+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 25:31
Theme: Not IF, but WHEN.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Not IF, but WHEN. The curtain will fall. The trumpet will sound. The world will be hushed. Yet the passing of time lulls us into apathy. It dampens our alertness and dulls our anticipation. Things we know well and even repeat frequently nevertheless may have little impact on our faith or actions. This is Satan’s way of undermining the credibility of the Almighty. The Second Coming of Christ is a central article of Christian belief. With the faithful throughout the ages we confess, “He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead.”1 Not IF, but WHEN. No one knows if this Last Sunday in the Church Year, 2011, could be the very last Sunday in history.
Alarmists throughout the centuries have claimed to have identified the exact date of Christ’s return. Sects, cults, and even whole religious organizations have been founded upon such claims. The human propensity to crave secret or privileged information is powerful. It goes without saying that all hopes of this nature have failed. Such attempts are futile- driven by ignorance or arrogance. Yet the issue they raise is vital: Christ will appear; the world as we know it will not continue on indefinitely. All existence will be radically transformed. Not IF, but WHEN. The nature of this transformation hinges on the authority and work of Christ.
The words of Christ today give clear testimony about His Second Coming. The nature of events should be no surprise. Things will play out exactly as Christ says: 1) He will appear in glory attended by angels; 2) He will sit in judgment; 3) all people, living and dead, will be gathered before Him; 4) He will separate believers from unbelievers, the wicked from the godly; 5) He will bestow an eternal inheritance on the faithful; 6) He will condemn the wicked to everlasting punishment. The bulk of Jesus’ discourse on the topic consists of the evidence of faith in the lives of believers and conversely the lack of evidence for those who do not believe.
It is noteworthy that the faithful expressed genuine surprise when the King commended them for helping those in need; the hungry and thirsty, sick and imprisoned. The reason is the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers in such a way that good deeds happen as a matter of course. The faithful were not keeping score. They were not practicing discretionary generosity. Their helping of others was not self-serving. The gospel motivates believers in their daily walk. The Holy Spirit sanctifies those whom He justifies.2
The wicked too express surprise. How could they have failed when they couldn’t even recall Jesus making a request of them? Selfishness ruled their thinking. Having given into their sin they were not serving their neighbour or loving God. Though the evidence made public at the Last Judgment emphasizes their deeds- they failed in all opportunities- it is infallibly proven that they possessed no faith or trust in the heart. God knows His sheep. Just as great as the sin of lawlessness and disobedience towards God is that sin which believes God can be ‘won over’ by certain actions or a change in lifestyle. Either our actions are motivated by gratitude for God’s unconditional love or they are a sin against the very necessity of Christ’s sacrifice. It is for lack of believing that Christ’s death was truly necessary to pay the price for our sins that we often need to repent. When the relationship with God is broken, love of neighbour can only be orchestrated or driven by guilt.
There was a proverb that was in common use for many centuries. It went like this: What is it to the Romans that the Greeks die? (Quid ad Romanos quod Graeci moriuntur?) It expressed that fact that people tend to be concerned only with themselves and their own problems. In the present climate people are asking “What is it to us if the Greek economy dies?” Is this any better? Are such concerns driven by sympathy or by fear of how we may be impacted? What are the motivations? When the remorseful Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver saying, “I have sinned…for I have betrayed innocent blood.”3 The callous chief priests and elders responded, “What is that to us? That’s your responsibility.”4 What is that to us? What is it to the Romans that the Greeks die?
But what matters to Christ matters to us. Christ gave His life that we might be freed from enslavement to the god of this world. The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is not a private matter or personal affair. His sacrifice was not made on behalf an isolated or exclusive group of people. There is no thought in the New Testament of a private practice of religion.
We don’t always know the circumstances of another’s life and we certainly can’t know the intentions of their heart. Too often we are quick to criticize the actions and motives of others. The preacher John Wesley thought poorly of a man he considered to be stingy and hard-hearted. One day he criticized him openly when he gave a very small donation to a worthy charity. The man came to him privately and explained that for many weeks he had been living on parsnips and water. Before he had become a Christian he had run up many debts and now he was living very frugally in order to pay his creditors and show his integrity. He desperately wanted to be an honest Christian. Wesley apologized to the man and asked for forgiveness.
Such forgiveness the world cannot accept save for using it with self-serving motives.
Relentlessly the world takes aim at the foundations of the faith. Barrages of uncertainty constantly bombard us. The culture of the age is always at odds with the goals of Christ’s kingdom. It is driven by different motives and operates by different means. The attitude of Babel is always the attitude of secular society, let us “make a name for ourselves.”5 Privately, we are taught to exploit our individual right to indulgence and affluence as the proverb says, “Let us eat and drink…for tomorrow we die.”6
But there can be no Utopia on earth. The schemes of humanity are no threat to the Creator and Judge. What does the Scripture say? “The One enthroned in heaven laughs.”7 Jesus’ words today conclude with clarity and finality. “Then they (the wicked) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”8 There is no neutrality in the afterlife. There is life with Christ in the majesty of the Father and presence of the Holy Spirit or there is existence fully separated from Him- unthinkable, unimaginable darkness and distress.
Christian hope is centered on the resurrection of the body and the restoration of all things. “After my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes!”9 declares Job. Soul and body are meant to be together for eternity. Christ makes this reality. Resurrected and purged from sin we will no longer suffer the effects of its decay. We will not be overcome by illness. We will not succumb to ageing. The Jesus who took on human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary will elevate our flesh to participate in His holiness. This will be a very physical reality.
Even now we are not people who cling to intangibles. God’s word performs what it promises. Hearts and minds are impacted when the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed. The Holy Spirit breaks down barriers and renews weary souls. Our baptismal inheritance is not only a future gift, nor is it an immaterial and private possession. In our baptism we become part of the holy Christian Church. This has concrete expression in the local congregation where God’s people gather regularly around Word and sacrament and both cherish and admonish one another as the needs arises. In God’s house you eat this bread and drink this wine with the full assurance that His body and drink His blood are present there offering and delivering to you the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Together we look forward to that great last day and the coming of our Redeemer in full splendor. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Last Sunday of the Church Year
20 November 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 The Nicene Creed
2 See Ephesians 2:8-10
3 Matthew 27:4
4 ibid
5 Genesis 11:4
6 Isaiah 22:13
7 Psalm 2:4
8 Matthew 25:46
9 Job 19:27
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 25:21
Theme: Sharing In The Master’s Joy
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God is a living being. But He has ordained that in this fallen world we relate to Him by faith, not by sight. To facilitate this He has given us His word. The church exists wherever the Holy Spirit calls it into existence through the Word. Not just any word, the incarnate Second Person of the Trinity. The crucified, risen, and living Christ sustains and nurtures His baptized through His body and blood and the promise of forgiveness.
But this word of gospel and forgiveness is irrelevant to the person content managing his or her own status before God. Thus the first word God must speak to the sinner is His word of law, or conviction. This is not without its dangers. To misunderstand the purpose of the law comes very naturally to us. That is, to view God’s law as the means of recourse to His favour is logical to the human mind, heart, and will. It appears like the avenue to rectify things. It presents itself as the opportunity to do our part to regain God’s blessings. We make some effort, God recognizes it, and our status before Him is amended accordingly.
But this approach involves more than the fallacy of believing God is obligated to assign merit to our efforts. In this view the law becomes the means to salvation. It becomes the basis for a system of works-righteousness which supplants the entire purpose, work and merit of Christ. God’s law always, only, and FINALLY reveals to us our sin and condemns us to punishment for the same. It leaves us with no reason to hope we can salvage the situation. Then we are thrown on the mercy of God. True repentance has no other motivation. This situation is in effect until the whole old order of things passes away and Christ creates things anew.
Following on the heels of the parable of the ten virgins waiting for the Bridegroom comes the parable of the talents. Both are similar in tenor and tone. Both illustrate the grave dangers of being unprepared for Christ’s return in glory. Just as many were oblivious to the pending earthquake and tsunami in Japan great numbers will be oblivious to the return of Christ. People will be absorbed in their worldly pursuits- giving no thought to the immortality of the soul- and His glorious coming will be sprung upon them. Each day then, is a walk of faith.
The daily walk of faith is the issue in today’s parable. Christ said, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”1 The parable speaks of large sums of money- perhaps more than the lifetime wages of an average worker. So there was a lot at stake. The stewards of the talents all seemed to understand that the master was coming back. Even the one who simply buried the money seemed to be in no doubt about the master’s return. And yet he was actually unprepared from the very day the master left. His relationship with the master was fundamentally flawed. He accuses the master of being a “hard man” thus casting the blame back on him. He was motivated by a fear that vitally misunderstood the type of man the master was. So, as a result he ventured nothing on the part of his master, not even putting the money on deposit to gain interest.
Daily actions are evidence of faith- or lack thereof. The faithful servants were rewarded with twice their original trust. The unfaithful servant not only had his share taken away; he was shut out of the kingdom. The warning is unmistakable. Dear friends, your faith is never a static reality. It’s not merely a state of mind or an intellectual position. Faith is not an ideology that can be debated, negotiated, or left optional. It’s not a clause in a contractual agreement that can be exercised when deemed necessary. Faith is the living and active trust in the promises of God in Christ. Integrity demands that our deeds match our claims and promises.
The great Christian orator Spurgeon once said, “A man's life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching. “
Part of Christian wisdom and maturity is learning to trust that even in difficult times God will not forsake us. This confidence allows us to press on in the face of resistance knowing God does work good even from the most dire of circumstances. This truth gives us inertia for our Christian pilgrimage. Though we make a fresh start every time we are absolved of our sins in our daily living we build on past experience. Mechanical engineers tell us that it takes six times as much power to start a flywheel from a dead stop as it does to keep it going once in motion. In other words, it takes only one sixth as much effort to keep going once you are on the way as it does to stop a bit, and then start again. When tempted to slacken just because there is some resistance, remember the flywheel. Remember God does not fail you. You are not on a pleasure cruise through life you are in a battle. You have spiritual, mortal enemies. You have a high and holy calling. You are part of the royal priesthood.
You are His precious inheritance, His baptized child. His love for you is so profound it cannot even begin to be measured. His protection of you is so complete no power can mount a threat against the security He promises. The Psalmist proclaims, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way.”2 and the Redeemer Himself says, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.”3 And again the Holy Spirit says, “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him.”4
The faithful servants in the parable are entrusted with more responsibility. They are also invited to share in the joy of the master. His victory is theirs too; His achievement, their Sabbath Rest. Believers fully participate in Christ’s triumph over sin, death, and Satan through His crucifixion and resurrection- the eternal celebration, heaven, everlasting life. God grant that even now, by grace, through faith- through the humble means of water, word, bread and wine- we may have a foretaste of what’s to come. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost
13 November 20111
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 9:23
2 Psalm 46:1-2
3 John 10:27-28
4 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Text: Matthew 25:21
Theme: Sharing In The Master’s Joy
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God is a living being. But He has ordained that in this fallen world we relate to Him by faith, not by sight. To facilitate this He has given us His word. The church exists wherever the Holy Spirit calls it into existence through the Word. Not just any word, the incarnate Second Person of the Trinity. The crucified, risen, and living Christ sustains and nurtures His baptized through His body and blood and the promise of forgiveness.
But this word of gospel and forgiveness is irrelevant to the person content managing his or her own status before God. Thus the first word God must speak to the sinner is His word of law, or conviction. This is not without its dangers. To misunderstand the purpose of the law comes very naturally to us. That is, to view God’s law as the means of recourse to His favour is logical to the human mind, heart, and will. It appears like the avenue to rectify things. It presents itself as the opportunity to do our part to regain God’s blessings. We make some effort, God recognizes it, and our status before Him is amended accordingly.
But this approach involves more than the fallacy of believing God is obligated to assign merit to our efforts. In this view the law becomes the means to salvation. It becomes the basis for a system of works-righteousness which supplants the entire purpose, work and merit of Christ. God’s law always, only, and FINALLY reveals to us our sin and condemns us to punishment for the same. It leaves us with no reason to hope we can salvage the situation. Then we are thrown on the mercy of God. True repentance has no other motivation. This situation is in effect until the whole old order of things passes away and Christ creates things anew.
Following on the heels of the parable of the ten virgins waiting for the Bridegroom comes the parable of the talents. Both are similar in tenor and tone. Both illustrate the grave dangers of being unprepared for Christ’s return in glory. Just as many were oblivious to the pending earthquake and tsunami in Japan great numbers will be oblivious to the return of Christ. People will be absorbed in their worldly pursuits- giving no thought to the immortality of the soul- and His glorious coming will be sprung upon them. Each day then, is a walk of faith.
The daily walk of faith is the issue in today’s parable. Christ said, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”1 The parable speaks of large sums of money- perhaps more than the lifetime wages of an average worker. So there was a lot at stake. The stewards of the talents all seemed to understand that the master was coming back. Even the one who simply buried the money seemed to be in no doubt about the master’s return. And yet he was actually unprepared from the very day the master left. His relationship with the master was fundamentally flawed. He accuses the master of being a “hard man” thus casting the blame back on him. He was motivated by a fear that vitally misunderstood the type of man the master was. So, as a result he ventured nothing on the part of his master, not even putting the money on deposit to gain interest.
Daily actions are evidence of faith- or lack thereof. The faithful servants were rewarded with twice their original trust. The unfaithful servant not only had his share taken away; he was shut out of the kingdom. The warning is unmistakable. Dear friends, your faith is never a static reality. It’s not merely a state of mind or an intellectual position. Faith is not an ideology that can be debated, negotiated, or left optional. It’s not a clause in a contractual agreement that can be exercised when deemed necessary. Faith is the living and active trust in the promises of God in Christ. Integrity demands that our deeds match our claims and promises.
The great Christian orator Spurgeon once said, “A man's life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching. “
Part of Christian wisdom and maturity is learning to trust that even in difficult times God will not forsake us. This confidence allows us to press on in the face of resistance knowing God does work good even from the most dire of circumstances. This truth gives us inertia for our Christian pilgrimage. Though we make a fresh start every time we are absolved of our sins in our daily living we build on past experience. Mechanical engineers tell us that it takes six times as much power to start a flywheel from a dead stop as it does to keep it going once in motion. In other words, it takes only one sixth as much effort to keep going once you are on the way as it does to stop a bit, and then start again. When tempted to slacken just because there is some resistance, remember the flywheel. Remember God does not fail you. You are not on a pleasure cruise through life you are in a battle. You have spiritual, mortal enemies. You have a high and holy calling. You are part of the royal priesthood.
You are His precious inheritance, His baptized child. His love for you is so profound it cannot even begin to be measured. His protection of you is so complete no power can mount a threat against the security He promises. The Psalmist proclaims, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way.”2 and the Redeemer Himself says, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.”3 And again the Holy Spirit says, “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him.”4
The faithful servants in the parable are entrusted with more responsibility. They are also invited to share in the joy of the master. His victory is theirs too; His achievement, their Sabbath Rest. Believers fully participate in Christ’s triumph over sin, death, and Satan through His crucifixion and resurrection- the eternal celebration, heaven, everlasting life. God grant that even now, by grace, through faith- through the humble means of water, word, bread and wine- we may have a foretaste of what’s to come. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost
13 November 20111
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 9:23
2 Psalm 46:1-2
3 John 10:27-28
4 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Twenty First Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 25:1-13
Theme: Five Wise And Five Foolish
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The promises of God are never subject to human judgment. The believer clings to His mercy despite all evidence to the contrary. The skeptic debates whether such unconditional love is possible and whether it is relevant. In the pending return of Christ all uncertainties will be clarified, all judgment will be rendered and all things unfinished will be brought to resolution. His return is the topic of our gospel today illustrated in the parable of the ten virgins.
In what way did the five foolish ones lack wisdom? Was it merely a practical matter of short-sightedness? Was their mistake a simple matter of over-looking the possible need for more oil? No, this was only the evidence of their folly relevant to the occasion. It was a sure indication of a much bigger problem. They were not really prepared to meet the bridegroom- not on his terms, only theirs. Their foolishness consisted of the assumption they still had the right to enter the wedding banquet. Dear friends, the presumption that when Christ comes again people will be able to enter the kingdom on their own terms is what is at stake here. This is folly in the fullest sense. Can the human heart be absent from Christ- by will and self-determination- and still presume it can rush to greet the Saviour? Can trust be totally invested in the world’s agenda and then allegiance be instantly reversed when it is clear the jig is up? The wise virgins were not being uncharitable in declining the request of the foolish ones, only realistic. No one is saved by the faith of another.
Dear friends, the patience of God is often interpreted as a lack of interest. Perhaps you know of someone who has or you yourself have tested God in this way: transgressing His revealed will you nevertheless did not experience His immediate anger or judgment. Maybe it involved a situation of on-going dishonesty or unfaithfulness? And yet God seemed to overlook it. Maybe you were or are even beginning to doubt whether God really does judge our ungodliness. But have no illusions, God’s memory is never faulty. The hour to repent of your sins is always at hand? Many will be surprised when Christ returns in glory. How could these foolish virgins be treated more harshly than the “prostitutes and tax-collectors” Christ said were entering the kingdom of heaven ahead of the Pharisees?
There was a man, who by no doing of his own, was made, along with others, a signer to the account of a charitable endowment. The endowment was a very large sum of money and the directive was that it was to be used for works of charity and then at a specified time, the signers would divide the amount that remained for their own works of philanthropy. What none were told and what only the bank trustee knew was that if one of them failed to draw on the account for charitable purposes they would not receive their share at the designated time. This man, having neglected all requests and opportunities to aid others from the account, appeared at the appointed time and found that his name had been removed. The foolish virgins were denied entry not because of a simple error of judgment; they had no true interest in the bridegroom.
Any life lived detached from the Living God is vanity and decay regardless of how things appear outwardly. Scarcely do we reach maturity and the human heart becomes a cemetery. Dashed hopes, buried dreams, forgotten plans are interred there. In the vigor of life we may move forward thinking there is time and opportunity to recover the past, to mend what is broken and straighten what is crooked- but the limitations of mortality soon dictate otherwise. And here we begin to learn of our need for the refuge of God’s mercy. Only in the vastness of His grace is there a reservoir deep enough to receive and absorb our folly and our sinfulness. Do not try to bury your grievances, your hurts and pains in the far corners of your heart. That grave will not be big enough to hold the festerings and stirrings of unforgiven and unresolved sin. The body of Christ is the only morgue, the only place to inter sin where it is finally and fully put to death. Only His death terminates the punishment for your sin.
In the person of Jesus we see the face of God. In His sacrifice on the cross we see His heart. He ascends the hill of Calvary bloodied, beaten, broken, bearing the weight of the world’s sins. There He is sacrificed and this is called the very wisdom of God- the death of the Holy One. The Scripture says, “God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”1 Sealed in the chamber of death He breaks its stronghold- not with worldly pomp and circumstance-but with a tour de force through the domains of death and hell. He triumphs. Death is shattered. Eternal separation from God is broken.
We have fellowship with God through Christ, but not through the efforts of our spiritual determination but through the sacramental means God provides. The Scripture says you, “Have been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.”2 Baptism incorporates you into the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Every time forgiveness is declared to you the power and promise of your baptism is put into effect. Whenever forgiveness calms the anxious heart and puts the conscience at ease the Holy Spirit is present freeing the Christian to love his neighbour. In the person with whom the Spirit lives, the works of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control3 -follow as a matter of course. When the sun rises it shed its rays of light. When the Spirit converts and sanctifies, the good works of the believer are evident. Our good works cannot be staged or fabricated- God does not play such games.
Dear friends, can the mission of the church go forth unless this truth is unreservedly confessed: When Christ condemns no one can forgive; when Christ forgives, no one can condemn. The Scripture says, “What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.”4 Our hope is not placed in some idea that God will recognize the best we have to offer and open the gates of heaven accordingly. Our salvation, our rescue, our redemption is accomplished solely through the sacrifice of the crucified One. He is present with us through word and water, bread and wine. And we receive this grace only by faith. This is foolishness to the world but to us it is the wisdom and power of God.5 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost
6 November 20111
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 5:8
2 Colossians 2:12
3 See Galatians 5:22
4 Revelation 3:7
5 See 1Corinthians 1:18
Text: Matthew 25:1-13
Theme: Five Wise And Five Foolish
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The promises of God are never subject to human judgment. The believer clings to His mercy despite all evidence to the contrary. The skeptic debates whether such unconditional love is possible and whether it is relevant. In the pending return of Christ all uncertainties will be clarified, all judgment will be rendered and all things unfinished will be brought to resolution. His return is the topic of our gospel today illustrated in the parable of the ten virgins.
In what way did the five foolish ones lack wisdom? Was it merely a practical matter of short-sightedness? Was their mistake a simple matter of over-looking the possible need for more oil? No, this was only the evidence of their folly relevant to the occasion. It was a sure indication of a much bigger problem. They were not really prepared to meet the bridegroom- not on his terms, only theirs. Their foolishness consisted of the assumption they still had the right to enter the wedding banquet. Dear friends, the presumption that when Christ comes again people will be able to enter the kingdom on their own terms is what is at stake here. This is folly in the fullest sense. Can the human heart be absent from Christ- by will and self-determination- and still presume it can rush to greet the Saviour? Can trust be totally invested in the world’s agenda and then allegiance be instantly reversed when it is clear the jig is up? The wise virgins were not being uncharitable in declining the request of the foolish ones, only realistic. No one is saved by the faith of another.
Dear friends, the patience of God is often interpreted as a lack of interest. Perhaps you know of someone who has or you yourself have tested God in this way: transgressing His revealed will you nevertheless did not experience His immediate anger or judgment. Maybe it involved a situation of on-going dishonesty or unfaithfulness? And yet God seemed to overlook it. Maybe you were or are even beginning to doubt whether God really does judge our ungodliness. But have no illusions, God’s memory is never faulty. The hour to repent of your sins is always at hand? Many will be surprised when Christ returns in glory. How could these foolish virgins be treated more harshly than the “prostitutes and tax-collectors” Christ said were entering the kingdom of heaven ahead of the Pharisees?
There was a man, who by no doing of his own, was made, along with others, a signer to the account of a charitable endowment. The endowment was a very large sum of money and the directive was that it was to be used for works of charity and then at a specified time, the signers would divide the amount that remained for their own works of philanthropy. What none were told and what only the bank trustee knew was that if one of them failed to draw on the account for charitable purposes they would not receive their share at the designated time. This man, having neglected all requests and opportunities to aid others from the account, appeared at the appointed time and found that his name had been removed. The foolish virgins were denied entry not because of a simple error of judgment; they had no true interest in the bridegroom.
Any life lived detached from the Living God is vanity and decay regardless of how things appear outwardly. Scarcely do we reach maturity and the human heart becomes a cemetery. Dashed hopes, buried dreams, forgotten plans are interred there. In the vigor of life we may move forward thinking there is time and opportunity to recover the past, to mend what is broken and straighten what is crooked- but the limitations of mortality soon dictate otherwise. And here we begin to learn of our need for the refuge of God’s mercy. Only in the vastness of His grace is there a reservoir deep enough to receive and absorb our folly and our sinfulness. Do not try to bury your grievances, your hurts and pains in the far corners of your heart. That grave will not be big enough to hold the festerings and stirrings of unforgiven and unresolved sin. The body of Christ is the only morgue, the only place to inter sin where it is finally and fully put to death. Only His death terminates the punishment for your sin.
In the person of Jesus we see the face of God. In His sacrifice on the cross we see His heart. He ascends the hill of Calvary bloodied, beaten, broken, bearing the weight of the world’s sins. There He is sacrificed and this is called the very wisdom of God- the death of the Holy One. The Scripture says, “God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”1 Sealed in the chamber of death He breaks its stronghold- not with worldly pomp and circumstance-but with a tour de force through the domains of death and hell. He triumphs. Death is shattered. Eternal separation from God is broken.
We have fellowship with God through Christ, but not through the efforts of our spiritual determination but through the sacramental means God provides. The Scripture says you, “Have been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.”2 Baptism incorporates you into the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Every time forgiveness is declared to you the power and promise of your baptism is put into effect. Whenever forgiveness calms the anxious heart and puts the conscience at ease the Holy Spirit is present freeing the Christian to love his neighbour. In the person with whom the Spirit lives, the works of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control3 -follow as a matter of course. When the sun rises it shed its rays of light. When the Spirit converts and sanctifies, the good works of the believer are evident. Our good works cannot be staged or fabricated- God does not play such games.
Dear friends, can the mission of the church go forth unless this truth is unreservedly confessed: When Christ condemns no one can forgive; when Christ forgives, no one can condemn. The Scripture says, “What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.”4 Our hope is not placed in some idea that God will recognize the best we have to offer and open the gates of heaven accordingly. Our salvation, our rescue, our redemption is accomplished solely through the sacrifice of the crucified One. He is present with us through word and water, bread and wine. And we receive this grace only by faith. This is foolishness to the world but to us it is the wisdom and power of God.5 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost
6 November 20111
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 5:8
2 Colossians 2:12
3 See Galatians 5:22
4 Revelation 3:7
5 See 1Corinthians 1:18
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 21:43
Theme: Given to HIS People
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God does not neglect His people. God forged His covenant with the Israelites unilaterally. That is, He acted out of grace to rescue them from greater powers without securing any commitment or requiring any obligation on their part. It was that way from the beginning. The promise of the Messiah was planned for Adam and Eve before there is any evidence of their repentance. Thus we should not be surprised when God prefaces the giving of the Ten Commandments with a declaration of the gospel that identifies Him as their Saviour. “I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”1
That truth established God proceeds to outline the law for the well-being of His people. This moral code is the universal standard governing the activities of all peoples of all eras. In it the holiness of God is envisaged and the well-being of people is safeguarded. What Adam and Eve knew implicitly before their fall into sin the Israelites have spelled out for them explicitly through Moses. That law continues to define our status before God and humanity.
The most important function of God’s law is to convict the human heart of sin. It’s only in the clear condemnation of God for all sins of commission and omission that we can truly understand our status before Him. This is the hammer the Holy Spirit uses to break down hardened hearts and stubborn wills. The threat of God’s judgment always hangs over the unrepentant. He will call to account. His wrath cannot be evaded and no excuses will stand.
Today the parable of the unrighteous tenants serves as an unequivocal warning. The vineyard owner represents the Father and the Son He sent, Christ. “‘They will respect my son,’ he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’”2 And so it was that Christ was rejected by His own people. The rejection of Jesus and His work is the mature expression of sinful humanity.
Apart from the intervention of the Holy Spirit, original sin always progresses to such maturity. But why even the converted sometimes fall away is beyond our knowing. The mystery must stand. God plays no favourites. Christ died for all. He desires all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Yet not all are saved. The fault lies not with God but the hardened and sinful heart. How is one’s heart hardened? By willful, callous, and repeated resistance. God is not to be tested but revered. He is compassionate but He does not play games. He cannot be fooled.
Dear friends, everyone likes to be labeled by family, peers, or friends as a nice person or a ‘good Christian’. It can help to keep us accountable. The Scriptures clearly direct us to support and build up one another. But danger lurks too. It strokes the spiritual ego. It can create a false sense of security. Worldliness creeps in on us like morning fog. A little compromise here, a little concession there and soon our priorities have been rearranged completely. The exceptions become the rule. First-fruits become left-overs. None are exempt from such pressures and temptations. The praises of others becomes more important and less realistic than the judgment of God. But God’s assessments are not consultative. He confers with no one about our status before Him.
Our status before God is eternally changed by the work of Christ. He alone accomplishes reconciliation. A duck hunter was with a friend in the wide-open land of southeastern Georgia. Far away on the horizon he noticed a cloud of smoke. Soon he could hear crackling as the wind shifted. He realized the terrible truth; a brushfire was advancing, so fast they couldn't outrun it. Rifling through his pockets, he soon found what he was looking for--a book of matches. He lit a small fire around the two of them. Soon they were standing in a circle of blackened earth, waiting for the fire to come. They didn't have to wait long. They covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and braced themselves. The fire came near--and swept over them. But they were completely unhurt, untouched. The fire wasn’t hot enough to harm them. And the fire did not pass where they had already burned. The law is like a bushfire that you cannot escape. It consumes all in its path. But we stand in the burned-over place. We stand in the shadow of the cross. The fire of God’s wrath raged on Calvary and there it was quenched. Christ's death has disarmed it. Not a hair of the believer’s head will be singed by His consuming fire.
Believers are freed from the just punishment each and every sinner deserves. The Scripture says, “Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!”3 And again, “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood.”4 United with Christ through baptism-incorporated into His very death and resurrection- we enjoy a peace with God that transcends all the darkness and doubt of the temporal sphere. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”5
Now each day you are not forced to struggle through life without hope or purpose. You are not constrained by the problems and issues swirling around in your own little world. You need not stumble along in your vocation wondering what the point is. You are Christ’s redeemed child. You are His baptized. You are called, justified and sanctified with the promise of glorification yet to come. You are servants in the vineyard already enjoying the fruits of Christ’s labor. You have the comfort of His strong but tender promises. You are offered the food of immortality- the very body and blood that secured your salvation. You live by faith, not by sight, interceding on behalf of the world but not given over to its agenda. Thanks be to God, who gives us this victory! Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
2 October, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Exodus 20:2
2 Matthew 21:37-38
3 Romans 5:9
4 Revelation 1:5
5 John 10:10
Text: Matthew 21:43
Theme: Given to HIS People
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God does not neglect His people. God forged His covenant with the Israelites unilaterally. That is, He acted out of grace to rescue them from greater powers without securing any commitment or requiring any obligation on their part. It was that way from the beginning. The promise of the Messiah was planned for Adam and Eve before there is any evidence of their repentance. Thus we should not be surprised when God prefaces the giving of the Ten Commandments with a declaration of the gospel that identifies Him as their Saviour. “I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”1
That truth established God proceeds to outline the law for the well-being of His people. This moral code is the universal standard governing the activities of all peoples of all eras. In it the holiness of God is envisaged and the well-being of people is safeguarded. What Adam and Eve knew implicitly before their fall into sin the Israelites have spelled out for them explicitly through Moses. That law continues to define our status before God and humanity.
The most important function of God’s law is to convict the human heart of sin. It’s only in the clear condemnation of God for all sins of commission and omission that we can truly understand our status before Him. This is the hammer the Holy Spirit uses to break down hardened hearts and stubborn wills. The threat of God’s judgment always hangs over the unrepentant. He will call to account. His wrath cannot be evaded and no excuses will stand.
Today the parable of the unrighteous tenants serves as an unequivocal warning. The vineyard owner represents the Father and the Son He sent, Christ. “‘They will respect my son,’ he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’”2 And so it was that Christ was rejected by His own people. The rejection of Jesus and His work is the mature expression of sinful humanity.
Apart from the intervention of the Holy Spirit, original sin always progresses to such maturity. But why even the converted sometimes fall away is beyond our knowing. The mystery must stand. God plays no favourites. Christ died for all. He desires all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Yet not all are saved. The fault lies not with God but the hardened and sinful heart. How is one’s heart hardened? By willful, callous, and repeated resistance. God is not to be tested but revered. He is compassionate but He does not play games. He cannot be fooled.
Dear friends, everyone likes to be labeled by family, peers, or friends as a nice person or a ‘good Christian’. It can help to keep us accountable. The Scriptures clearly direct us to support and build up one another. But danger lurks too. It strokes the spiritual ego. It can create a false sense of security. Worldliness creeps in on us like morning fog. A little compromise here, a little concession there and soon our priorities have been rearranged completely. The exceptions become the rule. First-fruits become left-overs. None are exempt from such pressures and temptations. The praises of others becomes more important and less realistic than the judgment of God. But God’s assessments are not consultative. He confers with no one about our status before Him.
Our status before God is eternally changed by the work of Christ. He alone accomplishes reconciliation. A duck hunter was with a friend in the wide-open land of southeastern Georgia. Far away on the horizon he noticed a cloud of smoke. Soon he could hear crackling as the wind shifted. He realized the terrible truth; a brushfire was advancing, so fast they couldn't outrun it. Rifling through his pockets, he soon found what he was looking for--a book of matches. He lit a small fire around the two of them. Soon they were standing in a circle of blackened earth, waiting for the fire to come. They didn't have to wait long. They covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and braced themselves. The fire came near--and swept over them. But they were completely unhurt, untouched. The fire wasn’t hot enough to harm them. And the fire did not pass where they had already burned. The law is like a bushfire that you cannot escape. It consumes all in its path. But we stand in the burned-over place. We stand in the shadow of the cross. The fire of God’s wrath raged on Calvary and there it was quenched. Christ's death has disarmed it. Not a hair of the believer’s head will be singed by His consuming fire.
Believers are freed from the just punishment each and every sinner deserves. The Scripture says, “Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!”3 And again, “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood.”4 United with Christ through baptism-incorporated into His very death and resurrection- we enjoy a peace with God that transcends all the darkness and doubt of the temporal sphere. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”5
Now each day you are not forced to struggle through life without hope or purpose. You are not constrained by the problems and issues swirling around in your own little world. You need not stumble along in your vocation wondering what the point is. You are Christ’s redeemed child. You are His baptized. You are called, justified and sanctified with the promise of glorification yet to come. You are servants in the vineyard already enjoying the fruits of Christ’s labor. You have the comfort of His strong but tender promises. You are offered the food of immortality- the very body and blood that secured your salvation. You live by faith, not by sight, interceding on behalf of the world but not given over to its agenda. Thanks be to God, who gives us this victory! Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
2 October, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Exodus 20:2
2 Matthew 21:37-38
3 Romans 5:9
4 Revelation 1:5
5 John 10:10
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 21:23
Theme: True Authority
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The Holy Scriptures always enrich our perspective on the nature and compassion of God. Though we become familiar with certain catch-phrases and always reiterate the main themes in an effort to emphasize, simplify or take short cuts- sometimes legitimately and sometimes not- the Word always drags us deeper and pulls us wider. It is a blessing to know that Christ exercised full divine authority. Our faith is undergirded by this assumption.
Today the authority of Jesus was questioned. But could it be any other way? While He was teaching in the temple courts the religious leaders approached Him, “By what authority are you doing these things…and who gave you this authority?”1 It was inevitable that He be asked this. There was a lot at stake. It wasn’t simply a matter of Jesus treading on their turf. The integrity of public proclamation of truth was at stake. Nothing has much changed. The question is still relevant: Who is this Jesus and what authority does He have?
Either He is the incarnate Son of God who alone absolves sinners with divine authority, or He is proved to be a fraud. If we give Him allegiance based on a perceived probability that it’s safer to cover our bases than not, then this is not faith, but hedging dressed up in religious clothing. The question is not one of risk verses benefit- better to invest some time and interest rather than risk the gates to heaven being closed- but of humble recognition of the ultimate authority.
If we are inclined to follow Christ because of His sage-ness, or cagey-ness or cleverness; or to follow because we are convinced of some benefit He may provide or value He may be to us- then the entire enterprise of faith is overthrown. We can’t believe in Christ based on how convinced we are that He is more clever or capable than all the other offers or possibilities out there.
Merely human hope is inevitably misplaced. For centuries people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all time, and surely he would not be wrong. Anyone, of course, could have taken two objects, one heavy and one light, and dropped them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first. But no one did until nearly 2,000 years after Aristotle's death. In 1589 Galileo summoned learned professors to the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Then he went to the top and pushed off a ten- pound and a one-pound weight. Both landed at the same instant. Yet the power of their misplaced belief was so strong the professors denied their eyesight. They continued to say Aristotle was right.
We rightly evaluate the philosophies and teachings of humanity, we even become adherents to certain ideals believing they promote the well-being of others or offer some benefits. But it’s different with God precisely because we believe in His unqualified authority. We are in no position to debate or assess whether God’s commands are reasonable, whether they’re beneficial, whether they’re ethical or utilitarian or humanitarian- we receive them gratefully and obey them faithfully. You cannot do away with the absoluteness of Christ and still claim to be a faithful follower of the truth. You cannot debate or negotiate its relative value. Yes, we can and must humbly confess our confusion of understanding it and our failure to follow it, but we cannot adopt the position of superiority. To question whether the sacrifice of Christ can benefit you is to undermine faith.
So we cannot preach Christianity by making His claims reasonable. It may seem logical to appeal to the human intellect in this way. It may seem sensible for those who are seeking and searching to say, “Look, Christ proposes this or that, see if that fits your philosophy. His teachings are moral or profound or compassionate or caring, etc.” That may be true enough but it is not the critical truth- only the attendant or necessary consequence.
Christ consciously and willingly, not unwittingly or helplessly endured the humiliation of death by crucifixion. He did this to restore sinners- great and small, arrogant and humble, philanthropic and selfish- to the Father in heaven. Either the Holy Spirit moves the soul to trust in the authority of the God-Man, the Saviour and Redeemer, or people are only drawn to a very temporal and human attachment to the wisdom of His ethics and so forth. Christ can never be understood to be of some temporary value only. But neither can your faith be treated as an insurance policy for the future that has no real connection or relevance to your everyday life. The first attempt errs in its belief that Christianity is primarily an aid to facilitate a smoother journey through this life. The second attempt errs in falsely believing that a token acknowledgment of God is all that is necessary to secure eternity. Yet the Lord says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, ‘Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.”2 How often does our sorrow over sin plumb such depths?
The Holy Spirit does not fail to revive the repentant sinner. How do we know? Jesus said, “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…”3 Christ grants His authority to the church and the church delegates this authority to the pastor for its public ministry. The only authority the church has collectively is the authority of the Word. This is the only authority the pastor exercises, called the Office of the Keys. But it is THE authority to retain or forgive sins through the means God appoints.
Your baptism has credibility because it was administered under authority. Christ said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing…”4 Your baptism isn’t validated by your will-power or your sentimentality. It isn’t invalidated by your lack of remembrance or your disappointment that it hasn’t been a greater inspiration in your spiritual life. Christ has authority over death. The Holy Spirit has authority over unbelief. These powers overcome all demonic forces.
Holy Communion is trustworthy because it is administered under authority. It is a divine mandate of Christ. It is His last will and testament. The promise is authoritative because it is Christ’s promise. Take and eat. Take and drink. This is My body; this is My blood…for the forgiveness of sins.
Crist has authority; the full authority of the Father. He proved this during His earthly life. Of course-as in Aristotle’s day- the skeptic will never have enough evidence to be satisfied. Faith trusts in His promises on the basis of His authority over death and bestowal of the forgiveness of sins. He says, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”5 That is the ultimate authority and our ultimate comfort. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost
25 September, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 21:23
2 Matthew 7:21
3 Matthew 9:5-6
4 Matthew 28:18-19
5 Revelation 1:17-18
Text: Matthew 21:23
Theme: True Authority
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The Holy Scriptures always enrich our perspective on the nature and compassion of God. Though we become familiar with certain catch-phrases and always reiterate the main themes in an effort to emphasize, simplify or take short cuts- sometimes legitimately and sometimes not- the Word always drags us deeper and pulls us wider. It is a blessing to know that Christ exercised full divine authority. Our faith is undergirded by this assumption.
Today the authority of Jesus was questioned. But could it be any other way? While He was teaching in the temple courts the religious leaders approached Him, “By what authority are you doing these things…and who gave you this authority?”1 It was inevitable that He be asked this. There was a lot at stake. It wasn’t simply a matter of Jesus treading on their turf. The integrity of public proclamation of truth was at stake. Nothing has much changed. The question is still relevant: Who is this Jesus and what authority does He have?
Either He is the incarnate Son of God who alone absolves sinners with divine authority, or He is proved to be a fraud. If we give Him allegiance based on a perceived probability that it’s safer to cover our bases than not, then this is not faith, but hedging dressed up in religious clothing. The question is not one of risk verses benefit- better to invest some time and interest rather than risk the gates to heaven being closed- but of humble recognition of the ultimate authority.
If we are inclined to follow Christ because of His sage-ness, or cagey-ness or cleverness; or to follow because we are convinced of some benefit He may provide or value He may be to us- then the entire enterprise of faith is overthrown. We can’t believe in Christ based on how convinced we are that He is more clever or capable than all the other offers or possibilities out there.
Merely human hope is inevitably misplaced. For centuries people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all time, and surely he would not be wrong. Anyone, of course, could have taken two objects, one heavy and one light, and dropped them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first. But no one did until nearly 2,000 years after Aristotle's death. In 1589 Galileo summoned learned professors to the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Then he went to the top and pushed off a ten- pound and a one-pound weight. Both landed at the same instant. Yet the power of their misplaced belief was so strong the professors denied their eyesight. They continued to say Aristotle was right.
We rightly evaluate the philosophies and teachings of humanity, we even become adherents to certain ideals believing they promote the well-being of others or offer some benefits. But it’s different with God precisely because we believe in His unqualified authority. We are in no position to debate or assess whether God’s commands are reasonable, whether they’re beneficial, whether they’re ethical or utilitarian or humanitarian- we receive them gratefully and obey them faithfully. You cannot do away with the absoluteness of Christ and still claim to be a faithful follower of the truth. You cannot debate or negotiate its relative value. Yes, we can and must humbly confess our confusion of understanding it and our failure to follow it, but we cannot adopt the position of superiority. To question whether the sacrifice of Christ can benefit you is to undermine faith.
So we cannot preach Christianity by making His claims reasonable. It may seem logical to appeal to the human intellect in this way. It may seem sensible for those who are seeking and searching to say, “Look, Christ proposes this or that, see if that fits your philosophy. His teachings are moral or profound or compassionate or caring, etc.” That may be true enough but it is not the critical truth- only the attendant or necessary consequence.
Christ consciously and willingly, not unwittingly or helplessly endured the humiliation of death by crucifixion. He did this to restore sinners- great and small, arrogant and humble, philanthropic and selfish- to the Father in heaven. Either the Holy Spirit moves the soul to trust in the authority of the God-Man, the Saviour and Redeemer, or people are only drawn to a very temporal and human attachment to the wisdom of His ethics and so forth. Christ can never be understood to be of some temporary value only. But neither can your faith be treated as an insurance policy for the future that has no real connection or relevance to your everyday life. The first attempt errs in its belief that Christianity is primarily an aid to facilitate a smoother journey through this life. The second attempt errs in falsely believing that a token acknowledgment of God is all that is necessary to secure eternity. Yet the Lord says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, ‘Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.”2 How often does our sorrow over sin plumb such depths?
The Holy Spirit does not fail to revive the repentant sinner. How do we know? Jesus said, “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…”3 Christ grants His authority to the church and the church delegates this authority to the pastor for its public ministry. The only authority the church has collectively is the authority of the Word. This is the only authority the pastor exercises, called the Office of the Keys. But it is THE authority to retain or forgive sins through the means God appoints.
Your baptism has credibility because it was administered under authority. Christ said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing…”4 Your baptism isn’t validated by your will-power or your sentimentality. It isn’t invalidated by your lack of remembrance or your disappointment that it hasn’t been a greater inspiration in your spiritual life. Christ has authority over death. The Holy Spirit has authority over unbelief. These powers overcome all demonic forces.
Holy Communion is trustworthy because it is administered under authority. It is a divine mandate of Christ. It is His last will and testament. The promise is authoritative because it is Christ’s promise. Take and eat. Take and drink. This is My body; this is My blood…for the forgiveness of sins.
Crist has authority; the full authority of the Father. He proved this during His earthly life. Of course-as in Aristotle’s day- the skeptic will never have enough evidence to be satisfied. Faith trusts in His promises on the basis of His authority over death and bestowal of the forgiveness of sins. He says, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”5 That is the ultimate authority and our ultimate comfort. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost
25 September, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 21:23
2 Matthew 7:21
3 Matthew 9:5-6
4 Matthew 28:18-19
5 Revelation 1:17-18
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 20:1-16
Theme: Extravagant Grace
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Only God is truly altruistic. We know this only in Christ. “Are you envious because I am generous?”1 That was the question posed by the vineyard owner to those laborers who cried foul. They complained when other workers received the same reward. They had worked longer and they expected more. The grievance surely seems logical. “These men who were hired last worked only one hour…and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.”2 Yet they received the agreed upon amount. Such a scheme would not long withstand the rigors of a highly regulated fiscal society. But God’s kingdom is different. The grace of God in Christ is extravagant. He does not lack resources. We can’t measure His equity by human standards. We look to the cross and there we see the true measure of His generosity.
There are always those who want to get more out of God; more recognition for their work in the church, more praise for their charity, more assurance that God especially favours them. Christ addresses the same attitude among the hypocrites. “I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full,”3 that is, they have acquired recognition from others for their efforts. But in the end they forfeit the favour of God. Judas is the apex of such defiance. He too wanted more out of Christ. The money bag wasn’t enough so later he received his thirty pieces of silver. He forfeited an immeasurably greater treasure.
There are always those who want to criticize the generosity of others. This is an expression of the sinful nature. We do the same to God. Why is God-we wonder- so much more generous to such and such a person than He is to us? Why does He seem to play favourites, sparing one from sickness or hardship while inflicting another with tragedy? It’s how these types of questions are handled that reveals the nature of faith or lack thereof.
Dear friends, the scope of our repentance is usually to narrow. Few who take the Bible seriously could argue that we need to repent of the sins of adultery or lying, theft or murder, idolatry or blasphemy. But at the core of sinfulness is mistrust of God and the way He handles things. The focus of our repentance should be our selfish desire that God would see things our way. Our remorse should be aimed at recognizing how we seek to use God as a benefactor or guarantor of our prosperity quite apart from the sacrifice of Christ and any real intent to reverence or obey Him. And we are so bold as to call this faith!
The Scripture says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”4 Everyplace where affluence generally prevails Christianity is in strife. But the love of mammon cannot bear all the guilt. Progressive secularization seeks to marginalize spiritual and biblical truth at every turn. Believers are tempted to retreat to a private practice of their faith. In this manner Satan makes great strides. Often even private faith is kept to oneself. Believers unwittingly think that Christianity merely provides a moral foundation and therefore they don’t teach their children the lessons of the faith. They look to their children’s physical well-being and material prosperity while neglecting their spiritual life. Perhaps parents don’t teach their children Christian truth because they doubt it themselves, or they worry about being labeled as hypocrites. The problem is quickly compounded.
Christian maturity involves both understanding and accepting the truth that God’s chastisements are actually blessings. The Bible says, “The Lord disciplines those He loves.”5 Not that anyone should ever be so bold or arrogant as to claim they can fully comprehend why God intervenes in a certain circumstance and appears to withdraw from another. But if we will not be disciplined by God and His truth, then what authority would we honour? And how would our selfish motives be kept in check? And if we do not believe than even when He reproves us God intends it for our well-being, then where is our faith? Trust in God only when things are going smoothly in life proves to be no faith at all.
Imagine how surprised those vineyard workers were who were hired at the eleventh hour but still received the full wage. They knew they hadn’t earned their reward. Such is the generosity of God. If we are not continually surprised by His generosity then we might want to evaluate our motivations and expectations. The auto maker Henry Ford was vacationing in Ireland when he was asked to contribute toward a new orphanage. Ford wrote a check for two thousand pounds, which made headlines in the local newspaper. But the paper inadvertently reported the gift as twenty thousand pounds. The director of the orphanage apologized to Ford. “I’ll phone the editor straight away and tell him to correct the mistake,” he said. “There’s no need for that,” Ford replied, and promptly wrote a check for the additional eighteen thousand pounds.
In a doxological flourish in the Book of Ephesians the Apostle Paul says this, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!”6 If we really believed with Paul these words- that God, in Christ is able to do more than we can even imagine- would our perspective not be dramatically changed? Would we not worry and fret much less about trivial and temporal things?
Dear friends, Christ ends His discourse today by noting that the order of His kingdom is exactly the reverse of the ordering of the world. The first shall be last. The last shall be first. In the world people work to earn their reward. In God’s kingdom Christ is the price of the sacrifice and the reward itself. His grace can never be earned. He was crucified to cancel your debt. He rose to secure your life now and in eternity. He absolves you with His word of promise and nurtures you with His sacraments. The crumbs from His table- the very body and blood of Christ- are still richer fare than what the world will ever have on offer. Meager in the world’s eyes, it is the food of immortality. The Israelites were given manna for their journey7. We receive the Bread Of Heaven8.
The church may be marginalized. Believers may be ostracized. The baptized may be labeled as insignificant. And yet through the Holy Spirit God’s people are salt and light in the world. We are the world’s contact with sacred treasures. It doesn’t matter whether we are privileged to work from the first hour in His vineyard or whether we’re only brought in at the eleventh hour. The promise made to Abraham is made to every believer. God said, “I am your shield, your very great reward.”9 Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
18 September, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 20:15
2 Matthew 20:12
3 Matthew 6:5
4 2 Timothy 6:10
5 Hebrews 12:5
6 Ephesians 3:20-21
7 See Exodus 16:15
8 See John 6:51
9 Genesis 15:1
Text: Matthew 20:1-16
Theme: Extravagant Grace
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Only God is truly altruistic. We know this only in Christ. “Are you envious because I am generous?”1 That was the question posed by the vineyard owner to those laborers who cried foul. They complained when other workers received the same reward. They had worked longer and they expected more. The grievance surely seems logical. “These men who were hired last worked only one hour…and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.”2 Yet they received the agreed upon amount. Such a scheme would not long withstand the rigors of a highly regulated fiscal society. But God’s kingdom is different. The grace of God in Christ is extravagant. He does not lack resources. We can’t measure His equity by human standards. We look to the cross and there we see the true measure of His generosity.
There are always those who want to get more out of God; more recognition for their work in the church, more praise for their charity, more assurance that God especially favours them. Christ addresses the same attitude among the hypocrites. “I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full,”3 that is, they have acquired recognition from others for their efforts. But in the end they forfeit the favour of God. Judas is the apex of such defiance. He too wanted more out of Christ. The money bag wasn’t enough so later he received his thirty pieces of silver. He forfeited an immeasurably greater treasure.
There are always those who want to criticize the generosity of others. This is an expression of the sinful nature. We do the same to God. Why is God-we wonder- so much more generous to such and such a person than He is to us? Why does He seem to play favourites, sparing one from sickness or hardship while inflicting another with tragedy? It’s how these types of questions are handled that reveals the nature of faith or lack thereof.
Dear friends, the scope of our repentance is usually to narrow. Few who take the Bible seriously could argue that we need to repent of the sins of adultery or lying, theft or murder, idolatry or blasphemy. But at the core of sinfulness is mistrust of God and the way He handles things. The focus of our repentance should be our selfish desire that God would see things our way. Our remorse should be aimed at recognizing how we seek to use God as a benefactor or guarantor of our prosperity quite apart from the sacrifice of Christ and any real intent to reverence or obey Him. And we are so bold as to call this faith!
The Scripture says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”4 Everyplace where affluence generally prevails Christianity is in strife. But the love of mammon cannot bear all the guilt. Progressive secularization seeks to marginalize spiritual and biblical truth at every turn. Believers are tempted to retreat to a private practice of their faith. In this manner Satan makes great strides. Often even private faith is kept to oneself. Believers unwittingly think that Christianity merely provides a moral foundation and therefore they don’t teach their children the lessons of the faith. They look to their children’s physical well-being and material prosperity while neglecting their spiritual life. Perhaps parents don’t teach their children Christian truth because they doubt it themselves, or they worry about being labeled as hypocrites. The problem is quickly compounded.
Christian maturity involves both understanding and accepting the truth that God’s chastisements are actually blessings. The Bible says, “The Lord disciplines those He loves.”5 Not that anyone should ever be so bold or arrogant as to claim they can fully comprehend why God intervenes in a certain circumstance and appears to withdraw from another. But if we will not be disciplined by God and His truth, then what authority would we honour? And how would our selfish motives be kept in check? And if we do not believe than even when He reproves us God intends it for our well-being, then where is our faith? Trust in God only when things are going smoothly in life proves to be no faith at all.
Imagine how surprised those vineyard workers were who were hired at the eleventh hour but still received the full wage. They knew they hadn’t earned their reward. Such is the generosity of God. If we are not continually surprised by His generosity then we might want to evaluate our motivations and expectations. The auto maker Henry Ford was vacationing in Ireland when he was asked to contribute toward a new orphanage. Ford wrote a check for two thousand pounds, which made headlines in the local newspaper. But the paper inadvertently reported the gift as twenty thousand pounds. The director of the orphanage apologized to Ford. “I’ll phone the editor straight away and tell him to correct the mistake,” he said. “There’s no need for that,” Ford replied, and promptly wrote a check for the additional eighteen thousand pounds.
In a doxological flourish in the Book of Ephesians the Apostle Paul says this, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!”6 If we really believed with Paul these words- that God, in Christ is able to do more than we can even imagine- would our perspective not be dramatically changed? Would we not worry and fret much less about trivial and temporal things?
Dear friends, Christ ends His discourse today by noting that the order of His kingdom is exactly the reverse of the ordering of the world. The first shall be last. The last shall be first. In the world people work to earn their reward. In God’s kingdom Christ is the price of the sacrifice and the reward itself. His grace can never be earned. He was crucified to cancel your debt. He rose to secure your life now and in eternity. He absolves you with His word of promise and nurtures you with His sacraments. The crumbs from His table- the very body and blood of Christ- are still richer fare than what the world will ever have on offer. Meager in the world’s eyes, it is the food of immortality. The Israelites were given manna for their journey7. We receive the Bread Of Heaven8.
The church may be marginalized. Believers may be ostracized. The baptized may be labeled as insignificant. And yet through the Holy Spirit God’s people are salt and light in the world. We are the world’s contact with sacred treasures. It doesn’t matter whether we are privileged to work from the first hour in His vineyard or whether we’re only brought in at the eleventh hour. The promise made to Abraham is made to every believer. God said, “I am your shield, your very great reward.”9 Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
18 September, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 20:15
2 Matthew 20:12
3 Matthew 6:5
4 2 Timothy 6:10
5 Hebrews 12:5
6 Ephesians 3:20-21
7 See Exodus 16:15
8 See John 6:51
9 Genesis 15:1
Monday, September 12, 2011
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2011
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 18:21-22
Theme: Beyond Human Capacity
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Humans quickly reach their capacity to forgive. Forgiveness doesn’t come naturally. The person who claims it does is speaking from arrogance or ignorance. “‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”1 Here we truly have the most challenging teaching in all of Holy Scripture. In effect Jesus is saying we are to forgive without limit. Christ’s words here, when viewed from the perspective of common sense, are nearly an absurdity. How is it possible to keep turning the other cheek? How can we, again, and again, and again, pardon those who offend us?
Under purely human power we can’t. The Holy Spirit must have His way. Without the Holy Spirit’s intervention you have absolutely no hope of forgiving your neighbour from the heart. The moment you are pleased with yourself for thinking you have done it successfully is the moment pride is your downfall. Oh, yes, you can take all the right steps, say all the right words, and carry through with all the correct motions but this won’t cleanse the bitterness or resentment from your heart. Forgiveness is a divine act within you.
St. Paul urges his fellow pastors “not to receive God’s grace in vain.”2 How frequently is the grace of God received in vain, that is, in an hollow and superficial way! How superficial is the trust of many in the forgiveness of sins- which is no real trust at all, but a convenient gesture only when it suits? Christ’s story of the unforgiving servant powerfully illustrates the point today. This servant received the pardon of his master in vain. Yes, his debt was cancelled. But he was not freed! He was still bound up in selfishness and unrepentance. That doesn’t mean that his urgent plea to his master wasn’t genuine. It means it wasn’t properly motivated. He desperately wanted to have his debt forgiven. But it was from a purely selfish motive. His account with his earthy master was reconciled but the one with His heavenly Master was not.
What prevents the grace of God being taken for granted? Only the belief that God will judge those who make a mockery of His blessings. Forgiveness is never a commodity we have the power to barter with at will. We have no jurisdiction over God’s offer of pardon. It is a solemn declaration of His favour. God forgives the repentant sinner in Christ and this then governs the dynamics of all our relationships.
This truth operates also at the level of society. Dear friends, think of how much hatred led up to 9-11, the tenth anniversary of which is recognized today. Think of how much unrepentance and unforgiveness has been harbored since! But God is not tethered by human inability. The New York Times reported that during the attacks of September 11, the communication between rescue workers and their commanding officers was not good. Instead of reaching the workers by radio to warn of the imminent collapse of the Trade Center Towers, a messenger had to be sent by foot across the terrible scene dodging flaming debris and falling bodies, to deliver the news in person. He arrived with the information less than one minute before the first tower fell.
Maybe sometimes your life feels a little like September 11th. It is completely out of control with the falling debris of debt, family dysfunction, work pressure, bad health, or all the above! Maybe you’re tied in knots with unresolved conflict or long-held grudges. But your communication with God is not in jeopardy. God didn’t merely send warnings from heaven. Christ came in human flesh, in the fullness of the Godhead. He came wearing our skin and breathing our air. He came confronting our fears and bearing our sin. He came not with a directive and a blueprint for forgiveness. He came as the very price of atonement that makes that forgiveness possible. He wasn’t the facilitator, coach or negotiator; but the scapegoat, the ransom and the sacrifice. He didn’t wrangle agreement or forgiveness from people; He forfeited His own glory for sinners. He was buried under the weight and rubble of human rebellion. But His resurrection gives a new lease on life.
God delivers His people. The Israelites were led on dry ground through the Red Sea out of Egypt. They were led on dry ground across the Jordan into the Promised Land. And He promises to lead the believer through the stormy waters of this life to the inheritance of heaven. Christianity is distinct from all religions or groups that preach about or promote the love of God and the obedience of His followers. Only Christianity teaches that the forgiveness of the sins, freedom from Satan, rescue from hell is accomplished by and secured in and through Jesus Christ. Only the gospel proclaims to us the truly Good News that the fate of humanity does not depend on human ability pacify God’s wrath or impress Him with its achievements.
That’s why we gather here in His name. Why else should people come here? Why do you come here? Is it family custom? Habit? Guilt? Self-interest? Opportunity? Social activity? There are certainly plenty of other things to do on a Sunday morning as many others have found. Consider that God gathers His people where He is present through His means of grace. Here the baptized come as the very consequence of who they are in Christ. We are not only named as His in baptism but we live in His kingdom baptismally. Baptism is both the well of forgiveness and the sacramental Jordan to which we return to drown our unforgiving hearts. In every act of repentance and absolution we are returned to the power and the promise of our baptism. Like a passport that gains one entry across borders, baptism is our access to Christ’s mercy and our heavenly inheritance. So too, your invitation to His holy Table is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet.
To the unbeliever, participating in these activities or granting forgiveness with no vested self-interest is nonsensical or foolish. The devil is cunning. He wants our thoughts on God and eternity to be appraised by the negative experiences of this life. Darkness, doubt, and despair; trouble and hardship cause even the most mature believer to question the treasures God promises to deliver. Yet faith works just the other way around: the promises of God’s sacred and holy things, knowledge of Christ’s completed crucifixion and resurrection should colour our perspective on this mortal life. We are as the morning mist3.
But let’s be honest, sometimes the tediousness of this life causes us to wonder how we could even spend life in eternity without getting tired or bored. What will drive us? What will motivate us to carry on? How can we envision a heaven in which we don’t become uninterested? Here our intellect has no answers. Faith looks forward in hope and trusts that we will be more than pleasantly surprised. For then, freed and forgiven we will exercise our full capacity to enjoy the unlimited compassion and companionship of the Holy Trinity. Then we will understand the price of forgiveness. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost
11 September, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 18:21-22
2 2 Corinthians 6:1
3 See James 4:14
Text: Matthew 18:21-22
Theme: Beyond Human Capacity
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Humans quickly reach their capacity to forgive. Forgiveness doesn’t come naturally. The person who claims it does is speaking from arrogance or ignorance. “‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”1 Here we truly have the most challenging teaching in all of Holy Scripture. In effect Jesus is saying we are to forgive without limit. Christ’s words here, when viewed from the perspective of common sense, are nearly an absurdity. How is it possible to keep turning the other cheek? How can we, again, and again, and again, pardon those who offend us?
Under purely human power we can’t. The Holy Spirit must have His way. Without the Holy Spirit’s intervention you have absolutely no hope of forgiving your neighbour from the heart. The moment you are pleased with yourself for thinking you have done it successfully is the moment pride is your downfall. Oh, yes, you can take all the right steps, say all the right words, and carry through with all the correct motions but this won’t cleanse the bitterness or resentment from your heart. Forgiveness is a divine act within you.
St. Paul urges his fellow pastors “not to receive God’s grace in vain.”2 How frequently is the grace of God received in vain, that is, in an hollow and superficial way! How superficial is the trust of many in the forgiveness of sins- which is no real trust at all, but a convenient gesture only when it suits? Christ’s story of the unforgiving servant powerfully illustrates the point today. This servant received the pardon of his master in vain. Yes, his debt was cancelled. But he was not freed! He was still bound up in selfishness and unrepentance. That doesn’t mean that his urgent plea to his master wasn’t genuine. It means it wasn’t properly motivated. He desperately wanted to have his debt forgiven. But it was from a purely selfish motive. His account with his earthy master was reconciled but the one with His heavenly Master was not.
What prevents the grace of God being taken for granted? Only the belief that God will judge those who make a mockery of His blessings. Forgiveness is never a commodity we have the power to barter with at will. We have no jurisdiction over God’s offer of pardon. It is a solemn declaration of His favour. God forgives the repentant sinner in Christ and this then governs the dynamics of all our relationships.
This truth operates also at the level of society. Dear friends, think of how much hatred led up to 9-11, the tenth anniversary of which is recognized today. Think of how much unrepentance and unforgiveness has been harbored since! But God is not tethered by human inability. The New York Times reported that during the attacks of September 11, the communication between rescue workers and their commanding officers was not good. Instead of reaching the workers by radio to warn of the imminent collapse of the Trade Center Towers, a messenger had to be sent by foot across the terrible scene dodging flaming debris and falling bodies, to deliver the news in person. He arrived with the information less than one minute before the first tower fell.
Maybe sometimes your life feels a little like September 11th. It is completely out of control with the falling debris of debt, family dysfunction, work pressure, bad health, or all the above! Maybe you’re tied in knots with unresolved conflict or long-held grudges. But your communication with God is not in jeopardy. God didn’t merely send warnings from heaven. Christ came in human flesh, in the fullness of the Godhead. He came wearing our skin and breathing our air. He came confronting our fears and bearing our sin. He came not with a directive and a blueprint for forgiveness. He came as the very price of atonement that makes that forgiveness possible. He wasn’t the facilitator, coach or negotiator; but the scapegoat, the ransom and the sacrifice. He didn’t wrangle agreement or forgiveness from people; He forfeited His own glory for sinners. He was buried under the weight and rubble of human rebellion. But His resurrection gives a new lease on life.
God delivers His people. The Israelites were led on dry ground through the Red Sea out of Egypt. They were led on dry ground across the Jordan into the Promised Land. And He promises to lead the believer through the stormy waters of this life to the inheritance of heaven. Christianity is distinct from all religions or groups that preach about or promote the love of God and the obedience of His followers. Only Christianity teaches that the forgiveness of the sins, freedom from Satan, rescue from hell is accomplished by and secured in and through Jesus Christ. Only the gospel proclaims to us the truly Good News that the fate of humanity does not depend on human ability pacify God’s wrath or impress Him with its achievements.
That’s why we gather here in His name. Why else should people come here? Why do you come here? Is it family custom? Habit? Guilt? Self-interest? Opportunity? Social activity? There are certainly plenty of other things to do on a Sunday morning as many others have found. Consider that God gathers His people where He is present through His means of grace. Here the baptized come as the very consequence of who they are in Christ. We are not only named as His in baptism but we live in His kingdom baptismally. Baptism is both the well of forgiveness and the sacramental Jordan to which we return to drown our unforgiving hearts. In every act of repentance and absolution we are returned to the power and the promise of our baptism. Like a passport that gains one entry across borders, baptism is our access to Christ’s mercy and our heavenly inheritance. So too, your invitation to His holy Table is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet.
To the unbeliever, participating in these activities or granting forgiveness with no vested self-interest is nonsensical or foolish. The devil is cunning. He wants our thoughts on God and eternity to be appraised by the negative experiences of this life. Darkness, doubt, and despair; trouble and hardship cause even the most mature believer to question the treasures God promises to deliver. Yet faith works just the other way around: the promises of God’s sacred and holy things, knowledge of Christ’s completed crucifixion and resurrection should colour our perspective on this mortal life. We are as the morning mist3.
But let’s be honest, sometimes the tediousness of this life causes us to wonder how we could even spend life in eternity without getting tired or bored. What will drive us? What will motivate us to carry on? How can we envision a heaven in which we don’t become uninterested? Here our intellect has no answers. Faith looks forward in hope and trusts that we will be more than pleasantly surprised. For then, freed and forgiven we will exercise our full capacity to enjoy the unlimited compassion and companionship of the Holy Trinity. Then we will understand the price of forgiveness. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost
11 September, 2011
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 18:21-22
2 2 Corinthians 6:1
3 See James 4:14
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)