+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: 1 Kings 19:11
Theme: “The Presence of the Lord”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God knows our weaknesses. We may fear to reveal how vulnerable we really are. But we should take great comfort in knowing God uses this knowledge to tenderly but passionately draw us to Himself. As fragile human beings we easily succumb to the temptation of self-pity. It’s the tactic of playing the sympathy card. People may feel they’ve been so beaten down, kicked around and the victims of such bad luck that God will surely take notice and make some exceptions for them. This is all the more true when people seem to suffer for doing what’s right. Elijah appears to be driven by this mindset. He was the one who remained faithful against all opposition and yet there he was fearing for his life.
So Elijah fled to Mount Sinai where God had issued the Ten Commandments to the people through Moses many years before. There He had ratified a covenant with them. It was a place that represented God’s power and judgment. Elijah was ready for God to render judgment again. The apostasy of the Israelites had been sufficiently documented. They had forsaken the Lord. They had turned away to other gods. Warning after warning went unheeded. There was little repentance. Note Elijah’s complaint, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”1
But Elijah wasn’t where he was supposed to be and didn’t yet understand God’s plan. God called Elijah to stand in His presence. Then God sent a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. All were violent displays of raw power; possible signs of God’s pending judgment. But God was not present in any of them. The last was a gentle whisper and through that God made His intentions known. God would not yet mete out the retribution Elijah was hoping for. He would continue to deal gently with His people seeking to lead them to repentance. God always desires to bring people to repentance by the gentlest means possible. The Scripture says, “Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?”2 Unfortunately much harsher measures of the law are often necessary.
The gentle whisper should not be misinterpreted as a manner in which God promises to speak directly to people’s hearts- a still small voice- giving individual and unique guidance. That “still small voice” might well be your selfish ego desperately trying to justify something that is not in accord with God’s will. He speaks openly and clearly through his word. Regarding things He neither commands nor forbids we make decisions to the best of our ability with the well-being of others in mind. Your conscience should always be obeyed but that is not the same thing as a new or unique revelation from God.
Dear friends, how generous is the patience of God! How can we measure God’s gentleness? These are fruits of pure grace. They are never givens. The forbearance of God is not our entitlement. We can presume upon His patience no more than we can presume we deserve His grace. We have no right to it. It is not a guarantee. It is however, an overwhelmingly observable expression of His compassion. Were God not patient we would have all been consigned to condemnation long ago. God condemned His Son instead so that all who trust in Him are spared from His wrath. Jesus was crucified to absorb God’s just impatience with our sinfulness. His resurrection proves that the Father’s wrath has been appeased. God withholds no spiritual gifts from believers- He gave His Son.
The story is told that one day a beggar by the roadside asked for alms from the mighty conqueror Alexander the Great as he passed by. The man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler, no right even to lift a hand to beg. Yet the Emperor threw him several gold coins. A member of his court was astonished at his generosity and commented, "Sir, copper coins would adequately meet a beggar's need. Why give him gold?" Alexander responded in royal fashion, "Cooper coins would suit the beggar's need, but gold coins suit Alexander's giving."
God abundantly supplies us with more than we could ever need. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God.”3 We are nothing more than beggars, orphans, adopted by the King of Kings. We are lavished with His generosity. We are clothed with His righteousness. We are granted a heavenly inheritance. We are His baptized children. We dine at His sacred table. We have forgiveness, life, and salvation through His Name.
The mission of the church is not merely about developing strategies to compete for people’s attention in a culture that is dynamic, affluent, and secular. The living voice of the Gospel always speaks a divine message to a world alienated from God. Always the changer of people’s hearts and minds it remains itself unchanged. Because God’s will doesn’t change His message of salvation doesn’t change. Christ isn’t one option among many that lead to spiritual fulfillment. He doesn’t peddle a particular version of an otherwise common philosophy of how to get the goodie out of this life and still make it to the life to come. Everything apart from Him is temporary and can only lead to death and despair. He said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”4
The Holy Spirit’s efforts to create and sustain faith through the word do not take place only in the sphere of human existence. One of the most important reasons to be in God’s house regularly is to be armed against Satan’s schemes. If we’re not in regular contact with God’s word than we are cut off from our spiritual life-line. Then our faith becomes compromised, our resolve becomes weak, our witness will lack clarity and inspiration, and our focus will stray from the plans and promises of God.
The gospel is opposed by all the forces Satan can marshal. That is evidenced again today by Jesus’ encounter with group of demons so large they were called Legion.5 The Bible says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”6 That struggle still goes on. The element of the demonic cannot be explained out of existence by modern psychological theory or eliminated by militant evolutionary philosophy. Spiritual evil, Satan, and hell are menacing dangers that only Christ can defeat.
We can hardly blame Elijah for his impatience and misunderstanding. At His wits end he retreated to the place where he confidently thought God would squash all opposition. But God’s patience and grace were to be further extended. The writer to the Hebrews draws upon this analogy as He explains how Christ has fulfilled all things for us,
“You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm…But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”7 Thanks be to God!
+ in nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
20 June 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Kings 19:14 2 Romans 2:4
3 1 John 3:1 4 John 14:6
5 See Luke 8:30 6 1 John 3:8
7 Hebrews 12:18, 22-24
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Third Sunday After Pentecost
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: Luke 7:48-50
Theme: Forgiven and Restored
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
In today’s gospel account we learn of a woman who very openly risked shame and ridicule to have her sins forgiven by Christ. We have much to learn from her humility. What sins are you in denial about? What transgressions do you fear to confess? What secrets do you hope to keep concealed? What public offenses are you ashamed of? These questions probe the heart and confront the mind of every human being even when not deliberately addressed. In our human relationships we use masks and guises and may even try to hide from ourselves. But each of us is completely transparent before God. The Scripture says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”1
For any and every sin God calls us to unrestrained repentance.
Then He never fails to remind us of the deliverance that reconciles us in His love. This reality has very tangible consequences. The effect of baptism is that it brings you into a state of conflict with the world that you weren’t in previously. Yes, unbelievers too can find themselves at odds with the prevailing philosophies of the culture at any particular time. The very secular-minded person can still have ethical standards that clash with societal norms. The thoughtful humanist may oppose abortion, support traditional marriage, and generally work towards a morally upright culture. For this we give thanks.
But the unbeliever is never completely in conflict with the world because he or she believes life in this world is in some measure an end in itself. To some degree satisfaction and pleasure, accomplishment and legacy (including the hope that humanity progresses towards an ever higher estate of allowing these goals to be achieved) are the be all and end all goals of this life.
The Christian, however, is fundamentally at odds with the world’s agenda; not firstly by choice but as a result of the new baptismal identity. There can be no consensus, or comfortable agreement with secular teaching. The Christian always prays for and works towards the conversion of the unbeliever. Yet the world will never be brought into complete unity with the purposes and will of God. To believe that the world will ever be completely Christianized is in direct contradiction to the teaching of Christ Himself? Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”2
Luther directly critiques the misguided attempts of people who want to have peace with God and harmony with the world apart from Christ. “And here the perversity of man seeks peace before righteousness, and for this reason they do not find peace…the righteous man has peace with God but affliction in the world, because he lives in the Spirit. The unrighteous man has peace with the world, but affliction and tribulation with God, because he lives in the flesh.”3
The Holy Spirit leads the believer in these struggles of the flesh. To shun the temptations of the world never comes naturally to the Old Adam- the sinful nature. We will always have a very real degree of attraction to any self-serving opportunity. This is true for baser things like lust and over-indulgence; and also more sanitized pursuits such as greed and recognition. These desires easily take on a life of their own. That is why the Bible uses the language of crucifixion even when describing our sanctification. The Scripture says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”4 And the apostle says today, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”5
Dear friends, our faith matures not by progressing unimpaired on an upward trajectory, but by the continual practice of repentance. Evil and ungodly desires and practices are piled onto the dump heap upon which the cross is planted and the believer breathes again the fresh air of forgiveness. Our baptism doesn’t get more distant; rather its power becomes a joyful sight for sore eyes. The cruciform, or cross-shaped life, is the Holy Spirit’s blueprint for leading the Christian to a maturity of faith. But again, this maturity doesn’t involve a string of easy, unrivaled victories. The baptismal life is a series of drownings and resuscitations that ends only when God removes us from this sphere of evil and temptation and the need for forgiveness becomes obsolete.
The strength of Mary’s devotion is evidence of her understanding the magnitude of the forgiveness granted to her. She was a woman of ill-repute, of tarnished reputation and the locals knew her situation well. In the presence of Pharisees Jesus was allowing her to wash His feet with her tears and perfume. This Pharisee named Simon reasoned that Jesus was unaware of this woman’s status in society. If Jesus were even as savvy as a prophet, why would He let an indisputably sinful and unclean person be in contact with Him?
Here is precisely where we reach the pivotal truth of the matter. Jesus Christ came for sinners. No exceptions! He humbled Himself, He lowered Himself, He publicly allowed Himself to be demeaned for the sake of the unclean, the outcast, the despairing; for the sake of us all. Now people may say that’s very honourable, but other people could do that and what does it accomplish in the end? Sympathy? Pity? Dear friends, Christ is not anyone; He is the incarnate Son of God. His touch heals, His word changes things, His promise effects forgiveness, His death brings life and His resurrection secures eternity!
Mary understood her spiritual indebtedness and she knew she could never pay it off. She knew that debt could only be cleared by the mercy of the Lord. How easily we under-appreciate what this means! Remember the man who called the police and reported that all of his wife's credit cards had been stolen. Then he added, "But don't look too hard for the thief. He's charging less than my wife ever did." Yes, it’s not only better that someone else handles our debt; it is our only hope.
Mary knew this better than the Pharisee who thought he could handle it himself. But “the woman came believing that she should seek the forgiveness of sins from Christ. This is the highest way of worshipping Christ. Nothing greater could she ascribe to Him. By looking for the forgiveness of sins from Him, she truly acknowledged Him as the Messiah.”6
So if in our own estimation there is little for which God needs to forgive us than the strength of our response will likely be correspondingly weak. If there is little to forgive there is little need for God’s mercy. If we remain convinced of our relative innocence then the Good News of pardon in Christ isn’t really so great and neither is our devotion.
Dear friends, Christ said three important things to Mary. “Your sins are forgiven.”7 “Your faith has saved you…(and)go in peace.”8 These are the same promises and blessings we receive from Him today- absolution in this place, the blood of forgiveness from this altar. They are not empty words or fine-sounding niceties. They are divine words of authority imparting to us the salvation He accomplished with His blood. “For…it was not with silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb with out blemish.”9 Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday after Pentecost
13 June 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 4:13 2 Luke 18:8
3 LW 25:285-6 4 Galatians 5:24
5 Galatians 2:20 6 AP IV, 128:154
7 Luke 7:48 8 Luke 7:50
9 1 Peter 1:18-19
Text: Luke 7:48-50
Theme: Forgiven and Restored
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
In today’s gospel account we learn of a woman who very openly risked shame and ridicule to have her sins forgiven by Christ. We have much to learn from her humility. What sins are you in denial about? What transgressions do you fear to confess? What secrets do you hope to keep concealed? What public offenses are you ashamed of? These questions probe the heart and confront the mind of every human being even when not deliberately addressed. In our human relationships we use masks and guises and may even try to hide from ourselves. But each of us is completely transparent before God. The Scripture says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”1
For any and every sin God calls us to unrestrained repentance.
Then He never fails to remind us of the deliverance that reconciles us in His love. This reality has very tangible consequences. The effect of baptism is that it brings you into a state of conflict with the world that you weren’t in previously. Yes, unbelievers too can find themselves at odds with the prevailing philosophies of the culture at any particular time. The very secular-minded person can still have ethical standards that clash with societal norms. The thoughtful humanist may oppose abortion, support traditional marriage, and generally work towards a morally upright culture. For this we give thanks.
But the unbeliever is never completely in conflict with the world because he or she believes life in this world is in some measure an end in itself. To some degree satisfaction and pleasure, accomplishment and legacy (including the hope that humanity progresses towards an ever higher estate of allowing these goals to be achieved) are the be all and end all goals of this life.
The Christian, however, is fundamentally at odds with the world’s agenda; not firstly by choice but as a result of the new baptismal identity. There can be no consensus, or comfortable agreement with secular teaching. The Christian always prays for and works towards the conversion of the unbeliever. Yet the world will never be brought into complete unity with the purposes and will of God. To believe that the world will ever be completely Christianized is in direct contradiction to the teaching of Christ Himself? Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”2
Luther directly critiques the misguided attempts of people who want to have peace with God and harmony with the world apart from Christ. “And here the perversity of man seeks peace before righteousness, and for this reason they do not find peace…the righteous man has peace with God but affliction in the world, because he lives in the Spirit. The unrighteous man has peace with the world, but affliction and tribulation with God, because he lives in the flesh.”3
The Holy Spirit leads the believer in these struggles of the flesh. To shun the temptations of the world never comes naturally to the Old Adam- the sinful nature. We will always have a very real degree of attraction to any self-serving opportunity. This is true for baser things like lust and over-indulgence; and also more sanitized pursuits such as greed and recognition. These desires easily take on a life of their own. That is why the Bible uses the language of crucifixion even when describing our sanctification. The Scripture says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”4 And the apostle says today, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”5
Dear friends, our faith matures not by progressing unimpaired on an upward trajectory, but by the continual practice of repentance. Evil and ungodly desires and practices are piled onto the dump heap upon which the cross is planted and the believer breathes again the fresh air of forgiveness. Our baptism doesn’t get more distant; rather its power becomes a joyful sight for sore eyes. The cruciform, or cross-shaped life, is the Holy Spirit’s blueprint for leading the Christian to a maturity of faith. But again, this maturity doesn’t involve a string of easy, unrivaled victories. The baptismal life is a series of drownings and resuscitations that ends only when God removes us from this sphere of evil and temptation and the need for forgiveness becomes obsolete.
The strength of Mary’s devotion is evidence of her understanding the magnitude of the forgiveness granted to her. She was a woman of ill-repute, of tarnished reputation and the locals knew her situation well. In the presence of Pharisees Jesus was allowing her to wash His feet with her tears and perfume. This Pharisee named Simon reasoned that Jesus was unaware of this woman’s status in society. If Jesus were even as savvy as a prophet, why would He let an indisputably sinful and unclean person be in contact with Him?
Here is precisely where we reach the pivotal truth of the matter. Jesus Christ came for sinners. No exceptions! He humbled Himself, He lowered Himself, He publicly allowed Himself to be demeaned for the sake of the unclean, the outcast, the despairing; for the sake of us all. Now people may say that’s very honourable, but other people could do that and what does it accomplish in the end? Sympathy? Pity? Dear friends, Christ is not anyone; He is the incarnate Son of God. His touch heals, His word changes things, His promise effects forgiveness, His death brings life and His resurrection secures eternity!
Mary understood her spiritual indebtedness and she knew she could never pay it off. She knew that debt could only be cleared by the mercy of the Lord. How easily we under-appreciate what this means! Remember the man who called the police and reported that all of his wife's credit cards had been stolen. Then he added, "But don't look too hard for the thief. He's charging less than my wife ever did." Yes, it’s not only better that someone else handles our debt; it is our only hope.
Mary knew this better than the Pharisee who thought he could handle it himself. But “the woman came believing that she should seek the forgiveness of sins from Christ. This is the highest way of worshipping Christ. Nothing greater could she ascribe to Him. By looking for the forgiveness of sins from Him, she truly acknowledged Him as the Messiah.”6
So if in our own estimation there is little for which God needs to forgive us than the strength of our response will likely be correspondingly weak. If there is little to forgive there is little need for God’s mercy. If we remain convinced of our relative innocence then the Good News of pardon in Christ isn’t really so great and neither is our devotion.
Dear friends, Christ said three important things to Mary. “Your sins are forgiven.”7 “Your faith has saved you…(and)go in peace.”8 These are the same promises and blessings we receive from Him today- absolution in this place, the blood of forgiveness from this altar. They are not empty words or fine-sounding niceties. They are divine words of authority imparting to us the salvation He accomplished with His blood. “For…it was not with silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb with out blemish.”9 Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday after Pentecost
13 June 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 4:13 2 Luke 18:8
3 LW 25:285-6 4 Galatians 5:24
5 Galatians 2:20 6 AP IV, 128:154
7 Luke 7:48 8 Luke 7:50
9 1 Peter 1:18-19
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Second Sunday After Pentecost
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: Luke 7:11-17
Theme: Hope and Life
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus took a measured approach to miracles. Every specific act of healing, each individual display of power, every precise application of restoration was part and parcel with the full scheme of redemption inaugurated by Jesus Christ. They were flashbacks to the original state of creation and previews of the new. His miracles were never random anomalies. They were never sentimental concessions to human weakness. Each one involved integration into His kingdom that is “not of this world,”1 and was never meant to be.
So displays of His divinity were seldom without controversy. When people were offended at Jesus’ because of His teaching He didn’t do more miracles to try and win them back. Miracles confirmed that He was the Messiah but the truth of His identity was not dependent on them. Jesus would still be the eternal Son of the Father even if no human being ever heard of Him; even if a single miracle was never performed.
Christianity is at its core a supernatural faith. But it is grounded in the historical activity of God. Incomprehensible is the teaching that the triune God existed eternally and then at some point decided to create. That is a statement of His sovereignty. It is in a sense His first miracle. Of greater concern to us is God’s activity of redemption. The Almighty sovereign entangles Himself in the fallen world by sending His own Son in human flesh. The fact that God is responding to the sinful state of the fallen world is a secondary cause. God is not reactionary. God prepares the sacrifice from eternity. He executes our rescue in the crucified, risen, and enthroned Jesus. This is His final miracle; yet one that has eternal effect.
The miracle of God’s love is accomplished in piecemeal fashion whenever and wherever the contrite soul is forgiven, the sick are healed, the despondent are given hope, and the dead are raised physically and spiritually. Today’s gospel is a case in point. In a town called Nain Jesus encounters a widow who is about to bury her tender, young son.
“When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, ‘Don’t cry.’”2 Christ buoys the heart stricken with grief. The compassion of Christ is unsurpassed. If the Greek word were understood literally it would indicate the complete emptying out of the inner parts. This is the source of the phrase “My heart went out to them.” Christ’s heart is opened in mercy towards this grief-stricken widow. The prophet Elijah’s raising of the son of the widow of Zarephath prepares hearers for what Jesus does. They understand Jesus to be the prophet par excellence.
The Bible tells us this was the only son of the widow. The practical implications of his death were significant. He was her only means of support. To loose all male relatives was often viewed by others as a sign of God’s abandonment. It was a lamentable situation. But with the coming of Christ comes the presence of God. The spiritual implications are more important still. The importance of this son to His widowed mother is paralleled in Jesus’ importance to the world. The sinful world is widowed because she has by her own hard-heartedness and spiritual adultery forsaken God, her true Husband.
But the Heavenly Father doesn’t abandoned this estranged relationship, He sends His only-begotten Son. What does the Scripture say, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [His only-begotten Son] that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”3 In the Nicene Creed we confess belief “in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God.” Reconciliation between God and man happens in no other way.
No mention is made of the widow’s faith, or of anyone’s at all for that matter. Yet Jesus restores the young man to life. This is a miracle of sheer grace, as all are; but more so because there is no request for Jesus’ help and no evidence of faith is presented. Our faith or obedience is not required to trigger God’s grace. God isn’t handcuffed until human beings muster the strength and determination to free His hand. The intent and efficacy of the Holy Spirit is not dependent on human initiation.
Popular messages of Christian electronic media commonly put the onus on the individual, demanding that a person first demonstrate obedience to which God will respond by giving spiritual and material prosperity. The image of God waiting anxiously and hopefully for us to tap into the blessings He has prepared mishandles His truth and compromises the understanding of the gospel. This misrepresentation must be carefully assessed and faithfully addressed for it also tends to make sanctification dependent on human effort.
The gospel exists prior to all human action. God takes the initiate from the start to seek out the lost sinner and grant life to the spiritually dead. Baptism promises new life in the Spirit. But this initiative of God in no way compromises the call to repentance. God’s law justly condemns sinners. Recognition of His wrath against sin is the fertile soil in which the seed of God’s word germinates. People can and do turn away from the Holy Spirit’s work. They can and do neglect and reject the means of grace, ignoring the promise of their baptism, showing apathy to the private study and public preaching of God’s Word, failing to avail themselves of the gift of Christ’s body and blood in Holy Communion.
But these are activities of the Old Adam, the sinful nature within us. The new life in Christ daily strives to overcome the old. Faith always seeks further spiritual blessings from Christ. And the more faith matures the more it does this with transparent honesty. We cannot manipulate God; as if the more pitiful we appear the more likely He is to have compassion on us. No, His compassion is impassible. That is, His pity, His, love, His zeal for our well-being does not rise and fall like the tide, or ebb and flow like human emotion. God’s compassion is always ardent, always expressed with unwavering fervor. The cross stands as the irrefutable source of this truth. Apathy, rejection, and denial are constant temptations which we can never be fully rid of, but the fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”4 Through the Spirit’s power these prevail in the end.
Dear friends, we commonly attribute cycles in life to the activity of nature; but it is God who has set these rhythms in place and He still sustains them. Everything would collapse in an instant without His support. The universe has no independent power to govern itself. Consider it a miracle every time the seed germinates, the sun rises, and the rain falls. Take nothing for granted. Consider it a miracle each morning you open your eyes and find He has given you the breath of life for another day.
The compassion of Christ is not a temporary fix or a vain hope. Precisely because Jesus died and rose again we look forward to “the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.”5 The purpose of all other miracles reaches its fulfillment in that great and eternal resurrection. The Holy Scripture says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”6 Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday after Pentecost
6 June 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 18:36
2 Luke 7:13
3 John 3:16
4 Galatians 5:22-23
5 The Nicene Creed
6 Revelation 21:4
Text: Luke 7:11-17
Theme: Hope and Life
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus took a measured approach to miracles. Every specific act of healing, each individual display of power, every precise application of restoration was part and parcel with the full scheme of redemption inaugurated by Jesus Christ. They were flashbacks to the original state of creation and previews of the new. His miracles were never random anomalies. They were never sentimental concessions to human weakness. Each one involved integration into His kingdom that is “not of this world,”1 and was never meant to be.
So displays of His divinity were seldom without controversy. When people were offended at Jesus’ because of His teaching He didn’t do more miracles to try and win them back. Miracles confirmed that He was the Messiah but the truth of His identity was not dependent on them. Jesus would still be the eternal Son of the Father even if no human being ever heard of Him; even if a single miracle was never performed.
Christianity is at its core a supernatural faith. But it is grounded in the historical activity of God. Incomprehensible is the teaching that the triune God existed eternally and then at some point decided to create. That is a statement of His sovereignty. It is in a sense His first miracle. Of greater concern to us is God’s activity of redemption. The Almighty sovereign entangles Himself in the fallen world by sending His own Son in human flesh. The fact that God is responding to the sinful state of the fallen world is a secondary cause. God is not reactionary. God prepares the sacrifice from eternity. He executes our rescue in the crucified, risen, and enthroned Jesus. This is His final miracle; yet one that has eternal effect.
The miracle of God’s love is accomplished in piecemeal fashion whenever and wherever the contrite soul is forgiven, the sick are healed, the despondent are given hope, and the dead are raised physically and spiritually. Today’s gospel is a case in point. In a town called Nain Jesus encounters a widow who is about to bury her tender, young son.
“When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, ‘Don’t cry.’”2 Christ buoys the heart stricken with grief. The compassion of Christ is unsurpassed. If the Greek word were understood literally it would indicate the complete emptying out of the inner parts. This is the source of the phrase “My heart went out to them.” Christ’s heart is opened in mercy towards this grief-stricken widow. The prophet Elijah’s raising of the son of the widow of Zarephath prepares hearers for what Jesus does. They understand Jesus to be the prophet par excellence.
The Bible tells us this was the only son of the widow. The practical implications of his death were significant. He was her only means of support. To loose all male relatives was often viewed by others as a sign of God’s abandonment. It was a lamentable situation. But with the coming of Christ comes the presence of God. The spiritual implications are more important still. The importance of this son to His widowed mother is paralleled in Jesus’ importance to the world. The sinful world is widowed because she has by her own hard-heartedness and spiritual adultery forsaken God, her true Husband.
But the Heavenly Father doesn’t abandoned this estranged relationship, He sends His only-begotten Son. What does the Scripture say, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [His only-begotten Son] that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”3 In the Nicene Creed we confess belief “in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God.” Reconciliation between God and man happens in no other way.
No mention is made of the widow’s faith, or of anyone’s at all for that matter. Yet Jesus restores the young man to life. This is a miracle of sheer grace, as all are; but more so because there is no request for Jesus’ help and no evidence of faith is presented. Our faith or obedience is not required to trigger God’s grace. God isn’t handcuffed until human beings muster the strength and determination to free His hand. The intent and efficacy of the Holy Spirit is not dependent on human initiation.
Popular messages of Christian electronic media commonly put the onus on the individual, demanding that a person first demonstrate obedience to which God will respond by giving spiritual and material prosperity. The image of God waiting anxiously and hopefully for us to tap into the blessings He has prepared mishandles His truth and compromises the understanding of the gospel. This misrepresentation must be carefully assessed and faithfully addressed for it also tends to make sanctification dependent on human effort.
The gospel exists prior to all human action. God takes the initiate from the start to seek out the lost sinner and grant life to the spiritually dead. Baptism promises new life in the Spirit. But this initiative of God in no way compromises the call to repentance. God’s law justly condemns sinners. Recognition of His wrath against sin is the fertile soil in which the seed of God’s word germinates. People can and do turn away from the Holy Spirit’s work. They can and do neglect and reject the means of grace, ignoring the promise of their baptism, showing apathy to the private study and public preaching of God’s Word, failing to avail themselves of the gift of Christ’s body and blood in Holy Communion.
But these are activities of the Old Adam, the sinful nature within us. The new life in Christ daily strives to overcome the old. Faith always seeks further spiritual blessings from Christ. And the more faith matures the more it does this with transparent honesty. We cannot manipulate God; as if the more pitiful we appear the more likely He is to have compassion on us. No, His compassion is impassible. That is, His pity, His, love, His zeal for our well-being does not rise and fall like the tide, or ebb and flow like human emotion. God’s compassion is always ardent, always expressed with unwavering fervor. The cross stands as the irrefutable source of this truth. Apathy, rejection, and denial are constant temptations which we can never be fully rid of, but the fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”4 Through the Spirit’s power these prevail in the end.
Dear friends, we commonly attribute cycles in life to the activity of nature; but it is God who has set these rhythms in place and He still sustains them. Everything would collapse in an instant without His support. The universe has no independent power to govern itself. Consider it a miracle every time the seed germinates, the sun rises, and the rain falls. Take nothing for granted. Consider it a miracle each morning you open your eyes and find He has given you the breath of life for another day.
The compassion of Christ is not a temporary fix or a vain hope. Precisely because Jesus died and rose again we look forward to “the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.”5 The purpose of all other miracles reaches its fulfillment in that great and eternal resurrection. The Holy Scripture says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”6 Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday after Pentecost
6 June 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 18:36
2 Luke 7:13
3 John 3:16
4 Galatians 5:22-23
5 The Nicene Creed
6 Revelation 21:4
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Holy Trinity
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: John 16:12
Theme: How Much To Bear?
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”1 So acclaims St. Paul in witnessing to the majesty of God. “Uncreated, eternal, almighty, incomprehensible,” says the Athanasian Creed in addressing some of the characteristics of the Triune Deity. From the Scriptures we know that God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, immutable, indivisible and infinite. God is holy, just, faithful, merciful and gracious. And, God is love. This God, the Holy Scriptures reveal as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On this Trinity Sunday we rightly pause longer to ponder the magnificence of God’s existence, and thus the status of our own.
Our worship is in vain if we have not come at least a bit closer to appreciating this paradox: As we stand spiritually naked before the unveiled majesty of God, our existence is infinitely insignificant; but as we stand before Him clothed in the righteousness of Christ we are invaluable treasures. To presume that of our own accord we have some strength or ability to stand before God is to be the worm that seeks to tell the elephant where it can and cannot tread on the jungle floor. Yet to presume that though we are loved in Christ, and through Christ, and because of Christ, our lives do not matter is to insult His very life, death and resurrection on our behalf. It is to deny compassion to the parent willing to give his or her life for the dying child. In the first case we forfeit the favour of God through our presumption. In the second case, we deny it.
The ongoing presumption of sinful humanity is that the difference between humans and God is only relative; only a matter of degree. We are thus resistant to recognizing God’s superiority or seeking His help. That is the sin of idolatry. Einstein developed the theory of relativity, but as sinners we try to apply it spiritually. Yet the difference between God and us is not one of degree, but one of category. We might ponder briefly just one of His characteristics; that of eternity. Perhaps you have attempted to wrap your mind around the concept of eternity, to ponder what forever would be like, how it could be possible? Remember this distinction: Eternity is not simply an endless progression of time; it is a reality without time. It involves a dimension apart from time. This basic mental exercise shows us how quickly we come up against the limitations of human capacity to probe the incomprehensibility God. The Scripture says, “Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”2 And so we are wholly other from God. God is in everyway independent. We are in everyway contingent. God is in everyway absolute. We are in everyway relative. God’s life is self-existing and self-subsisting. Our life is derived and adopted.
As sinners, we seek also to develop this theory of relativity among each other. The thinking, consciously or subconsciously, goes like this: at least I have a little more to offer God than my neighbour. I am more moral, more religious. I do not drink as much. I do not cheat on my taxes. I volunteer my time at the church. The list of possibilities is endless. I am not perfect but I have more to negotiate with God with than most others; and on this basis He will decide in my favour. There was a judge several decades ago that opened court with this announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, I have in my hand two checks- you may say they are bribes. One is from the defendant for $15,000, the other from the accuser for $10,000. My decision is to return the $5,000 to the defendant, and decide the case strictly on its merits.” Both parties forfeited what was at the time a considerable offering without gaining the judge’s favour. And so it is with us. When God judges us on our own merits are offerings to Him are nothing and none of us is in better standing than the other. God is wholly other from us, but we are wholly like one another.
But the story does not end there. The story of salvation is the story of God’s willingness to lay aside His complete otherness. Here is the paradox: In order to rescue creation the Almighty, unchangeable and limitless God assumes the condition of lowly, frail and limited humanity. Jesus Christ is the “Enthroned One” that becomes the “Cradled One.” As the “Cradled One” He exalts human beings and sets them before the throne of the Eternal Majesty. The One who sits at the right hand of the Almighty Father, rests in the arms of a human mother. “Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.”3 The paradox of Christian doctrine is that God is the one who is humbled that we might be exalted. The Holy Trinity works in concert to accomplish our redemption. We have a description of the Trinity’s work in our gospel today. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine.”4 In good Lutheran fashion we might ask, What does this mean?” And in honest humility we might answer that we are not completely sure. No wonder Jesus said forthrightly to His disciples, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.”5
This we do know; the Father has entrusted all things to the Son and the Spirit makes known only those things that the Son possesses and gives. What are these things with which the Son has been entrusted and that He possesses and gives? He has been entrusted with every human soul. He possesses the means to redeem them. He gives the gifts which sustain them. Regarding the stewardship of souls the Scripture says, “You have granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him.”6 Regarding the means to redeem the Scripture says, “It was not with perishable things that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”7 And regarding the gifts by which our faith is created and sustained, the Scripture says, “All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ,”8 and “Take and eat; this is My Body…Drink from it all of you. This is My blood of the covenant.”9 Our epistle summarizes in this manner, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”10
Dear friends, these facts transform your life. As you stand before God, in your life, in 2010, in all you frailty and weakness, you stand already redeemed by the One who exists in eternity. Live your temporal life understanding the immortality you will be granted. As you stand before God, you need not worry about becoming like unto Him, for He has become like unto us. You need not fret about what your status is in relation to others for He has equalized all things in relation to Himself. You are able to humble yourself for others, for He has humbled Himself for us. You are empowered to love because you have first been loved. You are able to give because you have been given to. You are freed to divest yourself of all temporal resources so that those lost in darkness might be enlightened by the Eternal One “who dwells in unapproachable light.”11 “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God [Father, Son and Holy Spirit], be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”12
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Holy Trinity
30 May, 2010
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Timothy 1:17 2 Romans 11:33-34 3 The Athanasian Creed
4 John 16:13-15 5 John 16:12 6John 17:2
7 1 Peter 1:18-19 8 Galatians 3:27 9 Matthew 26:26-28
10 Romans 5:1-2 11 1 Timothy 6:16 12 1 Timothy 1:17 (June 6, 2004)
Text: John 16:12
Theme: How Much To Bear?
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”1 So acclaims St. Paul in witnessing to the majesty of God. “Uncreated, eternal, almighty, incomprehensible,” says the Athanasian Creed in addressing some of the characteristics of the Triune Deity. From the Scriptures we know that God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, immutable, indivisible and infinite. God is holy, just, faithful, merciful and gracious. And, God is love. This God, the Holy Scriptures reveal as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On this Trinity Sunday we rightly pause longer to ponder the magnificence of God’s existence, and thus the status of our own.
Our worship is in vain if we have not come at least a bit closer to appreciating this paradox: As we stand spiritually naked before the unveiled majesty of God, our existence is infinitely insignificant; but as we stand before Him clothed in the righteousness of Christ we are invaluable treasures. To presume that of our own accord we have some strength or ability to stand before God is to be the worm that seeks to tell the elephant where it can and cannot tread on the jungle floor. Yet to presume that though we are loved in Christ, and through Christ, and because of Christ, our lives do not matter is to insult His very life, death and resurrection on our behalf. It is to deny compassion to the parent willing to give his or her life for the dying child. In the first case we forfeit the favour of God through our presumption. In the second case, we deny it.
The ongoing presumption of sinful humanity is that the difference between humans and God is only relative; only a matter of degree. We are thus resistant to recognizing God’s superiority or seeking His help. That is the sin of idolatry. Einstein developed the theory of relativity, but as sinners we try to apply it spiritually. Yet the difference between God and us is not one of degree, but one of category. We might ponder briefly just one of His characteristics; that of eternity. Perhaps you have attempted to wrap your mind around the concept of eternity, to ponder what forever would be like, how it could be possible? Remember this distinction: Eternity is not simply an endless progression of time; it is a reality without time. It involves a dimension apart from time. This basic mental exercise shows us how quickly we come up against the limitations of human capacity to probe the incomprehensibility God. The Scripture says, “Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”2 And so we are wholly other from God. God is in everyway independent. We are in everyway contingent. God is in everyway absolute. We are in everyway relative. God’s life is self-existing and self-subsisting. Our life is derived and adopted.
As sinners, we seek also to develop this theory of relativity among each other. The thinking, consciously or subconsciously, goes like this: at least I have a little more to offer God than my neighbour. I am more moral, more religious. I do not drink as much. I do not cheat on my taxes. I volunteer my time at the church. The list of possibilities is endless. I am not perfect but I have more to negotiate with God with than most others; and on this basis He will decide in my favour. There was a judge several decades ago that opened court with this announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, I have in my hand two checks- you may say they are bribes. One is from the defendant for $15,000, the other from the accuser for $10,000. My decision is to return the $5,000 to the defendant, and decide the case strictly on its merits.” Both parties forfeited what was at the time a considerable offering without gaining the judge’s favour. And so it is with us. When God judges us on our own merits are offerings to Him are nothing and none of us is in better standing than the other. God is wholly other from us, but we are wholly like one another.
But the story does not end there. The story of salvation is the story of God’s willingness to lay aside His complete otherness. Here is the paradox: In order to rescue creation the Almighty, unchangeable and limitless God assumes the condition of lowly, frail and limited humanity. Jesus Christ is the “Enthroned One” that becomes the “Cradled One.” As the “Cradled One” He exalts human beings and sets them before the throne of the Eternal Majesty. The One who sits at the right hand of the Almighty Father, rests in the arms of a human mother. “Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.”3 The paradox of Christian doctrine is that God is the one who is humbled that we might be exalted. The Holy Trinity works in concert to accomplish our redemption. We have a description of the Trinity’s work in our gospel today. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine.”4 In good Lutheran fashion we might ask, What does this mean?” And in honest humility we might answer that we are not completely sure. No wonder Jesus said forthrightly to His disciples, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.”5
This we do know; the Father has entrusted all things to the Son and the Spirit makes known only those things that the Son possesses and gives. What are these things with which the Son has been entrusted and that He possesses and gives? He has been entrusted with every human soul. He possesses the means to redeem them. He gives the gifts which sustain them. Regarding the stewardship of souls the Scripture says, “You have granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him.”6 Regarding the means to redeem the Scripture says, “It was not with perishable things that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”7 And regarding the gifts by which our faith is created and sustained, the Scripture says, “All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ,”8 and “Take and eat; this is My Body…Drink from it all of you. This is My blood of the covenant.”9 Our epistle summarizes in this manner, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”10
Dear friends, these facts transform your life. As you stand before God, in your life, in 2010, in all you frailty and weakness, you stand already redeemed by the One who exists in eternity. Live your temporal life understanding the immortality you will be granted. As you stand before God, you need not worry about becoming like unto Him, for He has become like unto us. You need not fret about what your status is in relation to others for He has equalized all things in relation to Himself. You are able to humble yourself for others, for He has humbled Himself for us. You are empowered to love because you have first been loved. You are able to give because you have been given to. You are freed to divest yourself of all temporal resources so that those lost in darkness might be enlightened by the Eternal One “who dwells in unapproachable light.”11 “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God [Father, Son and Holy Spirit], be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”12
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Holy Trinity
30 May, 2010
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Timothy 1:17 2 Romans 11:33-34 3 The Athanasian Creed
4 John 16:13-15 5 John 16:12 6John 17:2
7 1 Peter 1:18-19 8 Galatians 3:27 9 Matthew 26:26-28
10 Romans 5:1-2 11 1 Timothy 6:16 12 1 Timothy 1:17 (June 6, 2004)
Monday, May 24, 2010
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: John 14:16
Theme: The Presence of the Spirit
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
On Pentecost Jesus fulfilled His promise to His disciples to send “another Counselor to be with [them] forever- the Spirit of truth.”1 And so the church lacks no gift from God as we await Christ’s return. No one is initiated into the new covenant apart from the Spirit. A human being cannot confess Christ apart from the Holy Spirit’s work. Yes, anyone can mouth the words, say the creed, repeat the Lord’s Prayer, but only the Holy Spirit’s presence equates to a living faith. Pentecost is a most opportune time to be reminded of the catechism’s teaching in this regard. “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
Just as the Spirit was a gift to the church on Pentecost so also faith is the gift of the Spirit to the individual. Baptism involves a spiritual rebirth in which we are passive participants. The Spirit cannot be commanded or manipulated, but only obeyed or rejected. Believers give evidence of their faith by their works but much misunderstanding can develop when we attempt to gauge the Holy Spirit’s presence and work through our own subjective criteria. Works can also be falsified. But God’s truth is certain even when our grasp, assessment, or appreciation of it fails.
The Holy Spirit teaches the biblical world view. He does it firstly through the prophetic word. But He does it primarily through the Word-become-flesh, Jesus Christ. The Scripture says, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.”3 Through the perspective of the Gospel our lives are restructured, re-ordered, and re-prioritized. God teaches us to value things in life differently. Spiritual treasures replace earthly glitter. God sees the world as it really is.
But we’re not always that comfortable with the biblical world view. Many find it too archaic and out-of-touch. Perhaps the reason is not that we’re too modern, but that we’re too worldly. Humanly, we are fundamentally no different than people of any age. The problem is not that we have GPS, Broadband, mobile phones, medical technology, and automation of every sort, but that we are immersed in a way of thinking that excludes the power and presence of God. The belief of humanist philosophy is that given enough time we’ll eventually work everything out- dissecting and subduing every aspect of creation and manipulating it for the betterment of all. This is also the height of human arrogance. Ageing, sickness, and death still tower over the human race like unrestrainable monstrosities against which we are powerless. The inability to address these evils is the true measure of collective human wisdom and strength.
The wholesale pursuit of greed, the wanton engagement of hedonism, and the undiscerning acceptance of ideologies that govern the world are realities that often typify our culture. Christians are easily drawn into these behaviors and sometimes accept their principles with little intelligent forethought or spiritual caution. Humanity will be judged for its ungodliness. The Scripture says the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. It does this through the demanding and unyielding power of God’s law. It also says the judgment begins with the household of God.4. The guilt for your sin cannot be pawned off on someone else. You stand before God solely accountable. The blood of Christ is the only resolution.
Dear friends, the Holy Spirit’s work is not a one-off occurrence in your life. And you cannot own Him like an inanimate object. His is a constant dynamic of forgiving your sins, conforming your will, and comforting your heart. His word is Christ’s truth and it is power. Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”5 Whose words are the first words your ears receive or your lips speak each day? Are they the hurried sounds of preparation for work or school? Are they the unkind comments of selfish ambition? Should the day not begin and end with the words of the Spirit? The words of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, into whose name we are baptized? Should we not on Monday already be yearning for the sacrament that will be offered the next Sunday?
Of course we cannot construct these desires or carry out these activities artificially. We must be aware of the folly of becoming slaves to meaningless repetition or false piety. But God’s word is living and active. It mediates our relationships, informs our ignorance, and enriches our vocations. Read, sing, and pray the words of Scripture out loud, even when you are by yourself. These are the life-giving words of the Spirit.
In the Nicene Creed the Holy Spirit is confessed as “the Lord, and giver of life.” Just as the Spirit was active at the creation in the beginning, so too He is the one who grants spiritual life. And the life He gives through the word-infused baptismal water He sustains with the promises declared in absolution, and the body and blood distributed from the altar. Forgiveness is the fuel of the Holy Spirit through which lives are powered. Luther reminds us in the Large Catechism, “The Holy Spirit must continue to do His work in us through His Word, daily applying forgiveness until we reach that life where forgiveness will no more be needed.”
The Associated Press ran a story about a man who was struggling to start his car. After some determined attempts he lifted the bonnet and found that the motor had been stolen. It was a shocking surprise and at odds with His obvious expectations. A spiritual analogy can be drawn. People might have the appearance of a fine-looking vehicle on the outside with nothing to power them on the inside. The Holy Spirit provides the power to live the baptismal life. He is the one who leads us in the struggle against temptation and defends us from the dangers of deceit and falsehood.
Dear friends, the Holy Spirit was sent not to replace an absent Jesus, but to make His presence all the more certain. The Holy Spirit perpetuates the reversal of sin’s catastrophic damage by disseminating the benefits of the cross and resurrection. What was scattered is gathered. The lost are found. The sick are healed. The ignorant are enlightened. The abandoned are drawn near to God’s presence. The panicked are quieted by His love. The weak are given strength and the dead are raised. These are but a few realities accomplished by the work of the Holy Spirit.
He is called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the mind of Christ, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of adoption, of truth, of liberty; the Spirit of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might, of knowledge, of godliness, of the fear of God. This only begins to show how unlimited He is. Pentecost draws us further into the deep sanctuary of the Father’s love for the world in Christ even as it simultaneously makes us ambassadors of that love in a dark and unbelieving world. We can make ourselves vulnerable to our neighbour because we have absolute security in His kingdom. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Day of Pentecost
23 May 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 14:-67
2 Luther’s Small Catechism
3 Hebrews 1:1-2
4 See 1 Peter 4:17
5 Matthew 4:4
Text: John 14:16
Theme: The Presence of the Spirit
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
On Pentecost Jesus fulfilled His promise to His disciples to send “another Counselor to be with [them] forever- the Spirit of truth.”1 And so the church lacks no gift from God as we await Christ’s return. No one is initiated into the new covenant apart from the Spirit. A human being cannot confess Christ apart from the Holy Spirit’s work. Yes, anyone can mouth the words, say the creed, repeat the Lord’s Prayer, but only the Holy Spirit’s presence equates to a living faith. Pentecost is a most opportune time to be reminded of the catechism’s teaching in this regard. “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
Just as the Spirit was a gift to the church on Pentecost so also faith is the gift of the Spirit to the individual. Baptism involves a spiritual rebirth in which we are passive participants. The Spirit cannot be commanded or manipulated, but only obeyed or rejected. Believers give evidence of their faith by their works but much misunderstanding can develop when we attempt to gauge the Holy Spirit’s presence and work through our own subjective criteria. Works can also be falsified. But God’s truth is certain even when our grasp, assessment, or appreciation of it fails.
The Holy Spirit teaches the biblical world view. He does it firstly through the prophetic word. But He does it primarily through the Word-become-flesh, Jesus Christ. The Scripture says, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.”3 Through the perspective of the Gospel our lives are restructured, re-ordered, and re-prioritized. God teaches us to value things in life differently. Spiritual treasures replace earthly glitter. God sees the world as it really is.
But we’re not always that comfortable with the biblical world view. Many find it too archaic and out-of-touch. Perhaps the reason is not that we’re too modern, but that we’re too worldly. Humanly, we are fundamentally no different than people of any age. The problem is not that we have GPS, Broadband, mobile phones, medical technology, and automation of every sort, but that we are immersed in a way of thinking that excludes the power and presence of God. The belief of humanist philosophy is that given enough time we’ll eventually work everything out- dissecting and subduing every aspect of creation and manipulating it for the betterment of all. This is also the height of human arrogance. Ageing, sickness, and death still tower over the human race like unrestrainable monstrosities against which we are powerless. The inability to address these evils is the true measure of collective human wisdom and strength.
The wholesale pursuit of greed, the wanton engagement of hedonism, and the undiscerning acceptance of ideologies that govern the world are realities that often typify our culture. Christians are easily drawn into these behaviors and sometimes accept their principles with little intelligent forethought or spiritual caution. Humanity will be judged for its ungodliness. The Scripture says the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. It does this through the demanding and unyielding power of God’s law. It also says the judgment begins with the household of God.4. The guilt for your sin cannot be pawned off on someone else. You stand before God solely accountable. The blood of Christ is the only resolution.
Dear friends, the Holy Spirit’s work is not a one-off occurrence in your life. And you cannot own Him like an inanimate object. His is a constant dynamic of forgiving your sins, conforming your will, and comforting your heart. His word is Christ’s truth and it is power. Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”5 Whose words are the first words your ears receive or your lips speak each day? Are they the hurried sounds of preparation for work or school? Are they the unkind comments of selfish ambition? Should the day not begin and end with the words of the Spirit? The words of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, into whose name we are baptized? Should we not on Monday already be yearning for the sacrament that will be offered the next Sunday?
Of course we cannot construct these desires or carry out these activities artificially. We must be aware of the folly of becoming slaves to meaningless repetition or false piety. But God’s word is living and active. It mediates our relationships, informs our ignorance, and enriches our vocations. Read, sing, and pray the words of Scripture out loud, even when you are by yourself. These are the life-giving words of the Spirit.
In the Nicene Creed the Holy Spirit is confessed as “the Lord, and giver of life.” Just as the Spirit was active at the creation in the beginning, so too He is the one who grants spiritual life. And the life He gives through the word-infused baptismal water He sustains with the promises declared in absolution, and the body and blood distributed from the altar. Forgiveness is the fuel of the Holy Spirit through which lives are powered. Luther reminds us in the Large Catechism, “The Holy Spirit must continue to do His work in us through His Word, daily applying forgiveness until we reach that life where forgiveness will no more be needed.”
The Associated Press ran a story about a man who was struggling to start his car. After some determined attempts he lifted the bonnet and found that the motor had been stolen. It was a shocking surprise and at odds with His obvious expectations. A spiritual analogy can be drawn. People might have the appearance of a fine-looking vehicle on the outside with nothing to power them on the inside. The Holy Spirit provides the power to live the baptismal life. He is the one who leads us in the struggle against temptation and defends us from the dangers of deceit and falsehood.
Dear friends, the Holy Spirit was sent not to replace an absent Jesus, but to make His presence all the more certain. The Holy Spirit perpetuates the reversal of sin’s catastrophic damage by disseminating the benefits of the cross and resurrection. What was scattered is gathered. The lost are found. The sick are healed. The ignorant are enlightened. The abandoned are drawn near to God’s presence. The panicked are quieted by His love. The weak are given strength and the dead are raised. These are but a few realities accomplished by the work of the Holy Spirit.
He is called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the mind of Christ, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of adoption, of truth, of liberty; the Spirit of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might, of knowledge, of godliness, of the fear of God. This only begins to show how unlimited He is. Pentecost draws us further into the deep sanctuary of the Father’s love for the world in Christ even as it simultaneously makes us ambassadors of that love in a dark and unbelieving world. We can make ourselves vulnerable to our neighbour because we have absolute security in His kingdom. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Day of Pentecost
23 May 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 14:-67
2 Luther’s Small Catechism
3 Hebrews 1:1-2
4 See 1 Peter 4:17
5 Matthew 4:4
Monday, May 17, 2010
Seventh Sunday of Easter
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: John 17:20-26
Theme: Christ’s Intercessory Prayer
Dear worshippers of the risen Jesus,
Christ ascended bodily to His place of exaltation before the Father 40 days after His resurrection. Now also in His humanity He fully exercises His divine power. In this capacity He governs the universe for the benefit of the church and the proclamation of the Gospel. He also stands before the Father to mediate on behalf of the saints. The Scripture says, “[Christ] is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”1Christian living is a reflection of this activity.
Every Christian inherits the vocation of an intercessor who prays on behalf of the world. It is not reserved only for men called into the Office of the Ministry. It is an obligation of the priesthood of all believers. Though the pastor leads the congregation in corporate prayer during the Divine Service, every Christian is an agent that prays for the well-being of the world. Christ said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”2
Do not take this responsibility lightly. To pray with integrity for others is to direct your concern for their physical and spiritual welfare. Your praying can take many forms. It can be done within your private or family prayer life. It can involve verbal or written notes and messages to the people you are praying for. It can have both formal and casual aspects. Regardless, a regular pattern of praying is the healthiest discipline and it can help the individual to keep in step with the liturgical rhythm of the church. We make intercession for others not as mavericks or lone rangers but as members of Christ’s body and within the structure and order of the community of faith.
Neither is prayer only a matter of words. The directing of your resources for planting the seed of God’s word is faith and prayer in action. To visit the sick, show generosity to the poor, defend the weak, show kindness to strangers, etc., and etc., is all part of an active dynamic of prayer. It should go without saying that the greatest thing you can do for an unbeliever is pray that the Holy Spirit would grant them faith and that the Spirit’s work would not be rejected. This desire is to be accompanied with whatever actions are necessary to continually expose people to God’s word.
Today’s gospel contains the “High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus. Beseeching the heavenly Father, Jesus said, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message.”3 Jesus of course already knows who will believe, but the disciples do not. We are not privy to the deep mystery of whether or when others will believe. Sin wields a powerful influence over humanity. We can never escape addressing it. Even mature Christians are called upon to confess their sins and repent, lest they fall prey to a hypocritical faith.
The Holy Spirit’s work cannot be programmed. But His means are well-defined. The word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper are means of grace through which the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth.”4 These are the means by which the apostolic message, the message of Christ crucified and risen, the message of sins forgiven, redeems sinners and comforts souls.
Among those in the court of Alexander the Great was a philosopher of outstanding ability but little money. He asked Alexander for financial help and was told to draw whatever he needed from the imperial treasury. But when the man requested an amount equal to $50,000, he was refused--the treasurer needing to verify that such a large sum was authorized. When he asked Alexander, the ruler replied, "Pay the money at once. The philosopher has done me a singular honor. By the largeness of his request he shows that he has understood both my wealth and generosity."
Let us not be too timid to make bold requests of the Almighty. He will decide what is best for us. His riches and generosity are far beyond what we can fathom. When we pray for trivial things we betray not only the shallowness of our faith, but also our lack of understanding of God’s infinite compassion. We pray easily enough for earthly needs, and perhaps more readily still in times of emergency; but often prayer for spiritual well-being is neglected in our devotional lives. It is no small thing to pray to be kept from error and for protection from Satan’s power. God wants us to pray without restriction for spiritual blessings.
Even from the cross Jesus prayed for His enemies. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”5 The Bible says, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”6 And when we are beset by so much anxiety, fear, or weakness that we can scarcely utter a word of prayer or formulate a thought- though our heart deeply desires to do so- there is surely no more comforting passage of Holy Scripture than Romans 8:26, “The Spirit also helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
This constant intercession is crucial to our spiritual well-being. The Christian life is not a matter of floating along on spiritual clouds or skipping through celestial fields of tulips- as if we had found some religious fountain of youth and prosperity. Rather it involves going daily into the fray; engaging the struggle of our own sinful nature, the temptations of the world, and Satan’s flaming arrows. These forces immediately weather the spiritual strength given us every Lord’s Day. Just as the newly baptized immediately begin to age spiritually, so also the believer, freshly absolved, is quickly accosted by falsehood, deceit, and temptation.
But this is no reason to despair; rather it turns us constantly back to the mercy and forgiveness of Christ. We can scarcely pray the Lord’s Prayer without letting our focus stray; how could we ever hope to go any length of time without needing to receive afresh Christ’s forgiveness and the Holy Spirit’ promise. That is what it means to constantly return to our baptism and live from its promise and power. The sacraments continually renew us to start again. The Last Supper- from the perspective of believers- is truly misnamed. It might be better called the First Divine Meal; a banquet to which the believer continually returns.
When our conscience condemns us who will release us from its accusations? When our companions desert us who will stand by us through thick and thin? When our integrity fails us who will give us a restored heart and a renewed mind? When our frailty frustrates us who will provide the vitality to carry us through? When darkness envelops us who will brighten us with radiance and warmth? When our mortality confronts us who will comfort us with eternal promises? Christ is our Advocate7, our Brother8, our Redeemer9, our Strength10, our Light11, and the broker of our immortality.12 He died for your sins. He won the victory over death with His resurrection. He has ascended in the Father’s glory. He will come again bringing that glory with Him. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Seventh Sunday of Easter
16 May 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 8:34 2 Matthew 5:44
3 John 17:20 4 Luther’s Small Catechism
5 Luke 23:34 6 Hebrews 4:16
7 See 1John 2:1 8 See Hebrews 2:11
9 See 1 Corinthians 1:30 10 See Philippians 4:13
11 See John 9:5 12 See 1 Corinthians 15:54
Text: John 17:20-26
Theme: Christ’s Intercessory Prayer
Dear worshippers of the risen Jesus,
Christ ascended bodily to His place of exaltation before the Father 40 days after His resurrection. Now also in His humanity He fully exercises His divine power. In this capacity He governs the universe for the benefit of the church and the proclamation of the Gospel. He also stands before the Father to mediate on behalf of the saints. The Scripture says, “[Christ] is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”1Christian living is a reflection of this activity.
Every Christian inherits the vocation of an intercessor who prays on behalf of the world. It is not reserved only for men called into the Office of the Ministry. It is an obligation of the priesthood of all believers. Though the pastor leads the congregation in corporate prayer during the Divine Service, every Christian is an agent that prays for the well-being of the world. Christ said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”2
Do not take this responsibility lightly. To pray with integrity for others is to direct your concern for their physical and spiritual welfare. Your praying can take many forms. It can be done within your private or family prayer life. It can involve verbal or written notes and messages to the people you are praying for. It can have both formal and casual aspects. Regardless, a regular pattern of praying is the healthiest discipline and it can help the individual to keep in step with the liturgical rhythm of the church. We make intercession for others not as mavericks or lone rangers but as members of Christ’s body and within the structure and order of the community of faith.
Neither is prayer only a matter of words. The directing of your resources for planting the seed of God’s word is faith and prayer in action. To visit the sick, show generosity to the poor, defend the weak, show kindness to strangers, etc., and etc., is all part of an active dynamic of prayer. It should go without saying that the greatest thing you can do for an unbeliever is pray that the Holy Spirit would grant them faith and that the Spirit’s work would not be rejected. This desire is to be accompanied with whatever actions are necessary to continually expose people to God’s word.
Today’s gospel contains the “High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus. Beseeching the heavenly Father, Jesus said, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message.”3 Jesus of course already knows who will believe, but the disciples do not. We are not privy to the deep mystery of whether or when others will believe. Sin wields a powerful influence over humanity. We can never escape addressing it. Even mature Christians are called upon to confess their sins and repent, lest they fall prey to a hypocritical faith.
The Holy Spirit’s work cannot be programmed. But His means are well-defined. The word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper are means of grace through which the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth.”4 These are the means by which the apostolic message, the message of Christ crucified and risen, the message of sins forgiven, redeems sinners and comforts souls.
Among those in the court of Alexander the Great was a philosopher of outstanding ability but little money. He asked Alexander for financial help and was told to draw whatever he needed from the imperial treasury. But when the man requested an amount equal to $50,000, he was refused--the treasurer needing to verify that such a large sum was authorized. When he asked Alexander, the ruler replied, "Pay the money at once. The philosopher has done me a singular honor. By the largeness of his request he shows that he has understood both my wealth and generosity."
Let us not be too timid to make bold requests of the Almighty. He will decide what is best for us. His riches and generosity are far beyond what we can fathom. When we pray for trivial things we betray not only the shallowness of our faith, but also our lack of understanding of God’s infinite compassion. We pray easily enough for earthly needs, and perhaps more readily still in times of emergency; but often prayer for spiritual well-being is neglected in our devotional lives. It is no small thing to pray to be kept from error and for protection from Satan’s power. God wants us to pray without restriction for spiritual blessings.
Even from the cross Jesus prayed for His enemies. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”5 The Bible says, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”6 And when we are beset by so much anxiety, fear, or weakness that we can scarcely utter a word of prayer or formulate a thought- though our heart deeply desires to do so- there is surely no more comforting passage of Holy Scripture than Romans 8:26, “The Spirit also helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
This constant intercession is crucial to our spiritual well-being. The Christian life is not a matter of floating along on spiritual clouds or skipping through celestial fields of tulips- as if we had found some religious fountain of youth and prosperity. Rather it involves going daily into the fray; engaging the struggle of our own sinful nature, the temptations of the world, and Satan’s flaming arrows. These forces immediately weather the spiritual strength given us every Lord’s Day. Just as the newly baptized immediately begin to age spiritually, so also the believer, freshly absolved, is quickly accosted by falsehood, deceit, and temptation.
But this is no reason to despair; rather it turns us constantly back to the mercy and forgiveness of Christ. We can scarcely pray the Lord’s Prayer without letting our focus stray; how could we ever hope to go any length of time without needing to receive afresh Christ’s forgiveness and the Holy Spirit’ promise. That is what it means to constantly return to our baptism and live from its promise and power. The sacraments continually renew us to start again. The Last Supper- from the perspective of believers- is truly misnamed. It might be better called the First Divine Meal; a banquet to which the believer continually returns.
When our conscience condemns us who will release us from its accusations? When our companions desert us who will stand by us through thick and thin? When our integrity fails us who will give us a restored heart and a renewed mind? When our frailty frustrates us who will provide the vitality to carry us through? When darkness envelops us who will brighten us with radiance and warmth? When our mortality confronts us who will comfort us with eternal promises? Christ is our Advocate7, our Brother8, our Redeemer9, our Strength10, our Light11, and the broker of our immortality.12 He died for your sins. He won the victory over death with His resurrection. He has ascended in the Father’s glory. He will come again bringing that glory with Him. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Seventh Sunday of Easter
16 May 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 8:34 2 Matthew 5:44
3 John 17:20 4 Luther’s Small Catechism
5 Luke 23:34 6 Hebrews 4:16
7 See 1John 2:1 8 See Hebrews 2:11
9 See 1 Corinthians 1:30 10 See Philippians 4:13
11 See John 9:5 12 See 1 Corinthians 15:54
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Sixth Sunday of Easter
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: John 14:27
Theme: “My Peace I Give You”
Dear worshippers of the risen Jesus,
Human beings are hopelessly prone to doubting the reliability and affection of God. This is a primary expression of original sin. Though we may confidently or desperately seek security elsewhere, it rests on a false and fleeting foundation. The heart overcome by doubt can have no lasting peace until it rests in the presence of Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”1
Still, the influence of Christ’s kingdom in the world often seems weak and powerless. The dishonest often seem to prosper and the humble are disregarded. Many decades after the dawn of the modern age and the alleged progress of humanity, unrighteousness in the public and private sphere remains a way of life. If humanity can by some measures become more civilized and humane, it can never be freed from the pathology of unbelief. Sin reaps a harvest of condemnation, guilt, and finally death. None are exempt. God always intervenes in human affairs- at His discretion- as judge and executioner. This is the activity of His kingdom of power.
Yet it often appears God allows evil to freely run its course. The proof of God’s rule is not always openly observable. But the evidence is forthcoming. The submission to Christ of all evil powers and the exaltation in Christ of all the godly is to be realized- publicly witnessed by all that have the breath of life. This is the final outcome that awaits the world when Christ returns.
The gospel introduces a different kind of reign. It is not one of tolerance, but of restoration and renewal that begins with the heart. The gospel doesn’t “humanize” people in the philosophical sense. It doesn’t “moralize” people in the ethical sense. It Christianizes people in the spiritual sense. The gospel is counter-intuitive to human wisdom to the very core. Humans do not rectify their estrangement from God through any, special program, secret knowledge, or persevering effort. The more we search for any hidden goodness, undiscovered righteousness, or vestige of honourable intentions within ourselves, the further we get from God. The more determinedly we hold up our good deeds as evidence that we’re not beyond hope the more we offend the Almighty.
The gospel does not reward do-gooders for trying harder; it gives hope for those who yearn for God’s mercy. It feeds the spiritually hungry and quenches the thirst of those parched for forgiveness. It demands no pre-conditions and requires no bond for security. It is God’s free and unconditional love in Christ. It is the divine declaration “that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.”2 Christ justifies the ungodly and frees the penitent.
But the gospel never promises happiness in a human sense. It promises peace in a divine sense. And it doesn’t explain to us the specifics of why God allows suffering and heartache. Faith teaches us to accept our limitations. We should not be so arrogant as to speak for God on matters in which He has remained silent. Why does a young person die tragically? Why does illness strike without warning? Why do the faithful often suffer at the hands of the wicked? Why doesn’t justice seem to prevail?
Yet what seems like God’s “silence” is for our protection and well-being. Complexity can be clarified but not simplified. There are limits to our ability to understand. God’s wisdom and will supersede all the combined and accumulated intellect and experience of humanity. The Scripture says, “Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed Him as His counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way?”3
What seems to one person to be a blessing is to another a judgment. A woman has an abortion and finds relief from facing the stress of raising a child. Meanwhile, the child’s life is ruthlessly terminated. A person justifies having an extra-marital affair to meet their own needs, but the spouse is shattered. Even vices people think they can hide and keep to themselves- greed, addiction, indulgence, deceit- affect others at some point. God made us to live in community. Selfishness inevitably leads us to sin against others. The proper manner of relating to others cannot be left to human consensus. Sin and righteousness are not defined by human parameters. Jesus speaks authoritatively, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”4
Our society elevates convenience over thoroughness and expediency over planning. That which is practical often takes precedence over that which is right and true. We are taught to choose instant gratification over the consideration of stability and well-being. Truth is sacrificed on the altar of usefulness. Self-denial is avoided by the claim we deserve to spoil ourselves. Sacrifice is put in the “too hard” basket and thought to be unrewarding.
No wonder motherhood is so undervalued in modern society. A Christian mother is the active image of sacrifice and self-denial. But the culture of this age has little interest in these pursuits, seeking self-recognition and pleasure instead. The mother who teaches godliness to her children truly bears the cross of sacrifice and shows them proper love. The Christian church must be willing to defend the vocation motherhood as the highest calling from God a woman is blessed to receive.
No one can be exempt from struggling through the challenges and crises of life. The Holy Spirit not only gives us spiritual life, He sustains us in that life. It is a life of bearing the cross. Christians live in the midst of turmoil but are calmed by the voice of the Shepherd and steadied by the promise counsel of the Spirit. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”5
Shalom, peace, was a common Hebrew greeting. In Jesus it comes to its fullest expression. It is a monumental promise: Peace that the world cannot give. Peace which transcends, peace which stabilizes, peace that endures. You won’t find it in money. You won’t find it in career. You won’t find it in possessions. You won’t find it in marriage. You won’t find it in family. You won’t find it in fame. Yes, in these things you may well find some level of satisfaction and security. They may make your life more comfortable. But they fade with time and succumb to the passing of this age. Divine peace brings the blessing of heaven down to earth.
It is the gift of the One who ordered the cosmos from chaos, calmed the violent storms of Galilee’s sea, and withstands the fury of Satan’s rage. It is the peace of Christ. He is the one who forgives tax-collectors, absolves prostitutes, and frees criminals. He faced persecution, endured sacrifice, and accepted mortality. He eases your burdens, lifts away your guilt, and lightens your darkness. You have peace when you rest in Him.
The peace Christ gives was forged on a cross. This peace is the promise the triune God makes to you in your baptism. It is the peace that will attend our eternal existence. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday of Easter
9 May 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 16:33
2 2 Corinthians 5:19 3 Isaiah 40:13-14
4 John 13:34 5 John 14:27
Text: John 14:27
Theme: “My Peace I Give You”
Dear worshippers of the risen Jesus,
Human beings are hopelessly prone to doubting the reliability and affection of God. This is a primary expression of original sin. Though we may confidently or desperately seek security elsewhere, it rests on a false and fleeting foundation. The heart overcome by doubt can have no lasting peace until it rests in the presence of Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”1
Still, the influence of Christ’s kingdom in the world often seems weak and powerless. The dishonest often seem to prosper and the humble are disregarded. Many decades after the dawn of the modern age and the alleged progress of humanity, unrighteousness in the public and private sphere remains a way of life. If humanity can by some measures become more civilized and humane, it can never be freed from the pathology of unbelief. Sin reaps a harvest of condemnation, guilt, and finally death. None are exempt. God always intervenes in human affairs- at His discretion- as judge and executioner. This is the activity of His kingdom of power.
Yet it often appears God allows evil to freely run its course. The proof of God’s rule is not always openly observable. But the evidence is forthcoming. The submission to Christ of all evil powers and the exaltation in Christ of all the godly is to be realized- publicly witnessed by all that have the breath of life. This is the final outcome that awaits the world when Christ returns.
The gospel introduces a different kind of reign. It is not one of tolerance, but of restoration and renewal that begins with the heart. The gospel doesn’t “humanize” people in the philosophical sense. It doesn’t “moralize” people in the ethical sense. It Christianizes people in the spiritual sense. The gospel is counter-intuitive to human wisdom to the very core. Humans do not rectify their estrangement from God through any, special program, secret knowledge, or persevering effort. The more we search for any hidden goodness, undiscovered righteousness, or vestige of honourable intentions within ourselves, the further we get from God. The more determinedly we hold up our good deeds as evidence that we’re not beyond hope the more we offend the Almighty.
The gospel does not reward do-gooders for trying harder; it gives hope for those who yearn for God’s mercy. It feeds the spiritually hungry and quenches the thirst of those parched for forgiveness. It demands no pre-conditions and requires no bond for security. It is God’s free and unconditional love in Christ. It is the divine declaration “that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.”2 Christ justifies the ungodly and frees the penitent.
But the gospel never promises happiness in a human sense. It promises peace in a divine sense. And it doesn’t explain to us the specifics of why God allows suffering and heartache. Faith teaches us to accept our limitations. We should not be so arrogant as to speak for God on matters in which He has remained silent. Why does a young person die tragically? Why does illness strike without warning? Why do the faithful often suffer at the hands of the wicked? Why doesn’t justice seem to prevail?
Yet what seems like God’s “silence” is for our protection and well-being. Complexity can be clarified but not simplified. There are limits to our ability to understand. God’s wisdom and will supersede all the combined and accumulated intellect and experience of humanity. The Scripture says, “Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed Him as His counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way?”3
What seems to one person to be a blessing is to another a judgment. A woman has an abortion and finds relief from facing the stress of raising a child. Meanwhile, the child’s life is ruthlessly terminated. A person justifies having an extra-marital affair to meet their own needs, but the spouse is shattered. Even vices people think they can hide and keep to themselves- greed, addiction, indulgence, deceit- affect others at some point. God made us to live in community. Selfishness inevitably leads us to sin against others. The proper manner of relating to others cannot be left to human consensus. Sin and righteousness are not defined by human parameters. Jesus speaks authoritatively, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”4
Our society elevates convenience over thoroughness and expediency over planning. That which is practical often takes precedence over that which is right and true. We are taught to choose instant gratification over the consideration of stability and well-being. Truth is sacrificed on the altar of usefulness. Self-denial is avoided by the claim we deserve to spoil ourselves. Sacrifice is put in the “too hard” basket and thought to be unrewarding.
No wonder motherhood is so undervalued in modern society. A Christian mother is the active image of sacrifice and self-denial. But the culture of this age has little interest in these pursuits, seeking self-recognition and pleasure instead. The mother who teaches godliness to her children truly bears the cross of sacrifice and shows them proper love. The Christian church must be willing to defend the vocation motherhood as the highest calling from God a woman is blessed to receive.
No one can be exempt from struggling through the challenges and crises of life. The Holy Spirit not only gives us spiritual life, He sustains us in that life. It is a life of bearing the cross. Christians live in the midst of turmoil but are calmed by the voice of the Shepherd and steadied by the promise counsel of the Spirit. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”5
Shalom, peace, was a common Hebrew greeting. In Jesus it comes to its fullest expression. It is a monumental promise: Peace that the world cannot give. Peace which transcends, peace which stabilizes, peace that endures. You won’t find it in money. You won’t find it in career. You won’t find it in possessions. You won’t find it in marriage. You won’t find it in family. You won’t find it in fame. Yes, in these things you may well find some level of satisfaction and security. They may make your life more comfortable. But they fade with time and succumb to the passing of this age. Divine peace brings the blessing of heaven down to earth.
It is the gift of the One who ordered the cosmos from chaos, calmed the violent storms of Galilee’s sea, and withstands the fury of Satan’s rage. It is the peace of Christ. He is the one who forgives tax-collectors, absolves prostitutes, and frees criminals. He faced persecution, endured sacrifice, and accepted mortality. He eases your burdens, lifts away your guilt, and lightens your darkness. You have peace when you rest in Him.
The peace Christ gives was forged on a cross. This peace is the promise the triune God makes to you in your baptism. It is the peace that will attend our eternal existence. Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday of Easter
9 May 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 16:33
2 2 Corinthians 5:19 3 Isaiah 40:13-14
4 John 13:34 5 John 14:27
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