+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 12:7
Theme: A Burial Price
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Six days before His death the house of Lazarus of Bethany was filled with the smell of Christ’s burial perfume. It was a preemptive strike. Let us not forget that Lazarus was ‘familiar’ with the fragrance of burial preparations. He had already spent time in the tomb. Christ raised him. As much as Jesus, the eternal Son of the Father both transcends time and contravenes it, so too does He constrict and suspend it. Six days before the event Mary anoints Jesus for His burial. The sacrifice is so imminent it is nearly inaugurated. Jesus was born to die. The womb was a passage way to the grave, the cradle a prerequisite for the cross. It had to happen this way because Jesus’ body was not available in the tomb to anoint. He had risen!
This anointing of Jesus by Mary was a testimony to the gospel, a work of the Spirit. Noah built an altar to the Lord. Yahweh smelled the pleasing aroma of the sacrifice and the flood’s curse was lifted. God sniffed the animal sacrifices of the Israelites and was delighted that they pointed the people to the coming Messiah. Finally the stench of Calvary ascended to His nose and the curse of sin was broken. For us sinners this news is a sweet fragrance.
But it was a smell Judas couldn’t tolerate. Here we have a small conundrum for proponents of a social gospel. Judas is their advocate. “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”1 Think of the possibilities and the magnitude! A year’s wages! Imagine if you had that at your disposal; the charities you could help, the people you could assist! But separated from the proper motive and detached from Christ all charitable efforts- even those by Christians- degenerate into humanistic philanthropy. Unbelievers too can be very generous and charitable- excelling the efforts of Christians even. Muslims and Hindus may exhibit a higher standard of morality and humanity than many Christians. But the motive and purpose is very different.
The deceived motive is a dead end regardless of how impressive things look in this life. The other is the fruit of the gospel. Today Saint Paul gives powerful testimony to the supremacy of the gospel. Even though he would have had more right than most to put confidence in His Jewish heritage- and he was a Pharisee- it was all futile apart from Christ. The same temptations and tendencies still cling to us too. We are always prone to relying on some measure of our own piety, our obedience, our charity, or at least our good intentions. We are prone to wondering just how faithful we have to be to remain in God’s good graces. What are the benchmarks? What are the thresholds? How much possibility is there for pushing the envelope? Isn’t God supposed to be tolerant?
Whenever we start to embark on this line of reasoning we are fleeing the gospel promise and retreating to the law for our defence. We are not giving thanks for the trials and blessings, both of which enable us to witness to His name. Instead we are wondering what will be sufficient to keep Him satisfied. There is no way to retreat from this minefield except to fall prostrate at the foot of the cross. “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.”2 This is the cry of the repentant heart.
Dear friends, the forgiveness of God is not an abstract allowance, the possession of which can be assumed. It is not some sort of inalienable right that simply kicks in when we seek to allocate it. Forgiveness is ephemeral to the impenitent but concrete for the contrite. And it is never unmediated. The mercy of God is facilitated through those means which He has ordained for the establishment and maintenance of our relationship with Him. The locus of grace is in a person- Jesus Christ- and is distributed to us through word and sacrament. Ambassadors speak on His behalf. The Office of the Ministry was established by Christ so that His truth and His absolution might be publicly communicated to sinners. As a called and ordained servant I do not speak on my own authority. I don’t speak simply on the collective authority of a commission or synod. I speak on Christ’s authority. Only on this authority can there be certainty.
Faith is only nourished through this forgiveness. Otherwise it becomes weak from malnutrition and brittle from egotism. Faith cannot be self-sustained. Tending our faith with our own resources only establishes the idolatry of our own agendas and perspectives. In an age in which we are taught that everyone’s opinion is as valid as anyone else’s' (as long as you are tolerant of theirs) we are in desperate need of an objective basis for truth and reality. Subjectivity is winning the day. It speaks powerfully to our narcissistic tendencies. If relativism is the presupposition all parties must agree on then the best that can be hoped for is some measure of consensus with practical aims for the here and now. In regards to life and death, heaven and hell, sin and grace, this simply will not do.
Even though it is now winning the day subjectivity can only be a passing perspective on reality. Otherwise hope and meaning are inevitably drowned in the tidal wave of personal preferences. Even the secular mind searches for stability based on stronger foundations. No wonder chaos and futility is overcoming the soul of Western society even as fear dominates the Islamic world.
For many in the immediate past and current generation Christianity has become tired and boring. The church itself must shoulder much of the blame. User-friendly Christianity is not the faith of the Bible. To many, Christianity has been presented as being a therapeutic and benign basis of morality with eternal benefits- just for having your name enrolled! Yet to characterize God as domesticated, Satan as emasculated and sin all but eradicated hardly represents the cross-bearing struggle of the baptismal life.
Faith is never stagnant. Our faith is to be innocent but not ignorant. Christ taught humility, not simple-mindedness. He taught modesty, not naivetés. He sent His disciples out to be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves.3 He didn’t promise comfort but conflict. People avoid boredom. But can knowing the One who said, “I hold the keys of death and Hades.”4 be boring? Is baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ5 uninspiring? Is participating in the body and blood of Christ and thus proclaiming “the Lord’s death until He comes.”6 ever trivial?
Christ lives and we live as His ambassadors. Paul’s plea is ours, to “be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but…the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” 7 How fabulous is the variety of descriptive imagery the Scriptures use to express the fullness of God’s love in Christ! Note how the apostle employs the terminology of John. “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To one the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.”8
Dear friends, Lent is drawing to a close and Holy Week is near. As we reflect on the meaning of these events let us honour the words of Christ who countenanced Mary’s act of devotion. What was the burial price? Was the perfume wasted? There is nothing we devote to Him that He cannot repay. Who dare assess the value of Christ’s sacrifice? We will have an eternity with Him to benefit from what He accomplished for sinners. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday in Lent
17 March 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 12:5
2 LH #330, Rock of Ages
3 See Matthew 10:16
4 Revelation 1:18
5 See Romans 6:4
6 1 Corinthians 11:26
7 Philippians 3:9
8 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Christian Burial of Marjorie Schmidtke
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 14:3
Theme: “To Be with Me”
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Marj Schmidtke, and especially you, Malcolm,
Marj has ceased to be in need of our prayers. But we can benefit from her memory. It is our privilege to do so particularly to the extent that her life helps us to reflect on the mercy of God in Christ. And there is no lack of opportunity. God has blessed Marj greatly and she has been a blessing to others.
The consideration of death is always an opportunity to assess our own transience and perspective on life. We prefer to see things through our self-advantaged eyes due to greed, or fear, or selfishness, or denial. Yet God presents us as we are. Everything is laid bare before Him. Nothing is concealed; nothing so complex that He can’t comprehend it clearly. He sees that we are mortal and at His mercy- one and all. Victims or perpetrators, the wounded, or the offenders, the oppressed or the oppressors, the broken, or the destroyers, the lost or the deceivers, we are all mortal, frail human frames collapsing under the weight of sin.
Life doesn’t always go as planned. God uses the formative events of life to shape us. It is through these that we are used to render the best service to His kingdom. Marj understood what it meant to be thrown into the crucible. Their daughter Helen’s death was a defining tragedy for everyone in the immediate family. Marj again became a mother- and this under stressful circumstances. She rose to the occasion even while recognizing she was vulnerable. Her concern for the spiritual well-being of others, especially her family, was palpable. And to the extent it was palpable it was genuine. She was never given to pretense.
Never assuming God’s mercy was an entitlement, she was characteristically humble in faith. Her confidence rested in what was finished in Christ and not in what she still had to do. She knew salvation was by grace. That doesn’t mean she didn’t have her questions or niggling doubts. Faith is tested and refined by challenges. Marj knew she was a sinner in need of His love. She would want us to know the same.
Marj had as many reasons as the average person to give up on the real purpose of life- to concede to the lure of self-preservation. But God had high and holy purposes for her even though outwardly her life may have appeared as unremarkable as the next. The world is blind to that which only the eyes of faith can see. The apostle Paul describes it in this way, “We do not loose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”1
This passage was especially relevant to Marj in her later years. Her hearing was failing. Her sight was almost gone. Her physical frame was taxed to its limit. But inwardly- her spiritual strength was gaining fortitude and vibrancy. Her spiritual maturity proceeded inversely to her physical decline.
At what point does life become too much? The ice becomes too thin. The edge of the precipice crumbles away. The strength to fight on is exhausted. Our human capacities are maxed out and give out. This can happen physically, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically. Finally it happens comprehensively. It can cause tremendous fear and trepidation.
But the believer is not alone. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you…Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid,”2 says the Good Shepherd. And again, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth…He will testify about Me.”3 And yet again, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”4 And so it was with Marj. Christ tended her faith with His word and Spirit, body and blood, absolution and promise. Christ was crucified to redeem sinners, of which Marj was one.
Perhaps we who are left to grieve feel more like the orphans. Yet this too will pass. God condescends to us with such compassion that His gentleness and patience will bear with our frailty. There must be sorrow mixed with joy. We are not one-dimensional stoics. The patriarchs, prophets, saints and martyrs grieved. Jesus Himself wept.
But where Christ reigns sorrow has no residency. The separation is brief, a blip of time on the scale of eternity. This solace is not a baseless platitude, but the irrevocable promise of the resurrected Christ. Satan defeated, sin atoned for, hell rendered powerless, the believer even now beings to participate in a joy- not even perhaps perceptible at first (and always contested by the darkness of the world)- but nevertheless a joy that will swell into a euphoria beyond our imagination. This is the privilege and anticipation of the baptized. That which is labeled heaven is nothing less than the unhindered experience of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- uninterrupted.
The only one who has the authority to do so said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled…In My Father’s house are many rooms…I am going there to prepare a place for you.”5 Christ has prepared that place for Marj Schmidtke and it has been filled. Earlier we heard these words, “Though now for a little while you have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold…may be proved genuine…for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”16
Marj has received the goal of her faith. The promise of her baptism has come to fruition. She has been set free. All that she failed to do and failed to be is forgiven. All that she was in faith is rewarded. She is at peace. She is not burdened with pain or anxiety or regret. She rests in the presence of Him who took her place outside the earthly Jerusalem so that she might have her place inside the heavenly Zion. She awaits the resurrection of all flesh. Glory to God in the highest! Amen
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Marjory Schmidtke
14 March 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
2 John 14:27
3 John 15:27
4 John 14:18
5 John 14:1-2
6 1 Peter 1:6-7, 9
Text: John 14:3
Theme: “To Be with Me”
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Marj Schmidtke, and especially you, Malcolm,
Marj has ceased to be in need of our prayers. But we can benefit from her memory. It is our privilege to do so particularly to the extent that her life helps us to reflect on the mercy of God in Christ. And there is no lack of opportunity. God has blessed Marj greatly and she has been a blessing to others.
The consideration of death is always an opportunity to assess our own transience and perspective on life. We prefer to see things through our self-advantaged eyes due to greed, or fear, or selfishness, or denial. Yet God presents us as we are. Everything is laid bare before Him. Nothing is concealed; nothing so complex that He can’t comprehend it clearly. He sees that we are mortal and at His mercy- one and all. Victims or perpetrators, the wounded, or the offenders, the oppressed or the oppressors, the broken, or the destroyers, the lost or the deceivers, we are all mortal, frail human frames collapsing under the weight of sin.
Life doesn’t always go as planned. God uses the formative events of life to shape us. It is through these that we are used to render the best service to His kingdom. Marj understood what it meant to be thrown into the crucible. Their daughter Helen’s death was a defining tragedy for everyone in the immediate family. Marj again became a mother- and this under stressful circumstances. She rose to the occasion even while recognizing she was vulnerable. Her concern for the spiritual well-being of others, especially her family, was palpable. And to the extent it was palpable it was genuine. She was never given to pretense.
Never assuming God’s mercy was an entitlement, she was characteristically humble in faith. Her confidence rested in what was finished in Christ and not in what she still had to do. She knew salvation was by grace. That doesn’t mean she didn’t have her questions or niggling doubts. Faith is tested and refined by challenges. Marj knew she was a sinner in need of His love. She would want us to know the same.
Marj had as many reasons as the average person to give up on the real purpose of life- to concede to the lure of self-preservation. But God had high and holy purposes for her even though outwardly her life may have appeared as unremarkable as the next. The world is blind to that which only the eyes of faith can see. The apostle Paul describes it in this way, “We do not loose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”1
This passage was especially relevant to Marj in her later years. Her hearing was failing. Her sight was almost gone. Her physical frame was taxed to its limit. But inwardly- her spiritual strength was gaining fortitude and vibrancy. Her spiritual maturity proceeded inversely to her physical decline.
At what point does life become too much? The ice becomes too thin. The edge of the precipice crumbles away. The strength to fight on is exhausted. Our human capacities are maxed out and give out. This can happen physically, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically. Finally it happens comprehensively. It can cause tremendous fear and trepidation.
But the believer is not alone. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you…Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid,”2 says the Good Shepherd. And again, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth…He will testify about Me.”3 And yet again, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”4 And so it was with Marj. Christ tended her faith with His word and Spirit, body and blood, absolution and promise. Christ was crucified to redeem sinners, of which Marj was one.
Perhaps we who are left to grieve feel more like the orphans. Yet this too will pass. God condescends to us with such compassion that His gentleness and patience will bear with our frailty. There must be sorrow mixed with joy. We are not one-dimensional stoics. The patriarchs, prophets, saints and martyrs grieved. Jesus Himself wept.
But where Christ reigns sorrow has no residency. The separation is brief, a blip of time on the scale of eternity. This solace is not a baseless platitude, but the irrevocable promise of the resurrected Christ. Satan defeated, sin atoned for, hell rendered powerless, the believer even now beings to participate in a joy- not even perhaps perceptible at first (and always contested by the darkness of the world)- but nevertheless a joy that will swell into a euphoria beyond our imagination. This is the privilege and anticipation of the baptized. That which is labeled heaven is nothing less than the unhindered experience of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- uninterrupted.
The only one who has the authority to do so said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled…In My Father’s house are many rooms…I am going there to prepare a place for you.”5 Christ has prepared that place for Marj Schmidtke and it has been filled. Earlier we heard these words, “Though now for a little while you have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold…may be proved genuine…for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”16
Marj has received the goal of her faith. The promise of her baptism has come to fruition. She has been set free. All that she failed to do and failed to be is forgiven. All that she was in faith is rewarded. She is at peace. She is not burdened with pain or anxiety or regret. She rests in the presence of Him who took her place outside the earthly Jerusalem so that she might have her place inside the heavenly Zion. She awaits the resurrection of all flesh. Glory to God in the highest! Amen
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Marjory Schmidtke
14 March 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
2 John 14:27
3 John 15:27
4 John 14:18
5 John 14:1-2
6 1 Peter 1:6-7, 9
Monday, March 11, 2013
Fourth Sunday in Lent (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 15:20
Theme: The Father’s Compassion
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”1 Today that word comes to us with exceptional beauty. We could hardly find a parable more representative of the storyline of salvation and instructive of the heart of God than this one. The tenderness, compassion and faithfulness of God are all illustrated in this father of two sons. So too are the profound consequences of sin. The younger son becomes a self-styled narcissist that must fall to the brink of despair. The older son is the dutiful child that still begrudges the mercy of the Father shown to the younger. “It’s not fair!” is his cry.
No one really wants to believe that he or she is the prodigal- unless through false humility they hope to receive the benefit of some sympathy. No one wants to believe they could be so reckless, disobedient, and immoral. But this text is not asking us to compare. We are called to recognize we that are no less sinners than the prodigal. Only the Holy Spirit can bring us to this conviction. No one deserves an audience with God. No one deserves to be welcomed into His kingdom. God alone is privy to the reckless waste and disobedience in our lives.
The prodigal son did return. How does one come to this point? The scaffolding of our self-constructed kingdoms must collapse. In modern parlance we call it hitting rock-bottom. Otherwise we cannot enter or remain in His kingdom. It will happen at death anyway. This truth-personal for every individual- runs parallel to the decay of the world. The apostle says that we should “use the things of this world as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.”2 The skeleton of the cosmos is fracturing under the weight of sin’s burden.
We do well to remember during this season of Lent that the exercise of repentance is a personal and a corporate one. Together as the body of Christ we live in the world but we are not of the world. We shouldn’t be too hasty in making the assumption that this reality can be maintained unchallenged. Can we have anything meaningful to say to the world if all we are doing is presenting a religious-sounding version of what the world already believes? Should the church be re-imaging herself to be more in-step with the culture? Or should she be constantly refining and reforming herself to be more reflective of the Word? Are we brash or naïve enough to say that people don’t need salvation from sin in the way they once did?
What do we fear? Ridicule? Political correctness? Irrelevancy? Probably all these and more. Yet, the more we mimic the world the more irrelevant we become. The issues that people are grappling with demand an informed Christian perspective: Climate change, sexuality, life after death, purpose for the present, proper respect for authority, sanctity of life- abortion, euthanasia, suicide- etc., and etc.
How is this challenge being met? Like the world, do we believe this life is an end in itself? Are we really closet Epicureans believing we should eat, drink, and be merry? Do we believe sexuality is a personal freedom meant for pleasure? Are we really closet amoralists not concerned about divine value judgments? Do we believe nearly everyone is “going to a better place” when they die? Are we really closet universalists denying the existence of hell? Do we believe life can be ended by democratic pragmatism? Are we really closet adherents of social Darwinism? Do we believe we are essentially laws unto ourselves? Are we really closet anarchists wanting to be kings and queens of our own castles?
Or are we not really often acting in secrecy at all? Just sometimes carefully, sometimes sheepishly as we capitulate to the persuasive influences of culture! Dear friends, the lie of Satan is that you’ll always be better off without God than with Him. But God is not a begrudging miser. Jesus says “The pagans run after all these things (necessities of life), and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”3 We are not prevented from enjoying life. We appreciate it all the more because we are not given over to futility. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”4 The prodigal son did not see at first that he possessed more blessings with His father than apart from him.
The prodigal son returns without expecting to be reinstated to his place in the family. God does not look at repentance as our good work. It is a work of the Spirit. To repent with the intention of demanding recognition from God shows there has been no true change of heart. We can make no claims on Christ’s mercy. Even those returning to the church have no ‘rights’ to claim. If it were any other way grace would not be grace.
The grace of God is not reactionary it is proactive. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”5 It was beneath the dignity of a mature Jewish man to run. But what is beneath the dignity of God? God does not wait to announce to us His promise. Christ humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross. God’s love is not contingent upon our initiative. Baptism promises life to the spiritually dead. This life is ours to celebrate in life-long obedience to His will.
What does the father say to the skeptical older brother? “We had to celebrate…because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”6 Should we not celebrate when the dead live! When those in spiritual death and darkness are revived by the light of Christ! Ah, “But it’s Lent!” you say. And hallelujahs are restricted. Is not the ox pulled out of the ditch on the Sabbath7? Do the guests fast when the bridegroom is still with them8? Is there not more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents9? The bruised reed is not broken and the smoldering wick is not snuffed out10.
When the gospel is preached, when the Spirit enters the darkness- the dead will live. These things we celebrate. “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”11
Where Christ is the darkness cannot long linger. The prophet says that in Christ’s presence “sorrow and sighing will flee away.”12 Why? Because “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”13 He was crucified for us and raised from the dead. This is our joy in the face of struggle. God abides with us in our pilgrimage.
When the manna ceased could the Israelites still rejoice? They were now receiving sustenance from the promised inheritance. God had sustained them for 40 years with the bread from heaven. Then it ended. They must have felt grief mixed with joy. But it was yet another preview of the coming of the Messiah. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died…I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”14
We have the true manna- Christ’s very body and blood- in the sacrament. He promises He will not withdraw it until we join Him in the heavenly banquet. For his reconciled son the father killed the proverbial fattened calf. For us He has done so much more. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday in Lent
10 March 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 10:19 2 1 Corinthians 7:31
3 Matthew 6:32 4 1 Timothy 6:4 5 Luke 15:20
6 Luke 15:32 7 See Luke 14:5 8 See Luke 5:34
9 See Luke 15:7 10 See Isaiah 42:3 11John 1:4
12 Isaiah 35:10 13 2 Corinthians 5:21 14 John 6:48-51
Text: Luke 15:20
Theme: The Father’s Compassion
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”1 Today that word comes to us with exceptional beauty. We could hardly find a parable more representative of the storyline of salvation and instructive of the heart of God than this one. The tenderness, compassion and faithfulness of God are all illustrated in this father of two sons. So too are the profound consequences of sin. The younger son becomes a self-styled narcissist that must fall to the brink of despair. The older son is the dutiful child that still begrudges the mercy of the Father shown to the younger. “It’s not fair!” is his cry.
No one really wants to believe that he or she is the prodigal- unless through false humility they hope to receive the benefit of some sympathy. No one wants to believe they could be so reckless, disobedient, and immoral. But this text is not asking us to compare. We are called to recognize we that are no less sinners than the prodigal. Only the Holy Spirit can bring us to this conviction. No one deserves an audience with God. No one deserves to be welcomed into His kingdom. God alone is privy to the reckless waste and disobedience in our lives.
The prodigal son did return. How does one come to this point? The scaffolding of our self-constructed kingdoms must collapse. In modern parlance we call it hitting rock-bottom. Otherwise we cannot enter or remain in His kingdom. It will happen at death anyway. This truth-personal for every individual- runs parallel to the decay of the world. The apostle says that we should “use the things of this world as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.”2 The skeleton of the cosmos is fracturing under the weight of sin’s burden.
We do well to remember during this season of Lent that the exercise of repentance is a personal and a corporate one. Together as the body of Christ we live in the world but we are not of the world. We shouldn’t be too hasty in making the assumption that this reality can be maintained unchallenged. Can we have anything meaningful to say to the world if all we are doing is presenting a religious-sounding version of what the world already believes? Should the church be re-imaging herself to be more in-step with the culture? Or should she be constantly refining and reforming herself to be more reflective of the Word? Are we brash or naïve enough to say that people don’t need salvation from sin in the way they once did?
What do we fear? Ridicule? Political correctness? Irrelevancy? Probably all these and more. Yet, the more we mimic the world the more irrelevant we become. The issues that people are grappling with demand an informed Christian perspective: Climate change, sexuality, life after death, purpose for the present, proper respect for authority, sanctity of life- abortion, euthanasia, suicide- etc., and etc.
How is this challenge being met? Like the world, do we believe this life is an end in itself? Are we really closet Epicureans believing we should eat, drink, and be merry? Do we believe sexuality is a personal freedom meant for pleasure? Are we really closet amoralists not concerned about divine value judgments? Do we believe nearly everyone is “going to a better place” when they die? Are we really closet universalists denying the existence of hell? Do we believe life can be ended by democratic pragmatism? Are we really closet adherents of social Darwinism? Do we believe we are essentially laws unto ourselves? Are we really closet anarchists wanting to be kings and queens of our own castles?
Or are we not really often acting in secrecy at all? Just sometimes carefully, sometimes sheepishly as we capitulate to the persuasive influences of culture! Dear friends, the lie of Satan is that you’ll always be better off without God than with Him. But God is not a begrudging miser. Jesus says “The pagans run after all these things (necessities of life), and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”3 We are not prevented from enjoying life. We appreciate it all the more because we are not given over to futility. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”4 The prodigal son did not see at first that he possessed more blessings with His father than apart from him.
The prodigal son returns without expecting to be reinstated to his place in the family. God does not look at repentance as our good work. It is a work of the Spirit. To repent with the intention of demanding recognition from God shows there has been no true change of heart. We can make no claims on Christ’s mercy. Even those returning to the church have no ‘rights’ to claim. If it were any other way grace would not be grace.
The grace of God is not reactionary it is proactive. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”5 It was beneath the dignity of a mature Jewish man to run. But what is beneath the dignity of God? God does not wait to announce to us His promise. Christ humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross. God’s love is not contingent upon our initiative. Baptism promises life to the spiritually dead. This life is ours to celebrate in life-long obedience to His will.
What does the father say to the skeptical older brother? “We had to celebrate…because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”6 Should we not celebrate when the dead live! When those in spiritual death and darkness are revived by the light of Christ! Ah, “But it’s Lent!” you say. And hallelujahs are restricted. Is not the ox pulled out of the ditch on the Sabbath7? Do the guests fast when the bridegroom is still with them8? Is there not more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents9? The bruised reed is not broken and the smoldering wick is not snuffed out10.
When the gospel is preached, when the Spirit enters the darkness- the dead will live. These things we celebrate. “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”11
Where Christ is the darkness cannot long linger. The prophet says that in Christ’s presence “sorrow and sighing will flee away.”12 Why? Because “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”13 He was crucified for us and raised from the dead. This is our joy in the face of struggle. God abides with us in our pilgrimage.
When the manna ceased could the Israelites still rejoice? They were now receiving sustenance from the promised inheritance. God had sustained them for 40 years with the bread from heaven. Then it ended. They must have felt grief mixed with joy. But it was yet another preview of the coming of the Messiah. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died…I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”14
We have the true manna- Christ’s very body and blood- in the sacrament. He promises He will not withdraw it until we join Him in the heavenly banquet. For his reconciled son the father killed the proverbial fattened calf. For us He has done so much more. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday in Lent
10 March 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 10:19 2 1 Corinthians 7:31
3 Matthew 6:32 4 1 Timothy 6:4 5 Luke 15:20
6 Luke 15:32 7 See Luke 14:5 8 See Luke 5:34
9 See Luke 15:7 10 See Isaiah 42:3 11John 1:4
12 Isaiah 35:10 13 2 Corinthians 5:21 14 John 6:48-51
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Third Sunday in Lent (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 13:2-3
Theme: Beyond Understanding
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Faith should not be set in opposition to knowledge. Faith does not scorn knowledge; it goes beyond its limits. And it does so precisely by venturing reliance in the trustworthiness of Christ. Yet this is no simple dynamic to engage. We are confronted with things beyond our capacity and control. Though explanations exist we are often not privy to them. Tragedies, accidents, events- often referred to as natural disasters- are the direct result of the fallen-ness of creation. But Christ is the Lord of creation.
Today Jesus is asked if there is a direct relationship between sin and punishment. Do some people suffer tragedy because they are more ungodly than others? Knowing their motives Jesus warned them to repent. Certain transgressions may lead to very direct consequences; i.e., drunk driving (the sin) may result in a car accident (the punishment); armed robbery may lead to a prison sentence. If you abuse your body with drugs or alcohol or live recklessly you are more likely to suffer from illness or injury. This correlation is common sense to most people.
But that’s hardly the end of the story and the correlation only extends so far. What about the seemingly innocent victim? What about the innumerable instances where the innocent by-stander seems to be collateral damage? What about the stillborn infant or the healthy 20 year old that dies in a plane crash? These are not unimportant questions. In fact, this issue is a stumbling block for many. For into this category soon comes the accusation that if God were a loving God He would prevent such things from happening. If you’ve lived very long on this earth you’ve heard these queries before.
More than just suspicion about God’s motives is often raised here. God is put on trial. Is He really too impotent, apathetic, or ignorant to intervene? The direct evidence can be convincing. One person may need only to experience or witness one personal tragedy to be overcome with anger or despair. Others may be persuaded by an accumulation of things over the course of time. So what are we to make of these arguments? Where does the Bible stand?
Statements like, “If that’s what God’s like I don’t want to have anything to do with Him.” Or, “How could a God of love allow these things to happen?” reveal the skepticism of the human spirit. They may be convenient excuses- ways of justifying disobedience to God’s will. Or they may be heartfelt and ‘genuine’ grievances against the Almighty’s lack of intervention. But even as such they uncover our angst at dealing with our inadequacies. We do not like to accept limitations of our intellect. Even less do we like to accept the limitations of our desires. But inevitably we come up against forces far beyond our means to handle. The web of sin is too tangled for us to comprehend or to escape based on our presumed innocence. Christ died for the ungodly. Thanks be to God His grace is sufficient for us as sinners!
God is not a tit-for-tat God. He is not in the business of petty rejoinders as punishment for individual indiscretions. We are much more valuable to Him than that. All sin and so all will be punished. This reality begins with Adam. The Scripture says, “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned..”1 All are born originally as sinners. Death is the punishment for sin. Separation from God happens both spiritually in this life, and eternally if the problem of sin is not resolved.
The Scripture goes on, “If the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!”2 And the apostle John says, “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them.”3 The first resurrection is the spiritual resurrection we have with Christ through baptism. In the waters of baptism our sinful nature is drowned and we are raised to new life. The second death is eternal separation from God in hell. That threat has no power over believers because Christ has silenced it.
Of course Satan is still busy in the short time that he has. He always fights his wars against the church on many fronts. He does the same thing with us individually. He is always using every opportunity to help us on our way, to obscure our view of the cross. The devil is more active in the lives of Christians and tries all the harder the more the fruits of the gospel flourish in our lives. Awareness of this struggle indicates a maturing faith.
In all the fruits of faith Christ is gloried- something we never accomplish on our own. Our Lutheran confessions say, “Even in this life the regenerate advance to the point that they want to do what is good and love it, and even do good and grow in it. Still, this is not of our will and ability but of the Holy Spirit.”4 The Holy Spirit comforts and counsels us. Christ bears our burdens. He absolves every sin and lifts our guilt away.
But it is not easy for us to let go. Consider the story of the Christian in the Philippines who was on his way to market driving a wagon full of produce when he overtook an old man carrying a heavy load on his back. Taking compassion on him, the driver invited the old man to ride in the wagon. Gratefully the old man accepted. After a few minutes, the driver turned to see how the man was doing. To his surprise, he found him still straining under the heavy weight, for he had not let the burden off his shoulders.
Perhaps we keep carrying our burdens because we don’t trust Christ will really bear them? Perhaps we want to be martyrs, praised by others and recognized by God for our great perseverance. Yet in so doing we are missing the full implications of the grace of God in Christ. The problem is not Christ’s ability, His willingness, or His faithfulness. He is quite capable. He has already suffered to the point of death on the cross. He has already overcome the grave by His resurrection. He has bested Satan and triumphed over hell. The problem lies with our skepticism that these great and sacred truths are directly relevant to us-today! Even the separation of many centuries of time since the Biblical events is not really the issue it’s made out to be. The issue is a more direct struggle between the flesh and the Spirit; between our need for control and the confidence that God has things in His control.
Tragedies will occur. But we need not fret about placing blame or making hasty judgments. Nor need we worry that God is uninformed or apathetic. He comes to the aide of His people. We stand in the conviction that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.”5 This is possible only because of Christ who still intercedes for us. The entire journey of Lent could be viewed as an exercise in learning how God really can be working good in the darkest and most desperate of circumstances. We pursue a better understanding. But we also pray for a stronger faith when those limits are reached. We pray for a faith that sees things through the cross and empty tomb; a faith that is strengthened through sacred bread and wine; a faith that rejoices in all circumstances. May God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday in Lent
3 March 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 5:12
2 Romans 5:15
3 Revelation 20:6
4 SD II Free Will
5 Romans 8:28
Text: Luke 13:2-3
Theme: Beyond Understanding
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Faith should not be set in opposition to knowledge. Faith does not scorn knowledge; it goes beyond its limits. And it does so precisely by venturing reliance in the trustworthiness of Christ. Yet this is no simple dynamic to engage. We are confronted with things beyond our capacity and control. Though explanations exist we are often not privy to them. Tragedies, accidents, events- often referred to as natural disasters- are the direct result of the fallen-ness of creation. But Christ is the Lord of creation.
Today Jesus is asked if there is a direct relationship between sin and punishment. Do some people suffer tragedy because they are more ungodly than others? Knowing their motives Jesus warned them to repent. Certain transgressions may lead to very direct consequences; i.e., drunk driving (the sin) may result in a car accident (the punishment); armed robbery may lead to a prison sentence. If you abuse your body with drugs or alcohol or live recklessly you are more likely to suffer from illness or injury. This correlation is common sense to most people.
But that’s hardly the end of the story and the correlation only extends so far. What about the seemingly innocent victim? What about the innumerable instances where the innocent by-stander seems to be collateral damage? What about the stillborn infant or the healthy 20 year old that dies in a plane crash? These are not unimportant questions. In fact, this issue is a stumbling block for many. For into this category soon comes the accusation that if God were a loving God He would prevent such things from happening. If you’ve lived very long on this earth you’ve heard these queries before.
More than just suspicion about God’s motives is often raised here. God is put on trial. Is He really too impotent, apathetic, or ignorant to intervene? The direct evidence can be convincing. One person may need only to experience or witness one personal tragedy to be overcome with anger or despair. Others may be persuaded by an accumulation of things over the course of time. So what are we to make of these arguments? Where does the Bible stand?
Statements like, “If that’s what God’s like I don’t want to have anything to do with Him.” Or, “How could a God of love allow these things to happen?” reveal the skepticism of the human spirit. They may be convenient excuses- ways of justifying disobedience to God’s will. Or they may be heartfelt and ‘genuine’ grievances against the Almighty’s lack of intervention. But even as such they uncover our angst at dealing with our inadequacies. We do not like to accept limitations of our intellect. Even less do we like to accept the limitations of our desires. But inevitably we come up against forces far beyond our means to handle. The web of sin is too tangled for us to comprehend or to escape based on our presumed innocence. Christ died for the ungodly. Thanks be to God His grace is sufficient for us as sinners!
God is not a tit-for-tat God. He is not in the business of petty rejoinders as punishment for individual indiscretions. We are much more valuable to Him than that. All sin and so all will be punished. This reality begins with Adam. The Scripture says, “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned..”1 All are born originally as sinners. Death is the punishment for sin. Separation from God happens both spiritually in this life, and eternally if the problem of sin is not resolved.
The Scripture goes on, “If the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!”2 And the apostle John says, “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them.”3 The first resurrection is the spiritual resurrection we have with Christ through baptism. In the waters of baptism our sinful nature is drowned and we are raised to new life. The second death is eternal separation from God in hell. That threat has no power over believers because Christ has silenced it.
Of course Satan is still busy in the short time that he has. He always fights his wars against the church on many fronts. He does the same thing with us individually. He is always using every opportunity to help us on our way, to obscure our view of the cross. The devil is more active in the lives of Christians and tries all the harder the more the fruits of the gospel flourish in our lives. Awareness of this struggle indicates a maturing faith.
In all the fruits of faith Christ is gloried- something we never accomplish on our own. Our Lutheran confessions say, “Even in this life the regenerate advance to the point that they want to do what is good and love it, and even do good and grow in it. Still, this is not of our will and ability but of the Holy Spirit.”4 The Holy Spirit comforts and counsels us. Christ bears our burdens. He absolves every sin and lifts our guilt away.
But it is not easy for us to let go. Consider the story of the Christian in the Philippines who was on his way to market driving a wagon full of produce when he overtook an old man carrying a heavy load on his back. Taking compassion on him, the driver invited the old man to ride in the wagon. Gratefully the old man accepted. After a few minutes, the driver turned to see how the man was doing. To his surprise, he found him still straining under the heavy weight, for he had not let the burden off his shoulders.
Perhaps we keep carrying our burdens because we don’t trust Christ will really bear them? Perhaps we want to be martyrs, praised by others and recognized by God for our great perseverance. Yet in so doing we are missing the full implications of the grace of God in Christ. The problem is not Christ’s ability, His willingness, or His faithfulness. He is quite capable. He has already suffered to the point of death on the cross. He has already overcome the grave by His resurrection. He has bested Satan and triumphed over hell. The problem lies with our skepticism that these great and sacred truths are directly relevant to us-today! Even the separation of many centuries of time since the Biblical events is not really the issue it’s made out to be. The issue is a more direct struggle between the flesh and the Spirit; between our need for control and the confidence that God has things in His control.
Tragedies will occur. But we need not fret about placing blame or making hasty judgments. Nor need we worry that God is uninformed or apathetic. He comes to the aide of His people. We stand in the conviction that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.”5 This is possible only because of Christ who still intercedes for us. The entire journey of Lent could be viewed as an exercise in learning how God really can be working good in the darkest and most desperate of circumstances. We pursue a better understanding. But we also pray for a stronger faith when those limits are reached. We pray for a faith that sees things through the cross and empty tomb; a faith that is strengthened through sacred bread and wine; a faith that rejoices in all circumstances. May God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday in Lent
3 March 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 5:12
2 Romans 5:15
3 Revelation 20:6
4 SD II Free Will
5 Romans 8:28
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Second Sunday in Lent (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 13:34
Theme: Grief Before Glory
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Life has pivotal moments. Often they are preceded by extensive preparation or planning. Sometimes they come swiftly. Whether we are rejoicing at a birth or a wedding, or grieving because of a funeral or accident we seek to acquire a greater understanding of God’s presence in Christ. Lent helps us to appraise the pivotal events in life and see them not only as personal joys or tragedies but from the perspective of the kingdom.
Today Jesus stood at a pivotal juncture as He reflected on the past and contemplated the future. Jesus was filled with sorrow regarding the hard-heartedness of the people of Jerusalem. Rebellious and recalcitrant they spurned the overtures of the prophets and established their own religious legalism. Judgment would soon be rendered. It always is. But we must take it on faith. Remember how the Psalmist grappled with the prosperity of the wicked. They never seemed to be judged. They always seem to be successful- healthy, wealthy, and wise. He even questions his own walk of faith, “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain I have washed my hands in innocence.”1 But then he says, “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”2
How staggering is the record of injustices accumulated in the history of humanity? How wickedly those with power have mistreated those who have none? How ruthless has been the shedding of blood for the sake of greed and glory! Genocide, enslavement, and oppression have characterized dictatorships and corrupt governments throughout history. Then there is the chronicle of personal acts of wickedness. They are too numerous to mention. How can they be measured, let alone rectified? What about appraising their relative harm or malice? Who can say if a legal, but immoral abortion is more tragic than a desperate suicide or an act of premeditated murder? Paul pulls no punches when he speaks of the ungodly as “senseless, faithless, heartless, [and] ruthless.”3
Who will weigh these things in the balance? Who will bring justice? It takes a mighty faith to believe that the Almighty God will sort it all out. Just this hope is written in the creed of Christian confession. Christ doesn’t leave humanity to perish in its own chaos and failure. Justice is adjudicated at the cross. But who can understand it? The Lamb of God becomes the scapegoat. The Son becomes the sacrifice. Yet justice is not ignored. The repentant are freed by grace- their punishment falling on Christ. The impenitent will bear their own guilt into eternity. It’s not without reason that these words are declared to us, “God forbid that any of you reject his grace and forgiveness by refusing to repent and believe, and your sins therefore remain unforgiven. May he comfort you with his holy absolution, and strengthen you with his Sacrament, that your joy may be full.”4
Christ sorrowed over Jerusalem. He lamented the cold unbelief of many of His own people. But He did not give up in despair. He did not throw in the towel. He stayed the course. He steadfastly met opposition with perseverance, hostility with gentleness, arrogance with humility, and selfishness with servanthood. Christ was not side-tracked by the failures or opposition of others- friend or foe.
God’s kingdom has many foes. We pray in the Lord’s Prayer to be delivered from evil, including the evil one- Satan. Believers seek protection from all of the devil’s tactics- especially anything that would destroy faith. While we can and should rejoice over God’s suppression of evil we cannot gloat over it or relish in it in regards to personal matters. “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is Mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”5
In regards to personal offenses- the sins others commit against us- we always leave penalties to God. We too are in need of forgiveness. We are not in the business of making comparisons for the purpose satisfaction or fairness. We rejoice in repentance and reconciliation. As soon as we look for qualifications we go right off the track. This usually amounts to a thinly veiled attempt to, justify, excuse or exonerate ourselves. “Who is my neighbour?” asked the rich young ruler. Why? To narrow the scope of responsibility. If the bar isn’t set too high perhaps we can reach it?
But Christ doesn’t lower the bar; He carries us right over it. We don’t side-step God’s law; we are credited with observing it for Christ’s sake. Consider these words from the Lutheran reformers, “It must always be regarded as certain that we are counted righteous through faith for Christ’s sake. If the regenerate afterward think that they will be accepted because of fulfilling the Law, when would a conscience be certain that it pleased God? We never satisfy the Law! So we must always run back to the promise.”AP V (III)
What is the promise? Not simply some generic pledges made by God. The promise is The Gospel- even Christ Himself, crucified and risen! The promise was made to Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Messiah would come. People would be made right with God not through obedience to the law, not through the outward act of circumcision, but through God’s own Son. The wrath of God would be appeased. The promise of God is the irrevocable oath that the Father in heaven is pleased with the sacrifice of His Son. Nothing more needs to be done to open the gates of heaven or bar the gates to hell. Christ will never forsake His people. This is pivotal, sacred, and life-changing truth!
Oh, but give apathy its due! We still find ourselves fumbling around dallying in our indulgences hardly giving a thought to the things that matter for eternity. Lent is a corrective for this loss of perspective. Sin can never be dismissed as a minor matter. Christianity is not a matter of pacifying the conscience because your name is on the church membership rolls. It’s not about appearances. It involves a constant struggle against sin, a daily bearing of the cross, a continual witness to the truth, a faithful bearing of the burdens of others, and a steady engagement with the challenges that face the community of faith locally and on a broader level.
No one is indispensable to the common good. In spite of our failings, our ignorance, or even our absence the Holy Spirit will continue to find the means to build up the body of Christ. Christ is the head, and no one else. But no one is insignificant. There are no irrelevant or inconsequential members of Christ’s body. We all have our part, without which the whole body suffers. We are beneficiaries of the same baptismal inheritance- and co-heirs with Christ Himself. We participate in the one bread- His body broken; and the one blood poured out from His veins. These are not personal possessions but property of the Christian “commonwealth”.
Dear friends, life has only a certain number of pivotal moments. Mortality has its limitations. But the mercy of God is unlimited. His love has very real consequences. Christ prepares us to share in His immortality as the apostle says, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”7 May Christ fulfill this promise according to the will of the Father. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday in Lent
24 February 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 73:13
2 Psalm 73:16-17
3 Romans 1:31
4 LHS, p.7
5 Romans 12:19
6 AP V (III)
7 Philippians 3:20-21
Text: Luke 13:34
Theme: Grief Before Glory
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Life has pivotal moments. Often they are preceded by extensive preparation or planning. Sometimes they come swiftly. Whether we are rejoicing at a birth or a wedding, or grieving because of a funeral or accident we seek to acquire a greater understanding of God’s presence in Christ. Lent helps us to appraise the pivotal events in life and see them not only as personal joys or tragedies but from the perspective of the kingdom.
Today Jesus stood at a pivotal juncture as He reflected on the past and contemplated the future. Jesus was filled with sorrow regarding the hard-heartedness of the people of Jerusalem. Rebellious and recalcitrant they spurned the overtures of the prophets and established their own religious legalism. Judgment would soon be rendered. It always is. But we must take it on faith. Remember how the Psalmist grappled with the prosperity of the wicked. They never seemed to be judged. They always seem to be successful- healthy, wealthy, and wise. He even questions his own walk of faith, “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain I have washed my hands in innocence.”1 But then he says, “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”2
How staggering is the record of injustices accumulated in the history of humanity? How wickedly those with power have mistreated those who have none? How ruthless has been the shedding of blood for the sake of greed and glory! Genocide, enslavement, and oppression have characterized dictatorships and corrupt governments throughout history. Then there is the chronicle of personal acts of wickedness. They are too numerous to mention. How can they be measured, let alone rectified? What about appraising their relative harm or malice? Who can say if a legal, but immoral abortion is more tragic than a desperate suicide or an act of premeditated murder? Paul pulls no punches when he speaks of the ungodly as “senseless, faithless, heartless, [and] ruthless.”3
Who will weigh these things in the balance? Who will bring justice? It takes a mighty faith to believe that the Almighty God will sort it all out. Just this hope is written in the creed of Christian confession. Christ doesn’t leave humanity to perish in its own chaos and failure. Justice is adjudicated at the cross. But who can understand it? The Lamb of God becomes the scapegoat. The Son becomes the sacrifice. Yet justice is not ignored. The repentant are freed by grace- their punishment falling on Christ. The impenitent will bear their own guilt into eternity. It’s not without reason that these words are declared to us, “God forbid that any of you reject his grace and forgiveness by refusing to repent and believe, and your sins therefore remain unforgiven. May he comfort you with his holy absolution, and strengthen you with his Sacrament, that your joy may be full.”4
Christ sorrowed over Jerusalem. He lamented the cold unbelief of many of His own people. But He did not give up in despair. He did not throw in the towel. He stayed the course. He steadfastly met opposition with perseverance, hostility with gentleness, arrogance with humility, and selfishness with servanthood. Christ was not side-tracked by the failures or opposition of others- friend or foe.
God’s kingdom has many foes. We pray in the Lord’s Prayer to be delivered from evil, including the evil one- Satan. Believers seek protection from all of the devil’s tactics- especially anything that would destroy faith. While we can and should rejoice over God’s suppression of evil we cannot gloat over it or relish in it in regards to personal matters. “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is Mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”5
In regards to personal offenses- the sins others commit against us- we always leave penalties to God. We too are in need of forgiveness. We are not in the business of making comparisons for the purpose satisfaction or fairness. We rejoice in repentance and reconciliation. As soon as we look for qualifications we go right off the track. This usually amounts to a thinly veiled attempt to, justify, excuse or exonerate ourselves. “Who is my neighbour?” asked the rich young ruler. Why? To narrow the scope of responsibility. If the bar isn’t set too high perhaps we can reach it?
But Christ doesn’t lower the bar; He carries us right over it. We don’t side-step God’s law; we are credited with observing it for Christ’s sake. Consider these words from the Lutheran reformers, “It must always be regarded as certain that we are counted righteous through faith for Christ’s sake. If the regenerate afterward think that they will be accepted because of fulfilling the Law, when would a conscience be certain that it pleased God? We never satisfy the Law! So we must always run back to the promise.”AP V (III)
What is the promise? Not simply some generic pledges made by God. The promise is The Gospel- even Christ Himself, crucified and risen! The promise was made to Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Messiah would come. People would be made right with God not through obedience to the law, not through the outward act of circumcision, but through God’s own Son. The wrath of God would be appeased. The promise of God is the irrevocable oath that the Father in heaven is pleased with the sacrifice of His Son. Nothing more needs to be done to open the gates of heaven or bar the gates to hell. Christ will never forsake His people. This is pivotal, sacred, and life-changing truth!
Oh, but give apathy its due! We still find ourselves fumbling around dallying in our indulgences hardly giving a thought to the things that matter for eternity. Lent is a corrective for this loss of perspective. Sin can never be dismissed as a minor matter. Christianity is not a matter of pacifying the conscience because your name is on the church membership rolls. It’s not about appearances. It involves a constant struggle against sin, a daily bearing of the cross, a continual witness to the truth, a faithful bearing of the burdens of others, and a steady engagement with the challenges that face the community of faith locally and on a broader level.
No one is indispensable to the common good. In spite of our failings, our ignorance, or even our absence the Holy Spirit will continue to find the means to build up the body of Christ. Christ is the head, and no one else. But no one is insignificant. There are no irrelevant or inconsequential members of Christ’s body. We all have our part, without which the whole body suffers. We are beneficiaries of the same baptismal inheritance- and co-heirs with Christ Himself. We participate in the one bread- His body broken; and the one blood poured out from His veins. These are not personal possessions but property of the Christian “commonwealth”.
Dear friends, life has only a certain number of pivotal moments. Mortality has its limitations. But the mercy of God is unlimited. His love has very real consequences. Christ prepares us to share in His immortality as the apostle says, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”7 May Christ fulfill this promise according to the will of the Father. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday in Lent
24 February 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 73:13
2 Psalm 73:16-17
3 Romans 1:31
4 LHS, p.7
5 Romans 12:19
6 AP V (III)
7 Philippians 3:20-21
Sunday, February 17, 2013
First Sunday In Lent (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 4:1-13
Theme: By Word and Spirit
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Lent is the season of renewal. We reset our watches. We reboot our smart phones. We restart our computers. We recalibrate the instruments and tools of our trade. Sometimes this is done for minor adjustments. Other times we need to wipe the slate clean. Lent is such a time. It’s the time for a no holds barred candid gut-check about the things that drive us and the things that captivate us; the things we idolize and the things we despise; our fears, our temptations and our hopes.
The gospel reading before us is a starting point for our journey. Christ is clashing with Satan. Here we have the earthly embodiment- a small-scale representation- of the cosmic struggle. The Son of radiance face to face with the prince of darkness. The defender of truth confronting the Father of lies. The incarnate God opposing the epitome of evil.
So what is Satan’s approach? It’s not as brash as we might imagine. But it is, of course, sinister. First he appeals to Christ’s human needs. Just a little unassuming miracle to satisfy the hunger of the stomach, he suggests. We are beset by such temptations constantly; greed and lust, frivolity and indulgence, our self-centred ambitions and the need to convince our conscience that they’re all for the common good. These sins of the flesh are often quite obvious.
But the devil’s second and third temptations raise the bar. He now appeals to Jesus’ higher sense of purpose, even His trust in the Father’s plan. “The devil led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered, ‘It says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”1
Could Jesus be led to second-guess, to adopt a different perspective? Maybe there was another way? Would the heavenly Father be flexible? Would He bend to certain conditions? Why could Jesus not have His cake (gain victory over Satan) and eat it too (avoid suffering and sacrifice)? We know He did not yield. As He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed, “Not My will, but Yours be done.”2
There can be no bargaining with God; yet how often we try it. If God blesses me in such and such a way then, I promise I will show my obedience in a certain manner. If God gives me a sign (specially, one of my own designation), then I will respond accordingly. After all, don’t I deserve to have God prove Himself to me first! This mindset does not amount to testing God, but negotiating with Him, bartering- trying to set conditions and place demands that He must first meet. The stark truth is such attempts are not expressions of faith.
Our Lenten journey cannot be fruitful if we deny that our most damning sins involve those which seek to wield control from God. This is where unbelief seeks to reassert itself. Not that we would be so bold as to attempt to wrest from God His control over the sweeping events of history. But we seek to do it in the immediate sphere of influence in our own lives. We like to be lord of our own manor.
Dear friends, our faith exists in penitence. Faith is never arrogant but always humble. This entails not only a recognition of our sin but the trust that God’s ways are superior to ours even when we cannot see it. Humility is evidenced in patience. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord,”3 says David the Psalmist. We have God’s promise of deliverance. No threat or fear can gainsay God’s oath.
Remember the words of the apostle today, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”4 To confess Jesus as Lord was to risk everything in a First Century society saturated with polytheistic teaching and the expectation of venerating the Caesar as the exclusive ruler of the land. Perhaps those who exalted the stability of the empire- the pax Romana- would have allowed this Jesus a place in the pantheon, the large collection of gods and goddess to whom was attributed jurisdiction of everything from the fertility of the livestock to the protection of the army. But to acclaim Him as Lord was akin to political treason and religious insanity. Pilate cared little about Christ’s confession of truth but was keen to understand His concept of kingship. The Jews accused Him of blasphemy.
We are moving again towards a polytheistic culture. There are legitimate fears about the ravages of atheism and secularism, but mystical, supernatural, and spiritual pursuits have by no means been abandoned. Yet they are moving quickly away from Christian foundations. Many still seek a spiritualist connection, but one custom-made to suit their fancy. Some want tolerance without judgment, forgiveness without atonement, empowerment without responsibility, salvation without sacrifice. They may seek to glean from Christian truth certain elements that can be reimaged.
More and more look for divinity in the earth, stars, and sky or within themselves.
Fortune-telling, mediums and contacting or channeling the deceased are making a resurgence. People want to feel in touch with and in control of their destiny. All there better if one can be convinced everything from relationships to careers is written in the stars! Though personal, they prefer their spirituality to be creedless, cross-less, and Christ-less.
It is in the context of this worldview that you bear a confession. You are led by the Spirit in a spiritual wilderness. You learn to carry around your yoke of mortality in a different way than those who have no hope, those who have false hope, and those who are completely preoccupied with the indulgences of this world. We learn to make godly assessments and not evaluate as the world does. A busy life is not necessarily a godly life- Paul warns of busybodies. A fulfilling life is not necessarily a pious life. Whose agenda is being served?
The Spirit led Christ into His contest with Satan. The Spirit leads us in our daily struggle with sin. We can accomplish nothing without Him. But in faith we have the confidence that God uses us everywhere and in every way. Everything a believer does out of faith is a good work. It is a good work not because of some quality we lend to it even with our best intentions and motivations but because it flows from the trust that Christ has done THE good work. The law can be followed because the law has been fulfilled. The baptized can serve because they have been served. We can be living sacrifices5 because Christ, our sacrifice6, lives. He was crucified. He is risen!
And He continues to intercede to reset, recalibrate and restore us. He does this through the forgiveness of our sins which has real impact in countless ways. Christ brings light into dark places. He calms the anxious. He settles the restless. He welcomes the outcast. He feeds the hungry. He restores the sick. Those He chooses not to restore in this life, He nurses. Those who remain restless, He accompanies. Those who are still anxious, He soothes. Those who linger as outcasts, He embraces. To those who are yet famished He offers His own body and blood for nourishment. And for all who fail of strength to any longer contest this world of sin He prepares not a respite, but a repose of eternal rest of a celestial caliber. For remember, the end of Lent is Easter and the mortal will be clothed with immortality. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday in Lent
17 February 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 4:9-12
2 Luke 22:42
3 Psalm 27:14
4 Romans 10:9
5 See Romans 12:1
6 See 1 Corinthians 5:7
Text: Luke 4:1-13
Theme: By Word and Spirit
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Lent is the season of renewal. We reset our watches. We reboot our smart phones. We restart our computers. We recalibrate the instruments and tools of our trade. Sometimes this is done for minor adjustments. Other times we need to wipe the slate clean. Lent is such a time. It’s the time for a no holds barred candid gut-check about the things that drive us and the things that captivate us; the things we idolize and the things we despise; our fears, our temptations and our hopes.
The gospel reading before us is a starting point for our journey. Christ is clashing with Satan. Here we have the earthly embodiment- a small-scale representation- of the cosmic struggle. The Son of radiance face to face with the prince of darkness. The defender of truth confronting the Father of lies. The incarnate God opposing the epitome of evil.
So what is Satan’s approach? It’s not as brash as we might imagine. But it is, of course, sinister. First he appeals to Christ’s human needs. Just a little unassuming miracle to satisfy the hunger of the stomach, he suggests. We are beset by such temptations constantly; greed and lust, frivolity and indulgence, our self-centred ambitions and the need to convince our conscience that they’re all for the common good. These sins of the flesh are often quite obvious.
But the devil’s second and third temptations raise the bar. He now appeals to Jesus’ higher sense of purpose, even His trust in the Father’s plan. “The devil led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered, ‘It says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”1
Could Jesus be led to second-guess, to adopt a different perspective? Maybe there was another way? Would the heavenly Father be flexible? Would He bend to certain conditions? Why could Jesus not have His cake (gain victory over Satan) and eat it too (avoid suffering and sacrifice)? We know He did not yield. As He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed, “Not My will, but Yours be done.”2
There can be no bargaining with God; yet how often we try it. If God blesses me in such and such a way then, I promise I will show my obedience in a certain manner. If God gives me a sign (specially, one of my own designation), then I will respond accordingly. After all, don’t I deserve to have God prove Himself to me first! This mindset does not amount to testing God, but negotiating with Him, bartering- trying to set conditions and place demands that He must first meet. The stark truth is such attempts are not expressions of faith.
Our Lenten journey cannot be fruitful if we deny that our most damning sins involve those which seek to wield control from God. This is where unbelief seeks to reassert itself. Not that we would be so bold as to attempt to wrest from God His control over the sweeping events of history. But we seek to do it in the immediate sphere of influence in our own lives. We like to be lord of our own manor.
Dear friends, our faith exists in penitence. Faith is never arrogant but always humble. This entails not only a recognition of our sin but the trust that God’s ways are superior to ours even when we cannot see it. Humility is evidenced in patience. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord,”3 says David the Psalmist. We have God’s promise of deliverance. No threat or fear can gainsay God’s oath.
Remember the words of the apostle today, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”4 To confess Jesus as Lord was to risk everything in a First Century society saturated with polytheistic teaching and the expectation of venerating the Caesar as the exclusive ruler of the land. Perhaps those who exalted the stability of the empire- the pax Romana- would have allowed this Jesus a place in the pantheon, the large collection of gods and goddess to whom was attributed jurisdiction of everything from the fertility of the livestock to the protection of the army. But to acclaim Him as Lord was akin to political treason and religious insanity. Pilate cared little about Christ’s confession of truth but was keen to understand His concept of kingship. The Jews accused Him of blasphemy.
We are moving again towards a polytheistic culture. There are legitimate fears about the ravages of atheism and secularism, but mystical, supernatural, and spiritual pursuits have by no means been abandoned. Yet they are moving quickly away from Christian foundations. Many still seek a spiritualist connection, but one custom-made to suit their fancy. Some want tolerance without judgment, forgiveness without atonement, empowerment without responsibility, salvation without sacrifice. They may seek to glean from Christian truth certain elements that can be reimaged.
More and more look for divinity in the earth, stars, and sky or within themselves.
Fortune-telling, mediums and contacting or channeling the deceased are making a resurgence. People want to feel in touch with and in control of their destiny. All there better if one can be convinced everything from relationships to careers is written in the stars! Though personal, they prefer their spirituality to be creedless, cross-less, and Christ-less.
It is in the context of this worldview that you bear a confession. You are led by the Spirit in a spiritual wilderness. You learn to carry around your yoke of mortality in a different way than those who have no hope, those who have false hope, and those who are completely preoccupied with the indulgences of this world. We learn to make godly assessments and not evaluate as the world does. A busy life is not necessarily a godly life- Paul warns of busybodies. A fulfilling life is not necessarily a pious life. Whose agenda is being served?
The Spirit led Christ into His contest with Satan. The Spirit leads us in our daily struggle with sin. We can accomplish nothing without Him. But in faith we have the confidence that God uses us everywhere and in every way. Everything a believer does out of faith is a good work. It is a good work not because of some quality we lend to it even with our best intentions and motivations but because it flows from the trust that Christ has done THE good work. The law can be followed because the law has been fulfilled. The baptized can serve because they have been served. We can be living sacrifices5 because Christ, our sacrifice6, lives. He was crucified. He is risen!
And He continues to intercede to reset, recalibrate and restore us. He does this through the forgiveness of our sins which has real impact in countless ways. Christ brings light into dark places. He calms the anxious. He settles the restless. He welcomes the outcast. He feeds the hungry. He restores the sick. Those He chooses not to restore in this life, He nurses. Those who remain restless, He accompanies. Those who are still anxious, He soothes. Those who linger as outcasts, He embraces. To those who are yet famished He offers His own body and blood for nourishment. And for all who fail of strength to any longer contest this world of sin He prepares not a respite, but a repose of eternal rest of a celestial caliber. For remember, the end of Lent is Easter and the mortal will be clothed with immortality. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday in Lent
17 February 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 4:9-12
2 Luke 22:42
3 Psalm 27:14
4 Romans 10:9
5 See Romans 12:1
6 See 1 Corinthians 5:7
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Transfiguration of our Lord (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 9:31
Theme: Lord of the Harvest
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus stood on the mountain of transfiguration preparing for the harvest of the end of the age. It was a dramatic preview. Still, the glory of God remains hidden in the humanity of Jesus. His human nature was witnessed by all. His divine nature cannot be comprehended by sinners. So what was His mission? To reach sinners! “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”1 It’s a messy task.
The reason our sins seldom appear sinister in our own eyes isn’t only due to our arrogance. Many sins are so familiar to us they simply seen mundane. We become desensitized, even numb. Our apathy then leads to a sense of unfairness for being rebuked. Isn’t God being too harsh? What’s the big deal? As with declining vision we lose sight of the clear picture of our condition. The foggier our grasp the greater our need to be driven to repentance. We can easily be convinced we are self-made people and a self-made society. How readily, on this Harvest Thanksgiving, do we recognize we are still dependent on God even for our daily bread?
In the same way the spiritual harvest is dependent on His word. St. Peter says, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.”2
God causes the seed of the sower to germinate in the Mallee soil. The Holy Spirit causes the seed of the word to germinate in the human heart. Both require a divine power. Science may have delineated the ideal conditions for germination- the temperature, the moisture, the sunlight- yet the deeper cause of a seed’s sprouting is, and will remain, a mystery. So too is the miracle of faith’s germination- as well as its establishment and maturity. And the maturing of our faith as an activity of the Holy Spirit is no small matter to overlook. The heavenly Father doesn’t see to the conception of believers and then send them out to fend for themselves. They have a mother; the church.
When faith becomes self-reflective it is in immediate danger of decline. Here we don’t mean the faith as reference to the content of the church’s teaching- the creedal confessions about the Holy Trinity and Jesus Christ and His work of sacrifice, suffering, resurrection, enthronement, and promised return- these truths are the very foundation of godly reflection. Nor does it mean that we cannot question. We wonder, we query, we ponder, we want to know why- God’s motives and rationale. We want to understand better. The Scriptures are an inexhaustible treasure house teaching us the wisdom of God.
We are referring, rather, to personal faith. When faith becomes too self-reflective it may be inclined (tempted) to become self-supporting- even independent. Risky questions may be asked. How is my faith measuring up? Is it strong enough for the next challenge? Is it keeping pace with other believers I know? How will I muster the courage, the energy, the ingenuity, the strength to keep my faith vibrant? So we look for new barometers to give us the sense that we’re still doing enough, maybe even doing better than others. People can go on for some time in this delusion. Tragically some eventually come to believe they are saved because they have faith in their faith rather than faith in Christ.
The disciples thought their faith was so strong they would die with Christ rather than deny Him. We know how that ended. In the time of trial they abandoned Him. But they were restored! His first post-resurrection words to them were words of absolution. You are not justified- declared righteous and holy in God’s sight because your faith is strong enough, or because it is stronger than others. You are justified because of Christ’s sacrifice and this is appropriated by your faith which simply is. Your faith exists as a Spirit-given miracle.
Yes, your faith does grow and mature. It is tempered by trials and refined by challenges. But you can only recognize this in retrospect as you look back on all the ways God has carried you through the difficulties of life. Like the sun, you cannot look directly at your own faith without being blinded. Yet it is immediately self-evident and generally clear to others that it is there- reflected in your life in countless ways.
Don’t fret about the condition of your faith. Focus intently on Christ. This is precisely the implication for the disciples on the mount of transfiguration today. The heavenly Father says, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.”3 This is the sum and substance. In your illness, in your grieving, in your brokenness don’t sigh and throw out a desperate prayer that your faith will be good enough. Take refuge in His promises. Can you demand healing? Can you demand joy? Can you demand immediate restoration? No, but you can be certain of His presence. You are baptized. You can be sure Christ has planned for you more than a transfiguration, He has planned a resurrection. You will be elevated to the place and purpose for which you were created. His power to do so is already foreshadowed for us.
Just as Jesus wined the water of Cana lifting it beyond the ordinary, so He consecrates the wine of the vineyard investing it with the sacred. In the sacrament the wine remains; but present in, with, and under it is the blood of Christ. It is the same with the bread. Surely there is no better way to celebrate God’s bounty at Harvest Thanksgiving than to receive the nourishment that also benefits us for the life to come. Our spiritual life is not sustained by the yield of orchards and paddocks but by the fruit of His veins. The Garden of Eden is re-entered through this sacrament opened by His death and resurrection.
It is only through these appointed means that we can see God in faith. We hear Him in the promise of forgiveness. We taste His mercy in the bread and wine. We learn His voice in the word proclaimed. We are foolish to try and construct an image of Him with our own opinions. The little girl was working furiously during craft time at Sunday School. The teacher came over and asked, “Suzie, what are you so intensely working on?” Suzie replied, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” “But Suzie, we don’t know what God looks like,” said the teacher. At that Suzie said confidently, “Well you will when I’m finished!”
Dear friends, the farmer who sows the seed does not know what the harvest will look like. Will it be poor? Will it be prosperous? The final harvest at the end of the age is shrouded in mystery too. What terror and what rejoicing when Christ comes again! The extent of both we do not know. But we know Him who will separate the wheat from the tares. We know the glimpse the disciples had on the mount of Transfiguration was but a shadow of what we will experience when we see Him face to face.4 When Christ reveals the finish we will know.
Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”5 He was speaking of His own death. The royal Seed of Abraham was buried in the soil of Golgotha and in His death provided the power for new life to spring. The tomb of Jesus was no crypt, only the seedbed for the firstfruits6 of the resurrection. In that resurrection we have our part. The man who dazzled on the mountain, hung from the cross, and walked out of the grave is the Lord of the harvest. His already, we look forward to being kept safe in His granary forevermore. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Transfiguration of our Lord
(Harvest Thanksgiving)
10 February 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 10:2
2 1 Peter 1:23-25
3 Luke 9:35
4 See 1 Corinthians 13:12
5 John 12:24
6 See 1 Corinthians 15:20
Text: Luke 9:31
Theme: Lord of the Harvest
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus stood on the mountain of transfiguration preparing for the harvest of the end of the age. It was a dramatic preview. Still, the glory of God remains hidden in the humanity of Jesus. His human nature was witnessed by all. His divine nature cannot be comprehended by sinners. So what was His mission? To reach sinners! “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”1 It’s a messy task.
The reason our sins seldom appear sinister in our own eyes isn’t only due to our arrogance. Many sins are so familiar to us they simply seen mundane. We become desensitized, even numb. Our apathy then leads to a sense of unfairness for being rebuked. Isn’t God being too harsh? What’s the big deal? As with declining vision we lose sight of the clear picture of our condition. The foggier our grasp the greater our need to be driven to repentance. We can easily be convinced we are self-made people and a self-made society. How readily, on this Harvest Thanksgiving, do we recognize we are still dependent on God even for our daily bread?
In the same way the spiritual harvest is dependent on His word. St. Peter says, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.”2
God causes the seed of the sower to germinate in the Mallee soil. The Holy Spirit causes the seed of the word to germinate in the human heart. Both require a divine power. Science may have delineated the ideal conditions for germination- the temperature, the moisture, the sunlight- yet the deeper cause of a seed’s sprouting is, and will remain, a mystery. So too is the miracle of faith’s germination- as well as its establishment and maturity. And the maturing of our faith as an activity of the Holy Spirit is no small matter to overlook. The heavenly Father doesn’t see to the conception of believers and then send them out to fend for themselves. They have a mother; the church.
When faith becomes self-reflective it is in immediate danger of decline. Here we don’t mean the faith as reference to the content of the church’s teaching- the creedal confessions about the Holy Trinity and Jesus Christ and His work of sacrifice, suffering, resurrection, enthronement, and promised return- these truths are the very foundation of godly reflection. Nor does it mean that we cannot question. We wonder, we query, we ponder, we want to know why- God’s motives and rationale. We want to understand better. The Scriptures are an inexhaustible treasure house teaching us the wisdom of God.
We are referring, rather, to personal faith. When faith becomes too self-reflective it may be inclined (tempted) to become self-supporting- even independent. Risky questions may be asked. How is my faith measuring up? Is it strong enough for the next challenge? Is it keeping pace with other believers I know? How will I muster the courage, the energy, the ingenuity, the strength to keep my faith vibrant? So we look for new barometers to give us the sense that we’re still doing enough, maybe even doing better than others. People can go on for some time in this delusion. Tragically some eventually come to believe they are saved because they have faith in their faith rather than faith in Christ.
The disciples thought their faith was so strong they would die with Christ rather than deny Him. We know how that ended. In the time of trial they abandoned Him. But they were restored! His first post-resurrection words to them were words of absolution. You are not justified- declared righteous and holy in God’s sight because your faith is strong enough, or because it is stronger than others. You are justified because of Christ’s sacrifice and this is appropriated by your faith which simply is. Your faith exists as a Spirit-given miracle.
Yes, your faith does grow and mature. It is tempered by trials and refined by challenges. But you can only recognize this in retrospect as you look back on all the ways God has carried you through the difficulties of life. Like the sun, you cannot look directly at your own faith without being blinded. Yet it is immediately self-evident and generally clear to others that it is there- reflected in your life in countless ways.
Don’t fret about the condition of your faith. Focus intently on Christ. This is precisely the implication for the disciples on the mount of transfiguration today. The heavenly Father says, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.”3 This is the sum and substance. In your illness, in your grieving, in your brokenness don’t sigh and throw out a desperate prayer that your faith will be good enough. Take refuge in His promises. Can you demand healing? Can you demand joy? Can you demand immediate restoration? No, but you can be certain of His presence. You are baptized. You can be sure Christ has planned for you more than a transfiguration, He has planned a resurrection. You will be elevated to the place and purpose for which you were created. His power to do so is already foreshadowed for us.
Just as Jesus wined the water of Cana lifting it beyond the ordinary, so He consecrates the wine of the vineyard investing it with the sacred. In the sacrament the wine remains; but present in, with, and under it is the blood of Christ. It is the same with the bread. Surely there is no better way to celebrate God’s bounty at Harvest Thanksgiving than to receive the nourishment that also benefits us for the life to come. Our spiritual life is not sustained by the yield of orchards and paddocks but by the fruit of His veins. The Garden of Eden is re-entered through this sacrament opened by His death and resurrection.
It is only through these appointed means that we can see God in faith. We hear Him in the promise of forgiveness. We taste His mercy in the bread and wine. We learn His voice in the word proclaimed. We are foolish to try and construct an image of Him with our own opinions. The little girl was working furiously during craft time at Sunday School. The teacher came over and asked, “Suzie, what are you so intensely working on?” Suzie replied, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” “But Suzie, we don’t know what God looks like,” said the teacher. At that Suzie said confidently, “Well you will when I’m finished!”
Dear friends, the farmer who sows the seed does not know what the harvest will look like. Will it be poor? Will it be prosperous? The final harvest at the end of the age is shrouded in mystery too. What terror and what rejoicing when Christ comes again! The extent of both we do not know. But we know Him who will separate the wheat from the tares. We know the glimpse the disciples had on the mount of Transfiguration was but a shadow of what we will experience when we see Him face to face.4 When Christ reveals the finish we will know.
Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”5 He was speaking of His own death. The royal Seed of Abraham was buried in the soil of Golgotha and in His death provided the power for new life to spring. The tomb of Jesus was no crypt, only the seedbed for the firstfruits6 of the resurrection. In that resurrection we have our part. The man who dazzled on the mountain, hung from the cross, and walked out of the grave is the Lord of the harvest. His already, we look forward to being kept safe in His granary forevermore. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Transfiguration of our Lord
(Harvest Thanksgiving)
10 February 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 10:2
2 1 Peter 1:23-25
3 Luke 9:35
4 See 1 Corinthians 13:12
5 John 12:24
6 See 1 Corinthians 15:20
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