you to feel that way. It won’t be held against you. There is just one more question, how do you spell Czechoslovakia?” God’s grace is sufficient for the day. We should never presume He owes us anything tomorrow.
Any celebration of the past should give us inspiration for the future. We are custodians of a glorious truth that is unintelligible to the unbelieving world. How can the Lutheran distinctive of salvation by grace through faith impact a typically secular person today? How is His truth made relevant? Synchronously with the proclamation of that truth the Holy Spirit works to give ears of faith to those who were otherwise deaf to its miraculous tone. This mystery of God’s initiative is never disclosed this side of heaven. Many are saved before they ever understand that they are saved because repentance transcends the faculties of the intellect. It seizes also the heart and the will.
The challenge is quite simple in a way: To faithfully and tirelessly articulate the unchanging Gospel to a constantly changing world. Manna never lasted more than a day1 -except on the Sabbath. In a sense that is true of the gospel. It has to be gifted to us afresh every new day of our sin. On the eternal Sabbath it will endure to immortality. But we are not yet free from the corruption of sin.
Still, we are free from the condemnation of the law. The God who has guided history is nevertheless with us in the present. We are post-resurrection, post- ascension Christians. At His ascension Jesus Christ did not relinquish His humanity and neither did He abandon us in His divinity. How else could we receive the sacred gift of His body and blood?
Today we reflect on the blessings of history. What of the history of God’s people? Every history involving humans has a checkered past. In Meribah’s case it’s right in the name. In the wilderness by the rock of Horeb God provided life-giving water to His people through Moses’ staff. But He named it Meribah because there the people argued. Meribah means ‘quarreling’2. Could it be more appropriate for Lutherans, really, who believe they are always sinners but at the same time saints by God’s grace!
This place is the house of God. Here He gathers His own and forgives sins that are unknown to anyone else. Here He meets with His people by name. A man who was conducting a survey knocked on a front door. A little boy opened the door and stared at him. The man asked the boy how many people lived in the house. The boy replied, "Well, there’s Jimmy & Mary & Sophie & Bobby..." The man impatiently interrupted the boy, "Just give me the numbers." The boy replied, "There are no numbers in this house, they are all names to me!"
“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”3 The Shepherd says today, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me.”4 There is no anonymity, no ambiguity, no obscurity and no secrecy involved in the intimate fellowship believers have with the Father through His Son. You are not a number in God’s household. You are baptismally named. You are nominated for salvation. You are sealed personally by the blood of the Lamb.
The Scripture tells us “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”5
From font to grave, from baptism to death, from new birth to immortality, across centuries, across continents, across barriers of language, geography and culture – they are still called Christians. Named Christians because they are born not of natural descent or of human decision but of water and the Spirit. From the ancient martyrs to the medieval mystics to the renaissance reformers to modern disciples they are called Christian.
And here too, at Fountain of Living Waters Evangelical Lutheran Church, Meribah, South Australia they have been called Christians for 95 years. Christians who are still called- each lamb by name. Christians whose confession of truth rests on apostolic foundations; is informed by the creed of Nicaea; is inspired by the boldness of Luther; is challenged by the opposition of the world- but is still a living confession of the Holy Spirit.
Many worry about the future of the church. We must be careful to keep things in perspective. People have challenges. God has worries. He has committed Himself to the rescue of fallen humanity. It’s an incomprehensible task. Yet we are part of the narrative. The trajectory of the scheme of redemption is not one-dimensional. It is not limited to a tiny area called Palestine. Christianity is validated by its historicity by not confined by it. Christ is not hampered by the dimensions of time and space. The order of redemption flows through every font, every lectern, every pulpit, every altar where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered according to His institution.
What will the next 100 years bring? Yes, even believers continually conceive of all kinds of worries for themselves. Perhaps we believe that if we are bogged down in worries we are excused from other obligations in the kingdom. Perhaps we become too comfortable constructing and deconstructing our own dramas. But these things are best left to unbelievers.
We have enough legitimate things on our agendas.
We have sins. These we learn to name as our own so that they can become Christ’s and we can be freed from them. We have temptations. These we learn to identify so that we can pray with integrity for deliverance. We have frailties. These we learn are the consequence of mortality and foster in us a greater yearning to be released from this bondage to decay. We have fears. These are most powerful of all. We learn from fear that we are powerless without the all-embracing compassion of Him who has triumphed over Satan, hell, and death itself.
Satan would like us to have many worries. Most of them never come to pass. As we celebrate today we are mindful of what we do have. Christians have the lessons of the past, the blessings of the present and the promise of the future. We have Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We have a living Saviour still bearing the marks of sacrifice. We have participation in a fellowship that crosses the dimensions of time and space. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost
Meribah’s 85th Anniversary of the Building
23 September 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 See Exodus 16:20
2 See Exodus 17:6-7
3 John 10:3
4 Mark 9:37
5 Acts 11:26
Text: Mark 9:37
Theme: Welcomed In Christ’s Name
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Faith never exists in a vacuum. Neither do sinners. We are not sovereign, self-determined souls. We exist only in context. We are contingent. Today we reflect on the history and context of God’s saints at Meribah. Certainly in the bigger context Christians have very meager spiritual beginnings.
Today we find the disciples acting very unsaintly. They had aspirations. They were competitive. They had egos. They wanted to make names for themselves. They were human. How far could they ride the coat-tails of Jesus? Perhaps they were counting their chickens before they were hatched? Regardless, we find them at this point to be poor examples to future generations. The problem would be corrected in due time.
It is human nature- and a particularly sinful expression of it at that- to presume. Presumption is an indicator of our spiritual attitude. We make plans; we take liberties regarding things we have no ability to control. Operating on false assumptions is very dangerous. God owes us nothing; a truth we must be continually convicted of lest repentance become only a hollow ritual.
Three women arrived at the gate of heaven at the same time. St. Peter came but he had some pressing business and asked them to please wait. He was gone for a long time. Finally, when he came back, he asked one of the women if she had minded waiting.
“No”, she said, “I’ve looked forward to this for so long. I didn’t mind at all.””
St. Peter then said, “Well, I have one question in order for you to enter heaven. How do you spell God?” She said, “G-O-D.” St. Peter said, “Go right on in.”
He went and got one of the other women, told her to come on inside, “Did you mind waiting?” She said, “Oh, no. I have been a Christian for fifty years, and I’ll spend eternity here. I didn’t mind at all.” So St. Peter said, “Just one more thing. How do you spell God?”
She said, “G-O-D.” St. Peter said that was good and sent her into heaven.
He went back out and invited the third woman in and asked her if she had minded waiting. “Yes, I did,” she said. “I’ve had to stand in line all my life; at the supermarket, when I went to school, when I registered my children for school, when I went to the movies- everywhere. And I resent having to wait in line for heaven! St. Peter said, “Well, that’s all right for you to feel that way. It won’t be held against you. There is just one more question, how do you spell Czechoslovakia?” God’s grace is sufficient for the day. We should never presume He owes us anything tomorrow.
Any celebration of the past should give us inspiration for the future. We are custodians of a glorious truth that is unintelligible to the unbelieving world. How can the Lutheran distinctive of salvation by grace through faith impact a typically secular person today? How is His truth made relevant? Synchronously with the proclamation of that truth the Holy Spirit works to give ears of faith to those who were otherwise deaf to its miraculous tone. This mystery of God’s initiative is never disclosed this side of heaven. Many are saved before they ever understand that they are saved because repentance transcends the faculties of the intellect. It seizes also the heart and the will.
The challenge is quite simple in a way: To faithfully and tirelessly articulate the unchanging Gospel to a constantly changing world. Manna never lasted more than a day1 -except on the Sabbath. In a sense that is true of the gospel. It has to be gifted to us afresh every new day of our sin. On the eternal Sabbath it will endure to immortality. But we are not yet free from the corruption of sin.
Still, we are free from the condemnation of the law. The God who has guided history is nevertheless with us in the present. We are post-resurrection, post- ascension Christians. At His ascension Jesus Christ did not relinquish His humanity and neither did He abandon us in His divinity. How else could we receive the sacred gift of His body and blood?
Today we reflect on the blessings of history. What of the history of God’s people? Every history involving humans has a checkered past. In Meribah’s case it’s right in the name. In the wilderness by the rock of Horeb God provided life-giving water to His people through Moses’ staff. But He named it Meribah because there the people argued. Meribah means ‘quarreling’2. Could it be more appropriate for Lutherans, really, who believe they are always sinners but at the same time saints by God’s grace!
This place is the house of God. Here He gathers His own and forgives sins that are unknown to anyone else. Here He meets with His people by name. A man who was conducting a survey knocked on a front door. A little boy opened the door and stared at him. The man asked the boy how many people lived in the house. The boy replied, "Well, there’s Jimmy & Mary & Sophie & Bobby..." The man impatiently interrupted the boy, "Just give me the numbers." The boy replied, "There are no numbers in this house, they are all names to me!"
“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”3 The Shepherd says today, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me.”4 There is no anonymity, no ambiguity, no obscurity and no secrecy involved in the intimate fellowship believers have with the Father through His Son. You are not a number in God’s household. You are baptismally named. You are nominated for salvation. You are sealed personally by the blood of the Lamb.
The Scripture tells us “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”5
From font to grave, from baptism to death, from new birth to immortality, across centuries, across continents, across barriers of language, geography and culture – they are still called Christians. Named Christians because they are born not of natural descent or of human decision but of water and the Spirit. From the ancient martyrs to the medieval mystics to the renaissance reformers to modern disciples they are called Christian.
And here too, at Fountain of Living Waters Evangelical Lutheran Church, Meribah, South Australia they have been called Christians for 95 years. Christians who are still called- each lamb by name. Christians whose confession of truth rests on apostolic foundations; is informed by the creed of Nicaea; is inspired by the boldness of Luther; is challenged by the opposition of the world- but is still a living confession of the Holy Spirit.
Many worry about the future of the church. We must be careful to keep things in perspective. People have challenges. God has worries. He has committed Himself to the rescue of fallen humanity. It’s an incomprehensible task. Yet we are part of the narrative. The trajectory of the scheme of redemption is not one-dimensional. It is not limited to a tiny area called Palestine. Christianity is validated by its historicity by not confined by it. Christ is not hampered by the dimensions of time and space. The order of redemption flows through every font, every lectern, every pulpit, every altar where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered according to His institution.
What will the next 100 years bring? Yes, even believers continually conceive of all kinds of worries for themselves. Perhaps we believe that if we are bogged down in worries we are excused from other obligations in the kingdom. Perhaps we become too comfortable constructing and deconstructing our own dramas. But these things are best left to unbelievers.
We have enough legitimate things on our agendas.
We have sins. These we learn to name as our own so that they can become Christ’s and we can be freed from them. We have temptations. These we learn to identify so that we can pray with integrity for deliverance. We have frailties. These we learn are the consequence of mortality and foster in us a greater yearning to be released from this bondage to decay. We have fears. These are most powerful of all. We learn from fear that we are powerless without the all-embracing compassion of Him who has triumphed over Satan, hell, and death itself.
Satan would like us to have many worries. Most of them never come to pass. As we celebrate today we are mindful of what we do have. Christians have the lessons of the past, the blessings of the present and the promise of the future. We have Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We have a living Saviour still bearing the marks of sacrifice. We have participation in a fellowship that crosses the dimensions of time and space. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost
Meribah’s 85th Anniversary of the Building
23 September 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 See Exodus 16:20
2 See Exodus 17:6-7
3 John 10:3
4 Mark 9:37
5 Acts 11:26
Monday, September 17, 2012
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost (B) 2012
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Mark 8:27-38
Theme: Big Questions
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
What are the big questions in your life? Are the big questions in your life the big questions- of life? Are they related to meaning, purpose and eternity? Are they ordered by the perspective of the bigger picture and the final goal?
Today Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say I am?”1 Their response is reasonable, “‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you…who do you say I am?”2 Jesus wasn’t making ‘small talk’. He’s never driven by curiosity. He was pointing His disciples beyond the foreground to much greater horizons. The time was growing closer for His crucifixion and He needed to cultivate the faith of these disciples. Peter confesses that He is the Christ- the Messiah and Saviour promised of old.
Now Jesus seizes the moment as He so often does. Peter has just correctly identified Him as the Messiah. For this he is to be commended. But what does this mean to Peter? When Jesus begins to tell the disciples of His pending suffering and death Peter immediately rebukes Him. As far as Peter was concerned suffering, sacrifice and death weren’t in the cards. He had a different vision for his Messiah. Do we too make Christ into something He isn’t? Do we take Him and fit Him neatly into our outlook and agenda? Do we shape Him to meet our expectations instead of the other way around?
The challenges to Christ’s rule that are raised in the hearts of individuals are as formidable as the external threats marshaled by the world. It should not escape our notice that when Jesus poses these questions He is in a town called Caesarea, named for Caesar, the king. Caesar was worshipped as a god. His bloodline was considered to be divine. Any rival claims of deity were taken very seriously. Any threats to his rule or power were quickly addressed.
Sin makes people rebellious by nature. People may follow commands because they are convinced of their benefit or they fear punishment for transgression. But this is not the motivation for following that God is looking for. Despite the "Do Not Touch" signs placed prominently around, a popular museum was having no success in keeping patrons from touching--and soiling--priceless furniture and art. But the problem evaporated overnight when a clever museum employee replaced the signs with ones that read: "Caution: Wash Hands After Touching!"
It illustrates well the rebelliousness of human nature. We are happy to take the law into our own hands when we believe we can be spared from any painful consequences. At the core of sinfulness is our human desire to be a law unto ourselves. And if we can gain consent from others in society, especially in official ways, we are all the more emboldened in our sins. There is strength in numbers (or at least the illusion there is because God is not actually threatened should all the powers of earth and hell be marshaled against Him).
God’s will for our well-being is then brushed aside. The result is clear. Societies seek to legitimize all manner of unfaithfulness-sexual impurity, including homosexuality. No one bats an eye at adultery and divorce. The most vulnerable, the unborn and aged, are threatened by abortion and euthanasia and these practices are defended as progress for the betterment of humanity. Dishonesty is so common in business and personal affairs that the truth is lost sight of. Gossip is rampant and the litany goes on and on.
And what is the motivation? It’s not only arrogance or a rebellious disposition. It is the honest belief that we know what is best for us- no exceptions- not even the Almighty knows better. It is the conviction that we must serve our own desires first. Understandably this belief drives our activities. If you think such self-centredness is not a liability expressed in your life then you are blinded by your own prejudice. The Holy Spirit calls us to repentance.
Today Jesus’ asks the big questions. At what price would you sell your soul? Many seem to go quite cheaply. These big questions come into play from the very beginning. Christianity is not a pastime for adults with leisure time on their hands it is a way of life from day one. Who is God for a child? God for a child will be determined by the teaching and example of parents. Even before a child is born he or she starts to learn the faith- or lack of- of the parents. The lack of Christian nurture of children today is so widespread one wonders if the church will have to be reborn in a future generation. Only the Holy Spirit knows the answer. Meanwhile, we are called to faithfulness.
We have the command to teach and to baptize trusting that the Holy Spirit works powerfully and effectively through His word and sacraments. We have the promise of the forgiveness of sins for every person, at any age, in any condition. We hear the Good News proclaimed. We see the water poured. We taste the Saviour’s body and blood. We have the assurance and comfort of knowing we are justified before God by grace alone. We have the joy of knowing Satan is disarmed and hell is powerless over us. We have divine peace even in the face of death.
We are here in God’s house to celebrate these truths and grow deeper in our baptismal lives so we are better prepared to go back into the fray. Here we meet Christ and He supplies all that is lacking. Rituals have never gotten anyone into heaven. Neither have good works, self-righteousness, holy living, exceptional knowledge, privileged status, or good intentions. “What can a man give in exchange for his soul?”3 The answer is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
Certain questions demand answers. Christ does not leave us in the dark. He is the Light of the world. He is the Resurrection and the Life. But we shouldn’t be so naïve or presumptuous to think that we should be privy to the answers for all the puzzling questions of life. God has revealed to us everything essential we need to know. Faith waits patiently and humbly for a level of understanding that now far exceeds our capacities. St. Paul says, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.”4 A full and intimate knowledge and experience of God is part of the hope for which our faith waits. Meanwhile, we pray the Holy Spirit would continually give us eyes of faith.
It doesn’t mean we can’t ask “Why?” The Psalmist does this repeatedly. Life taxes and perplexes us. King David teaches us to pour out our complaints to the Lord. His language is poignant, passionate, and persistent. At times it seems demanding. It all reveals a true expression of our frail mortality as we yearn for resolution and release. Why God? Why me? Why this person? Why that family? Why this trial? Why? So that God’s power might be revealed in mercy! Even when we can’t yet see it.
Jesus Christ never forsakes those who call on His name. He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”5 He said to Peter, “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you…that your faith may not fail.”6 He said to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”7 His says to His faithful, His baptized, “Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”8 God grant it in Christ’s name. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
16 September 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Mark 9:27
2 Mark 9:28-29
3 Mark 9:37
4 1 Corinthians 13:12
5 Matthew 9:2
6 Luke 22:31-32
7 Luke 23:43
8 John 5:24
Text: Mark 8:27-38
Theme: Big Questions
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
What are the big questions in your life? Are the big questions in your life the big questions- of life? Are they related to meaning, purpose and eternity? Are they ordered by the perspective of the bigger picture and the final goal?
Today Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say I am?”1 Their response is reasonable, “‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you…who do you say I am?”2 Jesus wasn’t making ‘small talk’. He’s never driven by curiosity. He was pointing His disciples beyond the foreground to much greater horizons. The time was growing closer for His crucifixion and He needed to cultivate the faith of these disciples. Peter confesses that He is the Christ- the Messiah and Saviour promised of old.
Now Jesus seizes the moment as He so often does. Peter has just correctly identified Him as the Messiah. For this he is to be commended. But what does this mean to Peter? When Jesus begins to tell the disciples of His pending suffering and death Peter immediately rebukes Him. As far as Peter was concerned suffering, sacrifice and death weren’t in the cards. He had a different vision for his Messiah. Do we too make Christ into something He isn’t? Do we take Him and fit Him neatly into our outlook and agenda? Do we shape Him to meet our expectations instead of the other way around?
The challenges to Christ’s rule that are raised in the hearts of individuals are as formidable as the external threats marshaled by the world. It should not escape our notice that when Jesus poses these questions He is in a town called Caesarea, named for Caesar, the king. Caesar was worshipped as a god. His bloodline was considered to be divine. Any rival claims of deity were taken very seriously. Any threats to his rule or power were quickly addressed.
Sin makes people rebellious by nature. People may follow commands because they are convinced of their benefit or they fear punishment for transgression. But this is not the motivation for following that God is looking for. Despite the "Do Not Touch" signs placed prominently around, a popular museum was having no success in keeping patrons from touching--and soiling--priceless furniture and art. But the problem evaporated overnight when a clever museum employee replaced the signs with ones that read: "Caution: Wash Hands After Touching!"
It illustrates well the rebelliousness of human nature. We are happy to take the law into our own hands when we believe we can be spared from any painful consequences. At the core of sinfulness is our human desire to be a law unto ourselves. And if we can gain consent from others in society, especially in official ways, we are all the more emboldened in our sins. There is strength in numbers (or at least the illusion there is because God is not actually threatened should all the powers of earth and hell be marshaled against Him).
God’s will for our well-being is then brushed aside. The result is clear. Societies seek to legitimize all manner of unfaithfulness-sexual impurity, including homosexuality. No one bats an eye at adultery and divorce. The most vulnerable, the unborn and aged, are threatened by abortion and euthanasia and these practices are defended as progress for the betterment of humanity. Dishonesty is so common in business and personal affairs that the truth is lost sight of. Gossip is rampant and the litany goes on and on.
And what is the motivation? It’s not only arrogance or a rebellious disposition. It is the honest belief that we know what is best for us- no exceptions- not even the Almighty knows better. It is the conviction that we must serve our own desires first. Understandably this belief drives our activities. If you think such self-centredness is not a liability expressed in your life then you are blinded by your own prejudice. The Holy Spirit calls us to repentance.
Today Jesus’ asks the big questions. At what price would you sell your soul? Many seem to go quite cheaply. These big questions come into play from the very beginning. Christianity is not a pastime for adults with leisure time on their hands it is a way of life from day one. Who is God for a child? God for a child will be determined by the teaching and example of parents. Even before a child is born he or she starts to learn the faith- or lack of- of the parents. The lack of Christian nurture of children today is so widespread one wonders if the church will have to be reborn in a future generation. Only the Holy Spirit knows the answer. Meanwhile, we are called to faithfulness.
We have the command to teach and to baptize trusting that the Holy Spirit works powerfully and effectively through His word and sacraments. We have the promise of the forgiveness of sins for every person, at any age, in any condition. We hear the Good News proclaimed. We see the water poured. We taste the Saviour’s body and blood. We have the assurance and comfort of knowing we are justified before God by grace alone. We have the joy of knowing Satan is disarmed and hell is powerless over us. We have divine peace even in the face of death.
We are here in God’s house to celebrate these truths and grow deeper in our baptismal lives so we are better prepared to go back into the fray. Here we meet Christ and He supplies all that is lacking. Rituals have never gotten anyone into heaven. Neither have good works, self-righteousness, holy living, exceptional knowledge, privileged status, or good intentions. “What can a man give in exchange for his soul?”3 The answer is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
Certain questions demand answers. Christ does not leave us in the dark. He is the Light of the world. He is the Resurrection and the Life. But we shouldn’t be so naïve or presumptuous to think that we should be privy to the answers for all the puzzling questions of life. God has revealed to us everything essential we need to know. Faith waits patiently and humbly for a level of understanding that now far exceeds our capacities. St. Paul says, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.”4 A full and intimate knowledge and experience of God is part of the hope for which our faith waits. Meanwhile, we pray the Holy Spirit would continually give us eyes of faith.
It doesn’t mean we can’t ask “Why?” The Psalmist does this repeatedly. Life taxes and perplexes us. King David teaches us to pour out our complaints to the Lord. His language is poignant, passionate, and persistent. At times it seems demanding. It all reveals a true expression of our frail mortality as we yearn for resolution and release. Why God? Why me? Why this person? Why that family? Why this trial? Why? So that God’s power might be revealed in mercy! Even when we can’t yet see it.
Jesus Christ never forsakes those who call on His name. He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”5 He said to Peter, “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you…that your faith may not fail.”6 He said to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”7 His says to His faithful, His baptized, “Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”8 God grant it in Christ’s name. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
16 September 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Mark 9:27
2 Mark 9:28-29
3 Mark 9:37
4 1 Corinthians 13:12
5 Matthew 9:2
6 Luke 22:31-32
7 Luke 23:43
8 John 5:24
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost (B) 2012
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Mark 7:28
Theme: Crumbs
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God can only appear to sinners as unpredictable, even erratic or fickle. He may appear selective, even showing favouritism. One person is blessed extensively. Another suffers. Some calamities are checked by His power. Others wreak havoc uncontrolled. As we grapple and struggle with changes and challenges let us remember that we live only in the short moment of time. The ‘long day’ lies ahead. As the hymn-writer says,
“Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day:
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away:
Change and decay in all around I see:
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.”1
Christ does abide with His people. Unchanged Himself He is able to transform even the most calcified in heart and mind. And He does this not as a matter of convenience but as the result of His passion. The Holy Spirit is not indifferent. The Father is zealous for your soul.
Today we find Jesus in hostile territory. The gospel is always a public matter, but Christ didn’t yet want attention from the public authorities. Such attention would only serve as a distraction from the work He was trying to accomplish. It wasn’t yet time for His trial or arrest. But seldom were His requests for anonymity realized. The gifts He possessed were more powerful than human ability to obey His requested restraint.
Christ was a magnet for those in need. Could it be any other way? Sin cries out for resolution. The blood of Abel cries out- the appeal for justice that rings out across the ages. Many join the chorus. The sick plead for healing. The lost look for direction. The needy long for provision. The grieving look for comfort. Even the demon-possessed have advocates seeking their release. All look to the Messiah for hope. Only His blood could pacify Abel’s plea.
Yet it appeared at first on this occasion that Jesus would turn a cold shoulder to the plea before Him. He had more pressing concerns: the sheep of Israel were suffering. The Jews had to be tended to before the Gentiles. “‘First let the children eat all they want,’” He told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.’” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, ‘but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’”2 He would not deny her. When she went home she found her daughter freed.
Dear friends, in this case of the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman as with so many others we see that Christ addressed human need holistically. Forgiveness heals both body and soul. This is necessary because the pathology of sin affects us spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. We aren’t fractional Christians. Remember what James says today, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”3
We cannot compartmentalize the living of our faith. Everything hangs together. It stands or falls together. Sinners are never completely righteous and holy in one aspect of their obedience while being transgressors in another. Every sin implicates us wholly in rebellion against God. Every transgression exposes our selfishness and reveals original sin as the cause and source. Just as we cannot be Sunday only Christians, so too, we cannot be selective or convenient followers of God’s will. We may fool some of the people some of the time but we’ll fool God none of the time. The question is: Are we deceiving ourselves? Sin is not to be trifled with. Repentance is not for pretense.
God opens and frees us for the receiving of His word and grace. But sin seeks to close, bind and distance us from Christ’s love. Satan can foster estrangement from God even in His house and in the proximity of His word. Are we there but not present? Are we looking but not seeing? Are we listening but not hearing? God is not honoured by mere formality. It’s like the Lutheran pastor who always started each service by saying "The Lord be with you." The people would respond, "and also with you.” But, one Sunday the PA system wasn’t working so the first thing he said was "There’s something wrong with this microphone." The people responded, "and also with you." Hollow responses are not expressions of faith.
Dear friends, the Holy Scripture says, “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.”4 It says of the Almighty, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”5 Perhaps one small measure of Christian maturity is the decreasing effort expended trying to get God to change His mind. If only God would see it our way- and more often. Maybe we simply start to run out of energy and strength. We cannot outlast Him. But the Holy Spirit draws the believer to a deeper reflection. Our queries and complaints are resolved only in the conviction that Christ who was sacrificed for us and for our salvation always keeps the final goal in mind even if the circumstances aren’t palatable to us.
Can we have a more convincing case than the Apostle Paul who reflected on his extreme hardships in proclaiming the gospel in Asia! “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life…But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”6 Jesus Christ, the crucified and living Lord has bigger, higher, and holier plans for us than a comfortable stroll through life’s short little day. He intends to fuse us to Himself for eternity despite our momentary distresses.
Christ remains a magnet for the needy still today. Full comprehension of sin leaves no one unmoved. The true believer craves His forgiveness. In faith the Holy Spirit allows us to hold onto mysteries not yet tangible to us. His death is the end of death. His resurrection is the foundation of life. His compassion is not fickle or piece-meal. His grace is not stingy.
God grant us the humility to see these things in true perspective. Are we entitled to be so richly blessed? The Syrophoenician woman was happy to receive crumbs. She didn’t demand Jesus make her request a priority. St. James poses the question today, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him?”7 Her humility is an example for us to follow.
What do we expect to receive from our Saviour? We receive from the Master’s table far more than crumbs. We receive His true body and blood given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. We receive the food of immortality. We receive grace, life, and eternal salvation. We receive not leftovers, tidbits, or crumbs but a fully supplied heavenly banquet. Ultimately we receive an eternal inheritance. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost
9 September 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 LHS # 543, stanza 2
2 Mark 7:27-28
3 James 2:10
4 Isaiah 66:2
5 Isaiah 57:15
6 2 Corinthians 1:8-9
7 James 2:15
Text: Mark 7:28
Theme: Crumbs
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God can only appear to sinners as unpredictable, even erratic or fickle. He may appear selective, even showing favouritism. One person is blessed extensively. Another suffers. Some calamities are checked by His power. Others wreak havoc uncontrolled. As we grapple and struggle with changes and challenges let us remember that we live only in the short moment of time. The ‘long day’ lies ahead. As the hymn-writer says,
“Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day:
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away:
Change and decay in all around I see:
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.”1
Christ does abide with His people. Unchanged Himself He is able to transform even the most calcified in heart and mind. And He does this not as a matter of convenience but as the result of His passion. The Holy Spirit is not indifferent. The Father is zealous for your soul.
Today we find Jesus in hostile territory. The gospel is always a public matter, but Christ didn’t yet want attention from the public authorities. Such attention would only serve as a distraction from the work He was trying to accomplish. It wasn’t yet time for His trial or arrest. But seldom were His requests for anonymity realized. The gifts He possessed were more powerful than human ability to obey His requested restraint.
Christ was a magnet for those in need. Could it be any other way? Sin cries out for resolution. The blood of Abel cries out- the appeal for justice that rings out across the ages. Many join the chorus. The sick plead for healing. The lost look for direction. The needy long for provision. The grieving look for comfort. Even the demon-possessed have advocates seeking their release. All look to the Messiah for hope. Only His blood could pacify Abel’s plea.
Yet it appeared at first on this occasion that Jesus would turn a cold shoulder to the plea before Him. He had more pressing concerns: the sheep of Israel were suffering. The Jews had to be tended to before the Gentiles. “‘First let the children eat all they want,’” He told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.’” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, ‘but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’”2 He would not deny her. When she went home she found her daughter freed.
Dear friends, in this case of the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman as with so many others we see that Christ addressed human need holistically. Forgiveness heals both body and soul. This is necessary because the pathology of sin affects us spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. We aren’t fractional Christians. Remember what James says today, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”3
We cannot compartmentalize the living of our faith. Everything hangs together. It stands or falls together. Sinners are never completely righteous and holy in one aspect of their obedience while being transgressors in another. Every sin implicates us wholly in rebellion against God. Every transgression exposes our selfishness and reveals original sin as the cause and source. Just as we cannot be Sunday only Christians, so too, we cannot be selective or convenient followers of God’s will. We may fool some of the people some of the time but we’ll fool God none of the time. The question is: Are we deceiving ourselves? Sin is not to be trifled with. Repentance is not for pretense.
God opens and frees us for the receiving of His word and grace. But sin seeks to close, bind and distance us from Christ’s love. Satan can foster estrangement from God even in His house and in the proximity of His word. Are we there but not present? Are we looking but not seeing? Are we listening but not hearing? God is not honoured by mere formality. It’s like the Lutheran pastor who always started each service by saying "The Lord be with you." The people would respond, "and also with you.” But, one Sunday the PA system wasn’t working so the first thing he said was "There’s something wrong with this microphone." The people responded, "and also with you." Hollow responses are not expressions of faith.
Dear friends, the Holy Scripture says, “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.”4 It says of the Almighty, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”5 Perhaps one small measure of Christian maturity is the decreasing effort expended trying to get God to change His mind. If only God would see it our way- and more often. Maybe we simply start to run out of energy and strength. We cannot outlast Him. But the Holy Spirit draws the believer to a deeper reflection. Our queries and complaints are resolved only in the conviction that Christ who was sacrificed for us and for our salvation always keeps the final goal in mind even if the circumstances aren’t palatable to us.
Can we have a more convincing case than the Apostle Paul who reflected on his extreme hardships in proclaiming the gospel in Asia! “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life…But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”6 Jesus Christ, the crucified and living Lord has bigger, higher, and holier plans for us than a comfortable stroll through life’s short little day. He intends to fuse us to Himself for eternity despite our momentary distresses.
Christ remains a magnet for the needy still today. Full comprehension of sin leaves no one unmoved. The true believer craves His forgiveness. In faith the Holy Spirit allows us to hold onto mysteries not yet tangible to us. His death is the end of death. His resurrection is the foundation of life. His compassion is not fickle or piece-meal. His grace is not stingy.
God grant us the humility to see these things in true perspective. Are we entitled to be so richly blessed? The Syrophoenician woman was happy to receive crumbs. She didn’t demand Jesus make her request a priority. St. James poses the question today, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him?”7 Her humility is an example for us to follow.
What do we expect to receive from our Saviour? We receive from the Master’s table far more than crumbs. We receive His true body and blood given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. We receive the food of immortality. We receive grace, life, and eternal salvation. We receive not leftovers, tidbits, or crumbs but a fully supplied heavenly banquet. Ultimately we receive an eternal inheritance. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost
9 September 2012
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 LHS # 543, stanza 2
2 Mark 7:27-28
3 James 2:10
4 Isaiah 66:2
5 Isaiah 57:15
6 2 Corinthians 1:8-9
7 James 2:15
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