+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 9:58
Theme: “No Place to Lay His Head”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus was resolute. That’s what the Scripture says. He ‘set His face’, that is, took His bearings and forged on with His mission. This resolve of Jesus was a necessity. Redemption would be accomplished in no other way. Jesus faced rejection His entire ministry. It was inevitable that it would be that way. The estranged creation does not willingly receive back its Creator. John writes, “He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.”1 And the Lord Himself says today, “The Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”2
The rejection of Jesus sets the tone for Christian discipleship. So what are we to do with the apparent callousness of Christ today? “Lord, first let me go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’”3 Where’s the sensitivity? Where’s the pity? Where’s the gentle Jesus? Ah, but Christ discerns the circumstance. He knows the heart. He knows when discipline is more beneficial than leniency. He’s heard every excuse in the book. And He’s heard it more than once. His challenge is a radical one: Leave behind your current search for security, well-being, and fulfillment; and follow Me! Without Me all of your hopes will be dashed at death, if not before. Curiosity doesn’t cut the mustard. There are no guarantees in this fallen world. The time to sort out where you’re headed is now.
Left under the control of sin it’s clear where people head. We run headlong into conflict with the will of God, and that can only come to grief. St. Paul says in our epistle, “The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want…the acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”4
There is little wiggle room here. The selfish person is condemned in the same breath as the idolater, the jealous person as well as the sexually immoral. With specificity that targets particular vices and thoroughness that covers a range of transgressions the apostle minces few words. There is little margin for error or scope for indiscretion. In fact, there’s none at all. And there’s not meant to be. All fall short of God’s demand for holiness. No exceptions! The warning is an unmistakable call to repentance. God justifies the sinner by grace and that leads to a total transformation of perspective.
Christianity isn’t just an activity of the mind. It’s not an intellectual assent to a set of principles or ethics. It’s not merely a knowledge and association with a religious history. It’s not just a framework for morality. Christ claims us- heart, body, mind and spirit; all that we have and are. The presence of the Spirit changes things. Our way of thinking, assessing, deciding, is re-orientated through the lens of the cross. We see human need not only as physical and psychological, but primarily as spiritual. That means our Christian journey is holistic.
If our pilgrimage is to be truly holistic it demands an honest reassessment of what we value and how we prioritize things. It means trusting God when He suddenly brings a dramatic change in direction. Think of Elijah today. His ministry was analogous to that of Christ’s. His focus was centred on the final goal. Elijah (along with Enoch) stand alone as exceptional figures in human history. They never closed their eyes in death. Elijah was lifted to heaven in a whirlwind, and as for Enoch, the Scripture simply says, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”5 Enoch was 365 years old. Compared to his peers he was young. Yet, time and age are relative. What is our life now compared to eternity? Do Christians reflect fruitfully on this as they once did? The Scripture says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above…set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”6 Yes, we know this cognitively, but do we know that this deliberate focus is part of Christian maturity? We’re not talking here about idle “star-gazing”, but about genuine Christian hope and anticipation.
Dear friends, the hardest part of our journey is truly letting God be God. We can’t usurp His role. Quit trying to made amends with God. Give up your games of negotiation, your efforts to retain some credit for your piety. You’re only digging a deeper hole. The conscience can never be pacified by its own efforts to please God. Christ has already done it. You cannot improve upon His work. The forgiveness of sins is a divine bequest. Every attempt to authenticate it by human means renders it invalid. His blood is holy; not ours. His obedience was perfect; not ours. His intercession merits an audience with the heavenly Father; our does not. His work of reconciliation is sufficient and complete. The power of sin has been defeated by His death and resurrection. He has gifted us beyond measure.
His promise of forgiveness is the engine that powers our Christian journey. When the words of absolution are spoken to you “this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.”7 There is no lag time, no delay between the words spoken right then and there and the realization of the promise. The Holy Spirit is present and with Him all the blessing of the Trinity. You are His baptized. He sacrificed everything in resolute obedience to the Father’s will. He has drawn near to us. When God seems further away from us- as He often does in times of distress- then the relevant question is “Who has moved?” God never distances Himself from us. He is the seeking Shepherd, the devoted Deliverer, the Meticulous Messiah; and the tireless Curator of souls.
Jesus didn’t raise a political platform; He raised a cross. At one stage many were campaigning for His appointment as chief provider of bread, but He supplies a higher and holier kind of food. At every turn He endures our wantonness that we might have His righteousness. The One who couldn’t catch a breather grants eternal rest. He who enjoyed little tranquility gives everlasting peace. This Christ, who left no earthly estate doles out an eternal inheritance. He had no place to lay His head that our heads might be crowned with life. His was a crown of thorns; ours a crown of joy. All of Christ’s promises come to fulfillment. He is resolute. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
26 June, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 1:11
2 Luke 9:58
3 Luke 9:59-60
4 Galatians 5:17, 19-21
5 Genesis 5:24
6 Colossians 3:1-2
7 Luther’s Small Catechism
Monday, June 27, 2016
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 8:28
Theme: Son of the Most High
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
His name was Legion. He was a horde of demons inhabiting this man from the Galilean shore. In him the ancient foe had established a beachhead for raids on the humanity of that district. Jesus stepped ashore into his domain. The Bearer of Light needed no introduction to these minions of darkness. The recognition and confrontation was immediate. “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!”1 They begged Him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.”2
Dear friends, through what experience can we comprehend such an account? Our modern Western culture has- for better or for worse- re-defined, re-imaged, and repudiated claims that satanic activity has any basis in a fact. The so-called enlightened mind is told these claims cannot be harmonized with a materialist view of reality. Yet, many uncomfortable questions remain. Can every incident of psychosis, insanity, and vicious assault be accounted for only from a psychological perspective? Perhaps this is why the discipline of psychology has become so overdeveloped, overburdened, and unsuccessful in meeting the needs of society? Are people directed only to therapies when they actually need confession and forgiveness? Sin must be repented of, not simply analyzed.
Note carefully some critical underlying assumptions made here. The reality of demonic activity and the existence of a place known as the Abyss is taken as common knowledge. These assumptions are a challenge to the modern denial of evil as an objective reality and a dismissive attitude of the spiritual realm generally. The spiritual dimension of the biblical world was not the Platonic conception of a contemplative heaven where disembodied souls achieved their highest virtues by endless meditation. Rather, there was penetrating recognition that daily life was lived at the interface of the next dimension- a spiritual realm every bit as real as the temporal sphere.
Both perspectives cannot be true in reality. We can see a parallel comparison in the modern divergence regarding the origin and meaning of life. How did we get here? Why are we here? And, where are we going? It is possible to believe in an intelligent designer from the empirical evidence we have before us. The complexity, the regularity, the immensity of the universe and how it functions all point to divine participation. Advances in science and progress in technology have only strengthened the case by revealing in more detail the incredible sophistication of both living and nonliving things. The honest secularist can, with intellectual respectability, hold to the conclusion that a supreme power is required to account for what we observe. Many do. But many don’t because they’ve already ejected God from the equation. So the evidence doesn’t really matter.
It doesn’t mean, of course, that those who do believe in a higher power believe in the God of the Bible. They may be closer to holding the convictions of major world religions, minus those religions’ particular practices of spirituality. Belief that the Creator of the universe is so attentive to individual souls that He has rescued them from sin and death is a daring faith to be sure! But belief that life somehow originated chaotically from inert material with no purpose or reason is an utterly blind faith. It is soul-destroying.
So, Christians have categorically different convictions; trust that requires the Holy Spirit. We do not believe merely in a supreme power or being, who is an almighty but abstract deity. We believe in the God who has chosen us before the creation of the world and redeemed us in Christ. We have the God-in-the-flesh Immanuel. He is the untouchable God who was embraced in a human womb. He is the God who cannot be corrupted by sin- who can only condemn sin and punish it- who, nevertheless, became completely defiled by bearing the sins of others. He is the origin of life and yet He succumbed to death. He is the unreachable God who reached down to us.
He reaches us now through His word and sacraments. He is deliberate about seeking souls. The Holy Spirit does not work coincidentally. It may seem that way to us. But it’s not a coincidence when the Spirit brings someone into contact with the Word, transforms their way of thinking, or changes their heart. The most unlikely scenario from a human perspective may be preferred approach of the Holy Spirit. That does mean by any stretch of the imagination that the Holy Spirit works randomly or willy-nilly. God is not a make-it-up-as-He-goes reactive Deity. He doesn’t test certain ideas or use a trial and error methodology. He knows the deceitful complexity of the human heart and will. He knows how easily we are led astray. He shepherds us faithfully.
Today’s gospel contains a somewhat vexing chain of events for modern sensibilities. Why would Jesus grant permission for the demons to inhabit this heard of pigs? As unclean animals they were more suitable hosts. But why not a sentence into the Abyss? Is the mercy and forbearance of Jesus the answer? Would the final sentence for these demons be reserved until Jesus’ death and resurrection? Speculation should be kept in check. But clear truths should be underscored. Christ is the Son of the Most High God. He reigns supreme over demonic forces. He has mastery over Satan.
Why did fear seize the locals? Because this well-known, uncontrollable, formerly demon-possessed man was now sitting at the feet of Jesus in his right mind. Imagine what freedom for this intensely tormented soul! Imagine what peace! Why did the locals not rejoice at his liberation? Unbelieving hearts have difficulty coming to terms with God’s power. It was too confronting; too convicting. Is not a person too vulnerable in the presence of this God? Jews and Gentiles alike had seen impressive Rabbis before. None were like this Jesus. No one ever will be. He is the Son of the Most High God, the Saviour from sin and death. He has been crucified but He lives.
Dear friends, we do not stand outside the events of the Bible as observers of theoretical truths. God is not aloof. We are part of the narrative. Baptism incorporates us into salvation history. We are children of Abraham, sons and daughters of the Most High. We are branches attached to the Vine and living stones in the temple. We don’t need to fabricate a reason for our existence. We don’t need to find our identity in temporal and transient things. We can appreciate and care for God’s creation without worshipping it. We worship the Maker.
The Scripture says, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”3 Satan doesn’t like what you’re wearing. He doesn’t like the Christian dress code. He doesn’t like what’s on the menu either. “Take and eat; this is My body…drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”4 But we have nothing to fear. Our King has no rivals. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
19 June, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 8:28
2 Luke 8:31
3 Galatians 3:26-27
4 Matthew 26:26-28
Text: Luke 8:28
Theme: Son of the Most High
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
His name was Legion. He was a horde of demons inhabiting this man from the Galilean shore. In him the ancient foe had established a beachhead for raids on the humanity of that district. Jesus stepped ashore into his domain. The Bearer of Light needed no introduction to these minions of darkness. The recognition and confrontation was immediate. “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!”1 They begged Him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.”2
Dear friends, through what experience can we comprehend such an account? Our modern Western culture has- for better or for worse- re-defined, re-imaged, and repudiated claims that satanic activity has any basis in a fact. The so-called enlightened mind is told these claims cannot be harmonized with a materialist view of reality. Yet, many uncomfortable questions remain. Can every incident of psychosis, insanity, and vicious assault be accounted for only from a psychological perspective? Perhaps this is why the discipline of psychology has become so overdeveloped, overburdened, and unsuccessful in meeting the needs of society? Are people directed only to therapies when they actually need confession and forgiveness? Sin must be repented of, not simply analyzed.
Note carefully some critical underlying assumptions made here. The reality of demonic activity and the existence of a place known as the Abyss is taken as common knowledge. These assumptions are a challenge to the modern denial of evil as an objective reality and a dismissive attitude of the spiritual realm generally. The spiritual dimension of the biblical world was not the Platonic conception of a contemplative heaven where disembodied souls achieved their highest virtues by endless meditation. Rather, there was penetrating recognition that daily life was lived at the interface of the next dimension- a spiritual realm every bit as real as the temporal sphere.
Both perspectives cannot be true in reality. We can see a parallel comparison in the modern divergence regarding the origin and meaning of life. How did we get here? Why are we here? And, where are we going? It is possible to believe in an intelligent designer from the empirical evidence we have before us. The complexity, the regularity, the immensity of the universe and how it functions all point to divine participation. Advances in science and progress in technology have only strengthened the case by revealing in more detail the incredible sophistication of both living and nonliving things. The honest secularist can, with intellectual respectability, hold to the conclusion that a supreme power is required to account for what we observe. Many do. But many don’t because they’ve already ejected God from the equation. So the evidence doesn’t really matter.
It doesn’t mean, of course, that those who do believe in a higher power believe in the God of the Bible. They may be closer to holding the convictions of major world religions, minus those religions’ particular practices of spirituality. Belief that the Creator of the universe is so attentive to individual souls that He has rescued them from sin and death is a daring faith to be sure! But belief that life somehow originated chaotically from inert material with no purpose or reason is an utterly blind faith. It is soul-destroying.
So, Christians have categorically different convictions; trust that requires the Holy Spirit. We do not believe merely in a supreme power or being, who is an almighty but abstract deity. We believe in the God who has chosen us before the creation of the world and redeemed us in Christ. We have the God-in-the-flesh Immanuel. He is the untouchable God who was embraced in a human womb. He is the God who cannot be corrupted by sin- who can only condemn sin and punish it- who, nevertheless, became completely defiled by bearing the sins of others. He is the origin of life and yet He succumbed to death. He is the unreachable God who reached down to us.
He reaches us now through His word and sacraments. He is deliberate about seeking souls. The Holy Spirit does not work coincidentally. It may seem that way to us. But it’s not a coincidence when the Spirit brings someone into contact with the Word, transforms their way of thinking, or changes their heart. The most unlikely scenario from a human perspective may be preferred approach of the Holy Spirit. That does mean by any stretch of the imagination that the Holy Spirit works randomly or willy-nilly. God is not a make-it-up-as-He-goes reactive Deity. He doesn’t test certain ideas or use a trial and error methodology. He knows the deceitful complexity of the human heart and will. He knows how easily we are led astray. He shepherds us faithfully.
Today’s gospel contains a somewhat vexing chain of events for modern sensibilities. Why would Jesus grant permission for the demons to inhabit this heard of pigs? As unclean animals they were more suitable hosts. But why not a sentence into the Abyss? Is the mercy and forbearance of Jesus the answer? Would the final sentence for these demons be reserved until Jesus’ death and resurrection? Speculation should be kept in check. But clear truths should be underscored. Christ is the Son of the Most High God. He reigns supreme over demonic forces. He has mastery over Satan.
Why did fear seize the locals? Because this well-known, uncontrollable, formerly demon-possessed man was now sitting at the feet of Jesus in his right mind. Imagine what freedom for this intensely tormented soul! Imagine what peace! Why did the locals not rejoice at his liberation? Unbelieving hearts have difficulty coming to terms with God’s power. It was too confronting; too convicting. Is not a person too vulnerable in the presence of this God? Jews and Gentiles alike had seen impressive Rabbis before. None were like this Jesus. No one ever will be. He is the Son of the Most High God, the Saviour from sin and death. He has been crucified but He lives.
Dear friends, we do not stand outside the events of the Bible as observers of theoretical truths. God is not aloof. We are part of the narrative. Baptism incorporates us into salvation history. We are children of Abraham, sons and daughters of the Most High. We are branches attached to the Vine and living stones in the temple. We don’t need to fabricate a reason for our existence. We don’t need to find our identity in temporal and transient things. We can appreciate and care for God’s creation without worshipping it. We worship the Maker.
The Scripture says, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”3 Satan doesn’t like what you’re wearing. He doesn’t like the Christian dress code. He doesn’t like what’s on the menu either. “Take and eat; this is My body…drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”4 But we have nothing to fear. Our King has no rivals. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
19 June, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 8:28
2 Luke 8:31
3 Galatians 3:26-27
4 Matthew 26:26-28
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 7:50
Theme: The Peace of Forgiveness
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
When was the last time you held an invitation only dinner? Pharisees were careful about who they invited to dinner. Their prudence was a result of their religious piety and their social consciousness. This Pharisee named Simon evidently held Jesus in high esteem. His invitation to dinner would have customarily allowed the opportunity for Jesus to teach. Perhaps- in Simon’s mind- this preacher from Nazareth was the expected Messiah? But the fame of Jesus brought an unwanted guest. A woman with a reputation for immorality came seeking Him. The stage is set for a memorable collision of cultural convictions. Simon will be left condemned. The woman will be sent on her way forgiven.
Closer inspection shows this was no incidental encounter. The Holy Spirit never works coincidentally. The woman had heard about Jesus before. The crux of Jesus’ redeeming work takes centre stage here. Forgiveness is the currency of divine favour. There is no other medium of reception. No one truly knows Christ apart from the gift of absolution. Therefore, the dinner host and the unwanted guest stand in sharp opposition. The Saviour ministers to both according to their needs.
Jesus didn’t pull punches when a firm impact was necessary. He boldly compares the hospitality of the woman with that of the Pharisee. Her devotion oozes warmth and sincerity. His reception is distant and measured. Christ breaks social custom by rebuking him candidly. Yet it was necessary to illustrate the critical point: Christ came for sinners. “I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”1
Jesus is actually saying the Pharisees do not love Him at all? But why? This Pharisee has invited Jesus to dinner at his house. Yet, they do not truly love Him because they imagine that they have no sins that need to be forgiven. The sinful woman, meanwhile, candidly shows her repentance- looking to Jesus for absolution. The unrepentant sinner cannot love Christ. The self-righteous person thinks he or she needs no Saviour. The subtlety of self-righteousness is the devil’s tool. The spiritually autonomous render God redundant, obsolete, or at best, the source of interference.
Sin causes us to curve in upon ourselves- to be egocentric in the purest spiritual sense. The curvature caused by sin is like the curvature of the earth; you can’t see it until you stand above it. But we never have such a vantage point. We think we’re standing on the level. Therefore, we take the Bible at its word. No one, not pope nor peasant, prince or pauper, pastor or parishioner; not the criminal serving a life sentence, or the person honoured as citizen of the year can credibly claim to be blameless in the sight of God. Christ came for sinners. Consider what He said elsewhere to the Pharisees, “‘I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’”2
Dear friends, the highest worship of Christ is to seek forgiveness from Him. In seeking forgiveness, we acknowledge two essential things: Our most critical need is to be freed from the condemnation of sin; and, Jesus is the one who has the power and capacity to grant what we need. If we do not believe in the Christ who forgives our sins, then we don’t really believe in the true God at all. There is no other God than the One who sacrificed Himself to atone for the sins of humanity. The God who created is the same God who redeems. The God who sustains by His power is the same God who rescues in love. The God of providence is the God of compassion.
We can never, ever, ever pay back the debt we owe for sin. We can’t make a contribution of any size that will make the slightest difference at all. The value of a soul can only be measured by the divine sacrifice. The conscience comforted by the thought that God is pleased with our own contribution to sanctity is a deceived conscience in the greatest peril. Of course, we can’t assess it through sensory or cognitive perception. The Holy Spirit must convict us.
The ‘sinful’ woman came seeking forgiveness from Him. The devotion of this woman is evidence of her faith. Faith always makes itself evident in love. The one cannot exist without the other. A shadow is only cast when the sun is shining. We do not cast the shadow of God’s love onto others when our hearts are hidden away in the darkness. Perhaps this woman became a faithful and powerful witness for the Lord. The truth is most of us are a tangled mess of complexity shaped by successes and failures, fears and hopes, selfishness and generosity, arrogance and humility. We often can’t sort out our motives because they are an amalgam of sincerity and selfishness. But God uses us, in all our frailty, with all our warts, to be agents of His love. God’s promises transcend all of our confusion.
So, as His baptized, we press on. Baptismal living is not a victory march through the cemeteries of the conquered. It is a humble but confident persistence in traveling the way of the cross. The Holy Spirit doesn’t breed arrogance; He teaches true wisdom. Satan still prowls, sin still lurks, temptation presses in on us from every facet of the secular world. Yet we are reminded the outcome is not in our hands but God’s. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame…”3 He was crucified and He has risen again to bring us life. We know where forgiveness is found. We have the words of eternal life. We have the true body and blood of the Son of God Himself. We have the peace which passes all understanding. We have a dinner invitation to the heavenly banquet!
Today the issue of Jesus’ identity was at stake. How dare He presume to forgive sins! That was the jurisdiction of God alone! But this Man IS God. He has proven it with His victory over death. He assumed human flesh to restore us to the Father. Jesus’ words to this woman are His words to us, “Your sins are forgiven…go in peace.”4 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
12 June, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 8:47
2 John 9:39-41
3 Hebrews 12:1-2
4 Luke 7:48-50
Text: Luke 7:50
Theme: The Peace of Forgiveness
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
When was the last time you held an invitation only dinner? Pharisees were careful about who they invited to dinner. Their prudence was a result of their religious piety and their social consciousness. This Pharisee named Simon evidently held Jesus in high esteem. His invitation to dinner would have customarily allowed the opportunity for Jesus to teach. Perhaps- in Simon’s mind- this preacher from Nazareth was the expected Messiah? But the fame of Jesus brought an unwanted guest. A woman with a reputation for immorality came seeking Him. The stage is set for a memorable collision of cultural convictions. Simon will be left condemned. The woman will be sent on her way forgiven.
Closer inspection shows this was no incidental encounter. The Holy Spirit never works coincidentally. The woman had heard about Jesus before. The crux of Jesus’ redeeming work takes centre stage here. Forgiveness is the currency of divine favour. There is no other medium of reception. No one truly knows Christ apart from the gift of absolution. Therefore, the dinner host and the unwanted guest stand in sharp opposition. The Saviour ministers to both according to their needs.
Jesus didn’t pull punches when a firm impact was necessary. He boldly compares the hospitality of the woman with that of the Pharisee. Her devotion oozes warmth and sincerity. His reception is distant and measured. Christ breaks social custom by rebuking him candidly. Yet it was necessary to illustrate the critical point: Christ came for sinners. “I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”1
Jesus is actually saying the Pharisees do not love Him at all? But why? This Pharisee has invited Jesus to dinner at his house. Yet, they do not truly love Him because they imagine that they have no sins that need to be forgiven. The sinful woman, meanwhile, candidly shows her repentance- looking to Jesus for absolution. The unrepentant sinner cannot love Christ. The self-righteous person thinks he or she needs no Saviour. The subtlety of self-righteousness is the devil’s tool. The spiritually autonomous render God redundant, obsolete, or at best, the source of interference.
Sin causes us to curve in upon ourselves- to be egocentric in the purest spiritual sense. The curvature caused by sin is like the curvature of the earth; you can’t see it until you stand above it. But we never have such a vantage point. We think we’re standing on the level. Therefore, we take the Bible at its word. No one, not pope nor peasant, prince or pauper, pastor or parishioner; not the criminal serving a life sentence, or the person honoured as citizen of the year can credibly claim to be blameless in the sight of God. Christ came for sinners. Consider what He said elsewhere to the Pharisees, “‘I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’”2
Dear friends, the highest worship of Christ is to seek forgiveness from Him. In seeking forgiveness, we acknowledge two essential things: Our most critical need is to be freed from the condemnation of sin; and, Jesus is the one who has the power and capacity to grant what we need. If we do not believe in the Christ who forgives our sins, then we don’t really believe in the true God at all. There is no other God than the One who sacrificed Himself to atone for the sins of humanity. The God who created is the same God who redeems. The God who sustains by His power is the same God who rescues in love. The God of providence is the God of compassion.
We can never, ever, ever pay back the debt we owe for sin. We can’t make a contribution of any size that will make the slightest difference at all. The value of a soul can only be measured by the divine sacrifice. The conscience comforted by the thought that God is pleased with our own contribution to sanctity is a deceived conscience in the greatest peril. Of course, we can’t assess it through sensory or cognitive perception. The Holy Spirit must convict us.
The ‘sinful’ woman came seeking forgiveness from Him. The devotion of this woman is evidence of her faith. Faith always makes itself evident in love. The one cannot exist without the other. A shadow is only cast when the sun is shining. We do not cast the shadow of God’s love onto others when our hearts are hidden away in the darkness. Perhaps this woman became a faithful and powerful witness for the Lord. The truth is most of us are a tangled mess of complexity shaped by successes and failures, fears and hopes, selfishness and generosity, arrogance and humility. We often can’t sort out our motives because they are an amalgam of sincerity and selfishness. But God uses us, in all our frailty, with all our warts, to be agents of His love. God’s promises transcend all of our confusion.
So, as His baptized, we press on. Baptismal living is not a victory march through the cemeteries of the conquered. It is a humble but confident persistence in traveling the way of the cross. The Holy Spirit doesn’t breed arrogance; He teaches true wisdom. Satan still prowls, sin still lurks, temptation presses in on us from every facet of the secular world. Yet we are reminded the outcome is not in our hands but God’s. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame…”3 He was crucified and He has risen again to bring us life. We know where forgiveness is found. We have the words of eternal life. We have the true body and blood of the Son of God Himself. We have the peace which passes all understanding. We have a dinner invitation to the heavenly banquet!
Today the issue of Jesus’ identity was at stake. How dare He presume to forgive sins! That was the jurisdiction of God alone! But this Man IS God. He has proven it with His victory over death. He assumed human flesh to restore us to the Father. Jesus’ words to this woman are His words to us, “Your sins are forgiven…go in peace.”4 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
12 June, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 8:47
2 John 9:39-41
3 Hebrews 12:1-2
4 Luke 7:48-50
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Third Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: Luke 7:11-17
Theme: The Only Son
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
No one can exist in isolation. Yes, in this earthly life, a person could sever all ties and contact with others. But a person still has parents. Infants are not self-sustaining. We are bound together into a common humanity. We are all descendents of Adam and Eve, who were created by God. Christians are especially dependent upon relationship. Christ has bound us to Himself and united us with other believers. Meaningful Christian life entails understanding and appreciating and exercising the gift of relationship; Christ to us, and through us to one another. Therefore St. Paul writes, “For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die we belong to the Lord.”1
Christians belong to the Lord and they belong to one another. A person’s identity is tied up in many things. Family, career, education, interests, and relationships are a few of the things that help to define and characterize who a person is in regards to their self-identity and their influence on others. By and large the most important of these throughout history has been that of family. Our place or status is never absolute or independent. Who and what we are is always in relation to others and to God.
It wasn’t uncommon in the Middle Ages for Europeans to have only one name. With the population increasing it became more difficult to distinguish among people, so people started using surnames. They came from four main sources: a person’s occupation, such as in Cook or Baker; location, such as Overhill or Brook; the family name, the son of John might become Johnson; and characteristics, such as in Small, Short, or Longfellow. The surname nearly always said something significant about the person. It was part of identity.
Identity through relationship is the topic of today’s appointed Scriptures. In Galatians, Paul is identified as the one who received the gospel by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. The Old Testament and Gospel accounts are parallel. In the Old Testament, Elijah revives the son of the widow of Zarephath. In the Gospel, Jesus raises from the dead the son of the widow of Nain. Both women were grief-stricken over their losses. In ancient times, a woman with no male relatives had not lost her identity, but she often had little means of support. These widows had lost their husbands, and now their sons. But their despair was short-lived. Two widows, two sons, two miracles and one Saviour. The only begotten Son, the Lord of Life, exercises power over death. In doing so He identifies Himself as God and restores a meaningful relationship back to the widows.
Dear friends, through Christ, His only Son, the Father has restored believers to a meaningful relationship with Himself. Without question, people in our culture seek meaningful relationships. They want an identity. The world has plenty to offer. We cannot be so naïve as not to believe that people think they find meaningful relationships in the sin and evil they pursue. People practice lying and falsehood, immorality and all types of idolatry as a means to identity. Our sin becomes part of who we are. It becomes a comfortable part of our identity even if we are ashamed of it. That is why people try to keep it hidden. We must cease the charade of pretending that our pet sins, our materialism, our sexual immoralities, our habitual dishonesty, our ungodly addictions, are not really part of us; as if they are some foreign entities that we have control of. We must forsake these identities and embrace the new identify we have through our relationship with Christ.
Christ would have us in our totality and He promises to care for us completely. To believe in the Son is to have the Father. In the Lord’s Prayer we say, “Our Father in heaven.”2 What does this mean? “With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.”3 Christian fathers seek to model the Heavenly Father as the head of their families. Christians fathers seek to imitate the Heavenly Father in the care of their children. It is with this intent that the Bible says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ – which is the first commandment with a promise- ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”4
It is certainly no coincidence that Luke tells us the widow of Nain had only this son. In this miracle, Jesus, the one and only son of God previews His own resurrection. The powers of death are subdued by Him. His death defeated death. In Him all proper relationships and identities are restored. Humanity was brought down by a relationship to a tree in the Garden of Eden. It is raised up by a relationship with the tree of Calvary. Adam ate the fruit and incurred the divine wrath. God’s Son drank the cup and consumed the divine wrath. God’s first Son, Adam was given a body prepared for life. God’s only begotten Son, Jesus, was given a body prepared for death. Adam’s living body brought death to the soul. Christ’s dead body brought life and immortality. Condemnation was brought to unbelievers by the waters of Noah’s flood. Forgiveness is brought to believers by the waters of the baptismal font.
It is in Christ alone that we have our identity. The Scripture says, “You received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our Spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”5 The Bible says we are co-heirs with Christ; the result of our baptisms. What a profound and humbling thought! We are in the divine will. We are granted gifts for eternity, not to be enjoyed apart from Him. Sometimes we wrongly look to Christ as an aloof benefactor who will simply supply all of our riches for eternity. The greatest gift is precisely the relationship we will have with Him for eternity. That is the reality of our faith.
Dear friends, the gift of faith and the promise of salvation should properly be understood in terms of relationship. Faith is the means of a relationship with Christ that is going on now and extends right through eternity. Faith is not self-authenticating or self-existing. Faith is dependence on and trust in another, specifically, Christ. Faith clings to the One who gives us our identity and enables us to weather the storms of this life. His name is our name.
So we seek at all times not to be identified first by our personal names or occupations or accomplishments, but by the name of Christ. By His grace and through His power we are Christians; both in our individuality and in our unity together. His is our name. For us He bore the cross. He suffered, died, and rose again. The widow of Nain had her hope respired when Jesus raised her son. The same promise will be fulfilled in us. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday After Pentecost
5 June, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 14:7-8
2 Matthew 6:9
3 Martin Luther
4 Ephesians 6:1-4
5 Romans 8:15-17
Text: Luke 7:11-17
Theme: The Only Son
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
No one can exist in isolation. Yes, in this earthly life, a person could sever all ties and contact with others. But a person still has parents. Infants are not self-sustaining. We are bound together into a common humanity. We are all descendents of Adam and Eve, who were created by God. Christians are especially dependent upon relationship. Christ has bound us to Himself and united us with other believers. Meaningful Christian life entails understanding and appreciating and exercising the gift of relationship; Christ to us, and through us to one another. Therefore St. Paul writes, “For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die we belong to the Lord.”1
Christians belong to the Lord and they belong to one another. A person’s identity is tied up in many things. Family, career, education, interests, and relationships are a few of the things that help to define and characterize who a person is in regards to their self-identity and their influence on others. By and large the most important of these throughout history has been that of family. Our place or status is never absolute or independent. Who and what we are is always in relation to others and to God.
It wasn’t uncommon in the Middle Ages for Europeans to have only one name. With the population increasing it became more difficult to distinguish among people, so people started using surnames. They came from four main sources: a person’s occupation, such as in Cook or Baker; location, such as Overhill or Brook; the family name, the son of John might become Johnson; and characteristics, such as in Small, Short, or Longfellow. The surname nearly always said something significant about the person. It was part of identity.
Identity through relationship is the topic of today’s appointed Scriptures. In Galatians, Paul is identified as the one who received the gospel by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. The Old Testament and Gospel accounts are parallel. In the Old Testament, Elijah revives the son of the widow of Zarephath. In the Gospel, Jesus raises from the dead the son of the widow of Nain. Both women were grief-stricken over their losses. In ancient times, a woman with no male relatives had not lost her identity, but she often had little means of support. These widows had lost their husbands, and now their sons. But their despair was short-lived. Two widows, two sons, two miracles and one Saviour. The only begotten Son, the Lord of Life, exercises power over death. In doing so He identifies Himself as God and restores a meaningful relationship back to the widows.
Dear friends, through Christ, His only Son, the Father has restored believers to a meaningful relationship with Himself. Without question, people in our culture seek meaningful relationships. They want an identity. The world has plenty to offer. We cannot be so naïve as not to believe that people think they find meaningful relationships in the sin and evil they pursue. People practice lying and falsehood, immorality and all types of idolatry as a means to identity. Our sin becomes part of who we are. It becomes a comfortable part of our identity even if we are ashamed of it. That is why people try to keep it hidden. We must cease the charade of pretending that our pet sins, our materialism, our sexual immoralities, our habitual dishonesty, our ungodly addictions, are not really part of us; as if they are some foreign entities that we have control of. We must forsake these identities and embrace the new identify we have through our relationship with Christ.
Christ would have us in our totality and He promises to care for us completely. To believe in the Son is to have the Father. In the Lord’s Prayer we say, “Our Father in heaven.”2 What does this mean? “With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.”3 Christian fathers seek to model the Heavenly Father as the head of their families. Christians fathers seek to imitate the Heavenly Father in the care of their children. It is with this intent that the Bible says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ – which is the first commandment with a promise- ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”4
It is certainly no coincidence that Luke tells us the widow of Nain had only this son. In this miracle, Jesus, the one and only son of God previews His own resurrection. The powers of death are subdued by Him. His death defeated death. In Him all proper relationships and identities are restored. Humanity was brought down by a relationship to a tree in the Garden of Eden. It is raised up by a relationship with the tree of Calvary. Adam ate the fruit and incurred the divine wrath. God’s Son drank the cup and consumed the divine wrath. God’s first Son, Adam was given a body prepared for life. God’s only begotten Son, Jesus, was given a body prepared for death. Adam’s living body brought death to the soul. Christ’s dead body brought life and immortality. Condemnation was brought to unbelievers by the waters of Noah’s flood. Forgiveness is brought to believers by the waters of the baptismal font.
It is in Christ alone that we have our identity. The Scripture says, “You received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our Spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”5 The Bible says we are co-heirs with Christ; the result of our baptisms. What a profound and humbling thought! We are in the divine will. We are granted gifts for eternity, not to be enjoyed apart from Him. Sometimes we wrongly look to Christ as an aloof benefactor who will simply supply all of our riches for eternity. The greatest gift is precisely the relationship we will have with Him for eternity. That is the reality of our faith.
Dear friends, the gift of faith and the promise of salvation should properly be understood in terms of relationship. Faith is the means of a relationship with Christ that is going on now and extends right through eternity. Faith is not self-authenticating or self-existing. Faith is dependence on and trust in another, specifically, Christ. Faith clings to the One who gives us our identity and enables us to weather the storms of this life. His name is our name.
So we seek at all times not to be identified first by our personal names or occupations or accomplishments, but by the name of Christ. By His grace and through His power we are Christians; both in our individuality and in our unity together. His is our name. For us He bore the cross. He suffered, died, and rose again. The widow of Nain had her hope respired when Jesus raised her son. The same promise will be fulfilled in us. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday After Pentecost
5 June, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 14:7-8
2 Matthew 6:9
3 Martin Luther
4 Ephesians 6:1-4
5 Romans 8:15-17
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Second Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 7:7
Theme: “Say The Word”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
If God had not spoken, nothing would have happened- ever! No joys, sorrows, or activity, period. God would have continued to reside in self-sustaining glory. But we, and the rest of the universe would simply not exist. Vacuum, void, and nothingness would be the limit of vocabulary. But God did speak. His speaking was firstly a creative act, the nature of which we have no comparisons with which to enlighten us. His speaking also has redemptive power. He restores that which is broken, damaged, wounded and dead. Our ‘divine speaker’ became, in the person of Jesus, the human Saviour.
What does this have to do with today’s account? A centurion was a well-paid member of the Roman military establishment in charge of the discipline and oversight of one hundred soldiers, who, in turn, formed part of a larger group of 6000 called a legion. This Gentile military man was sympathetic to the Jewish faith. He may have been a God-fearer, a person with genuine piety and interest, who had not formally converted to Judaism. He was wealthy enough to finance the construction of a synagogue. He was clearly highly thought of by the local Jewish council.
The man had a servant who was at the point of death. The preacher from Galilee was his only hope. Undoubtedly Jesus’ powers were well publicized by now. But how respectful was this centurion? Assuming Jesus to be a traditional Rabbi he did not presume to seek an audience from Him. Instead, he sent his Jewish friends to make the request. Ironically, they petitioned Jesus on the basis of his worthiness; but he considered himself to be unworthy.
The centurion understood the proper exercise of and response to authority. He expected his commands to be followed. He honours Jesus with the same respect, “Say the word, and my servant will be healed.”1 Say the word! Jesus verifies that this response was actually a statement of great trust. “I tell you the truth, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”2 When the messengers returned home the man was found to be well.
Say the word! Words can be very powerful. Words can be petty, hurtful, and hollow. They are always subject to misinterpretation. The rhetoric of politicians can be confusing and maddening. Words are not always spoken with honest motive and candid intention. And we all know that words can be trivial, overused, redundant and tedious. Words can be both the fruit and the cause of sin.
Why do humans struggle so much to listen to and follow God’s word? When God condemns us for not following the ‘Ten Words’, His commands He makes it clear that there are consequences. He threatens punishment- punishment we justly deserve. The centurion knew well what problems rebelliousness, deceit, or selfishness caused for a Roman legion. Penalties were harsh. Safety and well-being was at stake.
Dear friends, that’s exactly what we so often fail to see as sinners: We fail to see what’s at stake. We may even believe that disobedience to God’s will is a benefit to us. How many see sexual immorality, dishonesty, or selfishness as being personally detrimental to them? There are sins of ignorance, sins of weakness, and sins of determination. We don’t like to have our own desires opposed. Consider Paul’s words to the Galatians, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- which is really no gospel at all.”3 Would Paul express the same incredulity to the church today?
Words can wound. But words can heal. Words are used to express inner desires. The Jews of Capernaum were sympathetic to the centurion. They didn’t want him grieved by the death of his servant so they sent word to Jesus. Sympathy is a strong motivator of human activity. And, as well it should be. It is a reflection of God’s image. It is tainted with selfishness, yes; but sympathy is a movement of the heart.
Your words are powerful too. You may not think they are but if others are candid with you they will likely confirm it. Of course the influence of anyone’s words very much depends on whether they practice what they preach. We all soon recognize the boy who cried wolf. You have the words of a father, or mother, a son or daughter, a boss or employee, a friends or professional. Your words flow from the purpose of your vocation and support the well-being of others. The speech of a Christian should reflect God’s speech to us.
The word is the Holy Spirit’s means to create and sustain faith in Christ who is the Word-become-flesh. The Scripture says, “He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs swiftly.”4 Again, “He sent out His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.”5 And again, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness, made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”6
Dear friends, the presence of Jesus is actualized through His word. Christ did not go to the centurion’s servant. Proximity (understood in human terms) neither restricts nor facilitates Jesus’ power. He healed the servant without ever meeting him face to face. Christ is as good as his word. At the baptismal font Jesus meets us face to face. His visage is hidden in the aquatic compound but His voice is heard through the audible scriptures. Our inability to see His physical presence does not erase the reality. Would we say that a blind man involved in personal conversation was not talking face to face with someone? Would we claim that a deaf woman reading braille was not coming face to face with the author? At the communion rail we see Jesus eye to eye. He is veiled in bread and wine but His body and blood are offered as life-giving food. Sight is sometimes an aid to enjoying physical food but many a delicacy is enjoyed with eyes closed. Tasting Christ in the sacrament strengthens the vision of faith.
God has sent His Word- His Son- to us. He makes good on all His promises. Christ never leaves us drowning in our sins. He hears our cries for rescue. He answers our pleas. He lifts of the burden of guilt and condemnation from us. He was crucified. He has been raised. He is enthroned over all creation. He has sent to us the Spirit. He transforms our hearts so that we can delight in His word. At the bodily resurrection the triumph over sin will be completely accomplished in us. The scales will fall from our eyes. We will not need words. Faith will be obsolete. We will meet Him face to face and see eye to eye in glory. We might enjoy meeting the centurion too! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Pentecost
29 May, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 7:7
2 Luke 7:9
3 Psalm 147:15
4 Joel 2:32
5 Psalm 107:20
6 2 Corinthians 4:6
Text: Luke 7:7
Theme: “Say The Word”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
If God had not spoken, nothing would have happened- ever! No joys, sorrows, or activity, period. God would have continued to reside in self-sustaining glory. But we, and the rest of the universe would simply not exist. Vacuum, void, and nothingness would be the limit of vocabulary. But God did speak. His speaking was firstly a creative act, the nature of which we have no comparisons with which to enlighten us. His speaking also has redemptive power. He restores that which is broken, damaged, wounded and dead. Our ‘divine speaker’ became, in the person of Jesus, the human Saviour.
What does this have to do with today’s account? A centurion was a well-paid member of the Roman military establishment in charge of the discipline and oversight of one hundred soldiers, who, in turn, formed part of a larger group of 6000 called a legion. This Gentile military man was sympathetic to the Jewish faith. He may have been a God-fearer, a person with genuine piety and interest, who had not formally converted to Judaism. He was wealthy enough to finance the construction of a synagogue. He was clearly highly thought of by the local Jewish council.
The man had a servant who was at the point of death. The preacher from Galilee was his only hope. Undoubtedly Jesus’ powers were well publicized by now. But how respectful was this centurion? Assuming Jesus to be a traditional Rabbi he did not presume to seek an audience from Him. Instead, he sent his Jewish friends to make the request. Ironically, they petitioned Jesus on the basis of his worthiness; but he considered himself to be unworthy.
The centurion understood the proper exercise of and response to authority. He expected his commands to be followed. He honours Jesus with the same respect, “Say the word, and my servant will be healed.”1 Say the word! Jesus verifies that this response was actually a statement of great trust. “I tell you the truth, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”2 When the messengers returned home the man was found to be well.
Say the word! Words can be very powerful. Words can be petty, hurtful, and hollow. They are always subject to misinterpretation. The rhetoric of politicians can be confusing and maddening. Words are not always spoken with honest motive and candid intention. And we all know that words can be trivial, overused, redundant and tedious. Words can be both the fruit and the cause of sin.
Why do humans struggle so much to listen to and follow God’s word? When God condemns us for not following the ‘Ten Words’, His commands He makes it clear that there are consequences. He threatens punishment- punishment we justly deserve. The centurion knew well what problems rebelliousness, deceit, or selfishness caused for a Roman legion. Penalties were harsh. Safety and well-being was at stake.
Dear friends, that’s exactly what we so often fail to see as sinners: We fail to see what’s at stake. We may even believe that disobedience to God’s will is a benefit to us. How many see sexual immorality, dishonesty, or selfishness as being personally detrimental to them? There are sins of ignorance, sins of weakness, and sins of determination. We don’t like to have our own desires opposed. Consider Paul’s words to the Galatians, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- which is really no gospel at all.”3 Would Paul express the same incredulity to the church today?
Words can wound. But words can heal. Words are used to express inner desires. The Jews of Capernaum were sympathetic to the centurion. They didn’t want him grieved by the death of his servant so they sent word to Jesus. Sympathy is a strong motivator of human activity. And, as well it should be. It is a reflection of God’s image. It is tainted with selfishness, yes; but sympathy is a movement of the heart.
Your words are powerful too. You may not think they are but if others are candid with you they will likely confirm it. Of course the influence of anyone’s words very much depends on whether they practice what they preach. We all soon recognize the boy who cried wolf. You have the words of a father, or mother, a son or daughter, a boss or employee, a friends or professional. Your words flow from the purpose of your vocation and support the well-being of others. The speech of a Christian should reflect God’s speech to us.
The word is the Holy Spirit’s means to create and sustain faith in Christ who is the Word-become-flesh. The Scripture says, “He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs swiftly.”4 Again, “He sent out His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.”5 And again, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness, made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”6
Dear friends, the presence of Jesus is actualized through His word. Christ did not go to the centurion’s servant. Proximity (understood in human terms) neither restricts nor facilitates Jesus’ power. He healed the servant without ever meeting him face to face. Christ is as good as his word. At the baptismal font Jesus meets us face to face. His visage is hidden in the aquatic compound but His voice is heard through the audible scriptures. Our inability to see His physical presence does not erase the reality. Would we say that a blind man involved in personal conversation was not talking face to face with someone? Would we claim that a deaf woman reading braille was not coming face to face with the author? At the communion rail we see Jesus eye to eye. He is veiled in bread and wine but His body and blood are offered as life-giving food. Sight is sometimes an aid to enjoying physical food but many a delicacy is enjoyed with eyes closed. Tasting Christ in the sacrament strengthens the vision of faith.
God has sent His Word- His Son- to us. He makes good on all His promises. Christ never leaves us drowning in our sins. He hears our cries for rescue. He answers our pleas. He lifts of the burden of guilt and condemnation from us. He was crucified. He has been raised. He is enthroned over all creation. He has sent to us the Spirit. He transforms our hearts so that we can delight in His word. At the bodily resurrection the triumph over sin will be completely accomplished in us. The scales will fall from our eyes. We will not need words. Faith will be obsolete. We will meet Him face to face and see eye to eye in glory. We might enjoy meeting the centurion too! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Pentecost
29 May, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 7:7
2 Luke 7:9
3 Psalm 147:15
4 Joel 2:32
5 Psalm 107:20
6 2 Corinthians 4:6
Friday, May 27, 2016
Holy Trinity (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 7:38
Theme: ‘Flowing Into The Future’
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The theme for the 2016 convention of the district is “Flowing into the Future”. The river is the lifeblood of our region. The thematic tie-in with Pentecost fits nicely. The Holy Spirit’s work in baptism and His subsequent toil in sanctification are “aquatic endeavors.” What does the water of baptism signify? Luther explains, “It indicates the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to life before God in righteousness and purity forever.”1 Christian living is a daily reality.
It can hardly be surprising that water is a key theme throughout the biblical narrative. God designated water as a compound that sustains life. Lack of water is symbolic of spiritual deprivation. The Spirit brooded over the face of the water at creation. God used water at the time of Noah to cleanse the earth. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea to be tested in the desert. They traversed the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land. God ordained water to be the chief element in baptism. Jesus met the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well and quenched her thirst with living water. The heavenly Jerusalem is depicted with the river of life flowing from the temple.
Calls to repentance and warning of judgment make occasional reference to water too. “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land- not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.’”2 Could this happen to us? To transgress the 3rd Commandment (the Sabbath Day) is to despise the preaching of God’s Word. The welfare of the world’s population in the future largely depends on the management of physical water. What about spiritual water? Access to dependable water will determine where populations can expand and will be a significant factor in in contentions and disputes. Water is an essential. The Riverland depends on the flow of the Murray. The Murray doesn’t always flow. Droughts remind us we are dependent on the providence of God. What about spiritual water?
What does it mean that streams of living water will flow from the believer? Well, how gratuitous that we’re given an immediate explanation, “By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.3 The Spirit’s activity will be unmistakable in the lives of believers. Spiritual vitality depends both on baptismal water and the continued quenching of spiritual thirst through the life-giving word. This is the work of the Spirit. Today is also Holy Trinity Sunday. We acknowledge one God in three persons; the Trinity in unity. It is a mystery beyond human comprehension. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in a dynamic oneness, sharing one divine essence, yet as three distinct persons working in concert for our salvation.
Whenever the church meets in convention we try to assess the bigger picture and plan for the future. Where is the LCA headed? Are we flowing into the future, and if we are, what’s our salinity? Are we fresh enough to bring life to a parched land? Are we salty enough to give the flavor of God’s love to a bland culture? Are we stagnant or even flowing in reverse, as it were? These are questions for individuals and the church collectively.
We’re not without centuries of Christian history to guide us. The church has been through spiritual droughts before. It has been under persecution. It has had the mission field at its doorstep, as we do now. Did the early church have a strategic plan? Did they have a governance review? Did they even have a mission statement? What programs has the church undertaken over the centuries in order to revive itself? Have they been effective?
The early Christians carried the message of the crucified and risen Jesus wherever they went. Some were welcomed. Some were rebuffed. Some were martyred. They were not sinless or self-reliant. They needed shepherds. They were contentious, apathetic, arrogant. They were greedy, lazy, and immoral. They were like us! The people they rubbed shoulders with were like people in our society. The depravity of original sin does not change with the times.
Their entire pilgrimage involved coming to terms with this God who had come to them in human flesh. Remember the contentions that arose of Jesus’ identity today. They were Jews struggling to be Christians; or pagans struggling to be Christians. What are we? Christians struggling to remain as such? Modern secularists trying to find our way to true Christianity? Hedonists or Darwinists at heart trying to assess if we can handle being publicly labeled as followers of Jesus? Is knowledge of biblical history becoming obsolete among us? Are Adam and Eve mythical figures to us? Is Jesus a legendary hero but a modern-day has been? If we are ignorant or conviction-less about these matters can we expect unbelievers to interested or convinced?
Dear friends, the sacrifice of Christ doesn’t become less relevant over time. He is the Saviour now as He was then. His work of redemption transcends time and place. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”4 That salvation is still by grace, through faith. We’re living in an age when identity with Christianity makes one increasingly vulnerable to opposition. Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.”5 But what could be more antithetical to worldly wisdom than to rejoice in suffering? We will find few concessions from society here. There will be little capitulation. The clash of values is acute. Suffering is to be avoided at nearly all costs. Here we face a call to integrity as believers. How deep are the inroads of cultural ideology into our hearts?
The Scripture promises suffering begets perseverance; perseverance, character; character hope. “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”6 We live in exciting times. Challenges are mounting; but opportunities are multiplying. We have a precious treasure that’s long been part of our heritage. We have confidence in God’s word of truth. We have the shinning brilliance of sins forgiven that we can offer to a guilt-driven world. We have true freedom from the accusations of Satan, the threat of hell, and the fear of death. Christ has walked the gauntlet for us and His triumph has been achieved.
We know what’s served in the sacred meal. The shed blood of Christ; His sacrificed body, consoling, absolving, reviving us. We know our prayers do not go unanswered; the tiniest request bends His ear. We know the promises of Christ to intercede never go unfulfilled. We know the Father never errs, the Son never sleeps, the Spirit never falters. Sin cannot triumph. Confusion will give way to clarity. Doubt will be overcome with certainty. Fear will be surpassed by courage. Grief will be superseded by joy. The old order of things will pass away. Resurrected, we will see God in our own flesh- for, Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
The church is the ark of salvation. In it we navigate the stormy seas of this life. The Lord Jesus Christ is the captain and He sails us into the future. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Pentecost
Holy Trinity
SA/NT District Synod
22 May, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luther’s Small Catechism
2 Amos 8:11
3 John 7:39
4 Joel 2:32
5 Matthew 5:11-12
6 Romans 5:5
Text: John 7:38
Theme: ‘Flowing Into The Future’
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The theme for the 2016 convention of the district is “Flowing into the Future”. The river is the lifeblood of our region. The thematic tie-in with Pentecost fits nicely. The Holy Spirit’s work in baptism and His subsequent toil in sanctification are “aquatic endeavors.” What does the water of baptism signify? Luther explains, “It indicates the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to life before God in righteousness and purity forever.”1 Christian living is a daily reality.
It can hardly be surprising that water is a key theme throughout the biblical narrative. God designated water as a compound that sustains life. Lack of water is symbolic of spiritual deprivation. The Spirit brooded over the face of the water at creation. God used water at the time of Noah to cleanse the earth. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea to be tested in the desert. They traversed the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land. God ordained water to be the chief element in baptism. Jesus met the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well and quenched her thirst with living water. The heavenly Jerusalem is depicted with the river of life flowing from the temple.
Calls to repentance and warning of judgment make occasional reference to water too. “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land- not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.’”2 Could this happen to us? To transgress the 3rd Commandment (the Sabbath Day) is to despise the preaching of God’s Word. The welfare of the world’s population in the future largely depends on the management of physical water. What about spiritual water? Access to dependable water will determine where populations can expand and will be a significant factor in in contentions and disputes. Water is an essential. The Riverland depends on the flow of the Murray. The Murray doesn’t always flow. Droughts remind us we are dependent on the providence of God. What about spiritual water?
What does it mean that streams of living water will flow from the believer? Well, how gratuitous that we’re given an immediate explanation, “By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.3 The Spirit’s activity will be unmistakable in the lives of believers. Spiritual vitality depends both on baptismal water and the continued quenching of spiritual thirst through the life-giving word. This is the work of the Spirit. Today is also Holy Trinity Sunday. We acknowledge one God in three persons; the Trinity in unity. It is a mystery beyond human comprehension. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in a dynamic oneness, sharing one divine essence, yet as three distinct persons working in concert for our salvation.
Whenever the church meets in convention we try to assess the bigger picture and plan for the future. Where is the LCA headed? Are we flowing into the future, and if we are, what’s our salinity? Are we fresh enough to bring life to a parched land? Are we salty enough to give the flavor of God’s love to a bland culture? Are we stagnant or even flowing in reverse, as it were? These are questions for individuals and the church collectively.
We’re not without centuries of Christian history to guide us. The church has been through spiritual droughts before. It has been under persecution. It has had the mission field at its doorstep, as we do now. Did the early church have a strategic plan? Did they have a governance review? Did they even have a mission statement? What programs has the church undertaken over the centuries in order to revive itself? Have they been effective?
The early Christians carried the message of the crucified and risen Jesus wherever they went. Some were welcomed. Some were rebuffed. Some were martyred. They were not sinless or self-reliant. They needed shepherds. They were contentious, apathetic, arrogant. They were greedy, lazy, and immoral. They were like us! The people they rubbed shoulders with were like people in our society. The depravity of original sin does not change with the times.
Their entire pilgrimage involved coming to terms with this God who had come to them in human flesh. Remember the contentions that arose of Jesus’ identity today. They were Jews struggling to be Christians; or pagans struggling to be Christians. What are we? Christians struggling to remain as such? Modern secularists trying to find our way to true Christianity? Hedonists or Darwinists at heart trying to assess if we can handle being publicly labeled as followers of Jesus? Is knowledge of biblical history becoming obsolete among us? Are Adam and Eve mythical figures to us? Is Jesus a legendary hero but a modern-day has been? If we are ignorant or conviction-less about these matters can we expect unbelievers to interested or convinced?
Dear friends, the sacrifice of Christ doesn’t become less relevant over time. He is the Saviour now as He was then. His work of redemption transcends time and place. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”4 That salvation is still by grace, through faith. We’re living in an age when identity with Christianity makes one increasingly vulnerable to opposition. Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.”5 But what could be more antithetical to worldly wisdom than to rejoice in suffering? We will find few concessions from society here. There will be little capitulation. The clash of values is acute. Suffering is to be avoided at nearly all costs. Here we face a call to integrity as believers. How deep are the inroads of cultural ideology into our hearts?
The Scripture promises suffering begets perseverance; perseverance, character; character hope. “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”6 We live in exciting times. Challenges are mounting; but opportunities are multiplying. We have a precious treasure that’s long been part of our heritage. We have confidence in God’s word of truth. We have the shinning brilliance of sins forgiven that we can offer to a guilt-driven world. We have true freedom from the accusations of Satan, the threat of hell, and the fear of death. Christ has walked the gauntlet for us and His triumph has been achieved.
We know what’s served in the sacred meal. The shed blood of Christ; His sacrificed body, consoling, absolving, reviving us. We know our prayers do not go unanswered; the tiniest request bends His ear. We know the promises of Christ to intercede never go unfulfilled. We know the Father never errs, the Son never sleeps, the Spirit never falters. Sin cannot triumph. Confusion will give way to clarity. Doubt will be overcome with certainty. Fear will be surpassed by courage. Grief will be superseded by joy. The old order of things will pass away. Resurrected, we will see God in our own flesh- for, Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
The church is the ark of salvation. In it we navigate the stormy seas of this life. The Lord Jesus Christ is the captain and He sails us into the future. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Pentecost
Holy Trinity
SA/NT District Synod
22 May, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luther’s Small Catechism
2 Amos 8:11
3 John 7:39
4 Joel 2:32
5 Matthew 5:11-12
6 Romans 5:5
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Pastors' Conference Address- May 19, 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Romans 10:21
Theme: Divine Forbearance
Dear Brothers, fellow stewards of the mysteries,
Who can measure the forbearance of God? Can the preacher probe this mystery? The scholar? The exegete? Is the minimalizing of God’s forbearance our primary angle as preachers to prevent laxity? Ah, yes, we know the proclivities of the flesh! If God is believed to have infinite patience what is to prevent casualness that begets apathy; apathy that begets negligence, negligence, contempt, and contempt, apostasy? Cheap grace is the mantra leveled at those who believe that faith is an active, mighty, living thing; Spirit-hewn through the promise of the gospel! We know well the concern of Erasmus!
“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people,”1 says the Lord God. How do we assess people’s receptivity to the divine word? Luther was well-known for not mincing words. “God’s Word and grace is a passing rain shower which does not return where it once was. And you Germans need not think that you will have it forever, for ingratitude and contempt will not make it stay. Therefore, seize it and hold it fast, whoever can; for lazy hands are bound to have a lean year.”2 As Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem He warned them of judgment because they did not recognize the time of their visitation.3 “Repent!” is the decree. The day of the last visitation we do not know.
Yet, we are not occupied with speculation but with things we do know. We deal with real people, with real struggles, with real needs. They have addictions, are troubled by conflict, are burdened by confusion; they experience loves, joys, heartaches, and sorrows. They ache for the freedom truth brings. They might not know it.
So, keep planting THE seed. His seeds are parcels of divine power. The Word doesn’t lose potency. Lotus seeds dredged from peat moss bogs in China were found to be more than 800 years old. They were displayed as artifacts in museums for decades more. When planted they germinated with nearly flawless efficiency. You can google it. The Word of God does not decay with time or circumstance. The seed can remain latent and sowing should be ceaseless. Last month God gave me the humbling honour of baptizing a 95-year-old member of the parish. For me it was a ten-year project. For his wife it was 70 years in the making; an extraordinary example of divine forbearance. What more encouragement does a preacher need?
Dear brothers, don’t wait around to be recipients of unmediated encouragement. The Spirit is an accomplice of the incarnation. God uses means. He uses feeble, faulty, fraternal brothers to support one another- empathetic reciprocity in the shared work of the ministry. Brothers be patient in listening, swift in supporting, genuine in admonishing, and lavish in forgiving one another. The word will not return empty. But the word doesn’t return to us; it returns to God. The harvest isn’t stored in our treasury of accomplishments but in God’s celestial repository.
“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people,”4 says the Lord God. How can the patience of God be measured? The father of the prodigal makes a suggestion. The colours of Christ come blazing through as the father makes a preemptive strike. The preeminence of grace comes to the fore. Compassion makes haste; running with adrenaline-fueled joy- ignoring custom, transgressing etiquette, foregoing dignity-the father embraces the son who was lost. The curator of the inheritance rushes to accept the undeserving heir- with open arms. Here the parameters divine forbearance become incarnational. Forgiveness came before the apology was spoken. What a blessed thing it is when the angst of a pending confession is slain by preemptive absolution! It is a sacred crucifixion. Those who possess it will cherish it for what it is. A resurrection always results preparing us for the bodily fulfillment of that apostolic word: “The dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive…” 5, well, you know the rest. He concludes, “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”6
Brothers, take courage, you are stewards of the mysteries. What is baptism if not the charity of divine forbearance? The Spirit condescends to our filth and washes us with heavenly holiness. What is the Sacrament of the Altar if not the food of divine forbearance? The immortal Son nurses mortals who would suffer famine without His rich supply. We are both beneficiaries and ambassadors of these gifts. Be of good cheer brothers, God loves even pastors. The mystery of God’s patience is not locked away in the inscrutable recesses of the divine will. “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is the word of faith we are proclaiming.”7 It is the same word you have received. THAT Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
District Pastors’ Conference
19 May, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 10:21
2 Luther’s Works, AE 45:352
3 Luke 19:44
4 Romans 10:21
5 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 6 1 Thessalonians 4:18 7 Romans 10:8
Text: Romans 10:21
Theme: Divine Forbearance
Dear Brothers, fellow stewards of the mysteries,
Who can measure the forbearance of God? Can the preacher probe this mystery? The scholar? The exegete? Is the minimalizing of God’s forbearance our primary angle as preachers to prevent laxity? Ah, yes, we know the proclivities of the flesh! If God is believed to have infinite patience what is to prevent casualness that begets apathy; apathy that begets negligence, negligence, contempt, and contempt, apostasy? Cheap grace is the mantra leveled at those who believe that faith is an active, mighty, living thing; Spirit-hewn through the promise of the gospel! We know well the concern of Erasmus!
“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people,”1 says the Lord God. How do we assess people’s receptivity to the divine word? Luther was well-known for not mincing words. “God’s Word and grace is a passing rain shower which does not return where it once was. And you Germans need not think that you will have it forever, for ingratitude and contempt will not make it stay. Therefore, seize it and hold it fast, whoever can; for lazy hands are bound to have a lean year.”2 As Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem He warned them of judgment because they did not recognize the time of their visitation.3 “Repent!” is the decree. The day of the last visitation we do not know.
Yet, we are not occupied with speculation but with things we do know. We deal with real people, with real struggles, with real needs. They have addictions, are troubled by conflict, are burdened by confusion; they experience loves, joys, heartaches, and sorrows. They ache for the freedom truth brings. They might not know it.
So, keep planting THE seed. His seeds are parcels of divine power. The Word doesn’t lose potency. Lotus seeds dredged from peat moss bogs in China were found to be more than 800 years old. They were displayed as artifacts in museums for decades more. When planted they germinated with nearly flawless efficiency. You can google it. The Word of God does not decay with time or circumstance. The seed can remain latent and sowing should be ceaseless. Last month God gave me the humbling honour of baptizing a 95-year-old member of the parish. For me it was a ten-year project. For his wife it was 70 years in the making; an extraordinary example of divine forbearance. What more encouragement does a preacher need?
Dear brothers, don’t wait around to be recipients of unmediated encouragement. The Spirit is an accomplice of the incarnation. God uses means. He uses feeble, faulty, fraternal brothers to support one another- empathetic reciprocity in the shared work of the ministry. Brothers be patient in listening, swift in supporting, genuine in admonishing, and lavish in forgiving one another. The word will not return empty. But the word doesn’t return to us; it returns to God. The harvest isn’t stored in our treasury of accomplishments but in God’s celestial repository.
“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people,”4 says the Lord God. How can the patience of God be measured? The father of the prodigal makes a suggestion. The colours of Christ come blazing through as the father makes a preemptive strike. The preeminence of grace comes to the fore. Compassion makes haste; running with adrenaline-fueled joy- ignoring custom, transgressing etiquette, foregoing dignity-the father embraces the son who was lost. The curator of the inheritance rushes to accept the undeserving heir- with open arms. Here the parameters divine forbearance become incarnational. Forgiveness came before the apology was spoken. What a blessed thing it is when the angst of a pending confession is slain by preemptive absolution! It is a sacred crucifixion. Those who possess it will cherish it for what it is. A resurrection always results preparing us for the bodily fulfillment of that apostolic word: “The dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive…” 5, well, you know the rest. He concludes, “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”6
Brothers, take courage, you are stewards of the mysteries. What is baptism if not the charity of divine forbearance? The Spirit condescends to our filth and washes us with heavenly holiness. What is the Sacrament of the Altar if not the food of divine forbearance? The immortal Son nurses mortals who would suffer famine without His rich supply. We are both beneficiaries and ambassadors of these gifts. Be of good cheer brothers, God loves even pastors. The mystery of God’s patience is not locked away in the inscrutable recesses of the divine will. “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is the word of faith we are proclaiming.”7 It is the same word you have received. THAT Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
District Pastors’ Conference
19 May, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 10:21
2 Luther’s Works, AE 45:352
3 Luke 19:44
4 Romans 10:21
5 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 6 1 Thessalonians 4:18 7 Romans 10:8
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)