+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 15:5
Theme: The Joy Of Restoration
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God seeks. And what does He find? The lost sheep is not someone else. The lost sheep refers to you. He doesn’t seek because He is ignorant of peoples’ whereabouts. He seeks because He knows people could never find Him-nor would they desire to. His pursuit is driven by immeasurable compassion. He is intent on restoring those alienated by sin. He seeks the lost sheep “and when He finds it, He joyfully puts it on His shoulders and goes home.”1 There is no distance He won’t travel, no danger He won’t face; no obstacle He will not overcome. Even the chasm of sin was traversed. He bridged it by the cross. Even the wrath of God was appeased. He pacified it with His blood. Even the power of hell was broken. He shattered it with His holy obedience and sacrificial death.
Sinners, like sheep, are prone to wandering and stubbornness. Yet the Holy Spirit finds joy in gathering us into the fold of the Good Shepherd. And how does He do this: Through repentance. It necessarily involves God’s condemning word of judgment. We must be separated from our idols. Examine your heart honestly. Until the law does its work the news of Christ’s work is only information, data, historical account. “The Gospel does not preach the forgiveness of sin to indifferent and secure hearts, but to the “oppressed” or penitent.”2 Though the law demands that we amend our ways it offers no hope or power to do so. “The mere preaching of the law without Christ either produces presumptuous people, who believe they can fulfill the law by external works, or drives man utterly to despair.”3
But the Shepherd never leaves us to despair. When contrite souls grasp the forgiveness of sins in Christ there is true joy and peace. To define what the greatest joy is, humanly speaking, is an impossible task. The birth of a child or grandchild, the accomplishing of a life-long goal, the victory in a hard-fought battle, a wedding, a career, an award, and countless other things may be sources of great joy. But there is more; something deeper, something higher, something more sublime, something far beyond our doing or accomplishing. The Scripture is abundantly clear about the greatest source and cause of joy. “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.”4 Jesus Christ rescues us from darkness, death, and hell. This is joy! He is joy!
Because we can never fully apprehend it we must believe it. It is beyond the capacity of mortals. It is incomparable in its significance. It is a gift. It is bestowed free gratis. It is part of an inheritance beyond imagination. It is the heritage of the baptized. It causes heaven to resound with the singing of angels. It elicits reverence, awe and profound gratitude. It is never to be taken for granted. And human logic can never be satisfied with it.
Dear friends, efforts to make the miracle of grace more “believable”, to make the core of Christian truth more reasonable, to rationalize even the miracle of the resurrection, all betray the insatiable need of the human ego to be the master and measure of all things. We cannot ultimately defend Christian truth by making it more plausible. It’s a little like nine year old Billy who was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday school. "Well, Mum, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then he used his shortwave radio to call headquarters for reinforcements. They sent fighter jets to blow up the bridge so the Egyptians couldn’t cross and all the Israelites were saved." "Now, Billy, is that really what your teacher taught you?" his mother asked. "Well, no, Mum. But if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!"
It doesn’t mean the evidence for Christianity is unimportant. Even plausibility still has its place in the discussion. In primary school, we're taught that a frog turning into a prince is a fairy tale. In university, we’re taught that a frog turning into a prince is science. What’s more “believable”, that life randomly originated out of chaos or that God purposefully
designed creation in all its wonder and complexity? Still, in the matter of God’s saving love in Christ the Holy Spirit must be the origin of our faith. We simply can’t believe on our own that God would sacrifice His Son for our eternal salvation; otherwise we were never truly lost.
Secondary to God’s initiative of seeking the lost today is the communal aspect of the resultant joy. Joy for the Christian is marked by sharing. This is especially true of spiritual blessings. Christian joy, peace, and love are corporate blessings in the best sense of the word.
There are private sins (even though they weaken the entire body). But amongst Christians there should be no private sorrows; and no private joys. The shepherd who found his sheep and the woman who found her coin both called their friends and neighbours together and said, “Rejoice with me.”5 The life of faith is to be shared. St. Paul encourages Christians to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”6
Believers in community- with all their warts, flaws, and failings- mirror the flesh and blood presence of the Saviour. The Spirit works among real people with real problems. The church is not a cyber-community. It is not measured by quantifying Facebook “likes” or tallying religious opinions. Christians certainly have online conversations and technology should rightly and properly be used for the advancement of the gospel, but the body of Christ is never just a casual association of people networked by common interests.
Each of you is privileged to have various vocations. Husbands, wives, parents and children. Employers and workers, teachers and students. All serve the well-being of Christ’s body. Many of your activities may seem mundane but you never know when God is preparing you for extraordinary things. The strongman at a circus sideshow demonstrated his power before a large audience. Towards the end, he squeezed the juice from a lemon between his hands. He then said to the audience, "I will offer $500 to anyone in the audience who can squeeze another drop from this lemon. A thin scholarly looking man came forward, picked up the lemon, strained hard and somehow managed to get a drop. The strongman was amazed. He paid the man and asked, "What is the secret of your strength?" "Practice," the man answered. "I was the treasurer of a Lutheran Church for thirty years!”
In its widest expression the Christian Church includes every believer of every time and place. In its most concrete expression it entails a group of sinners gathered by the Holy Spirit around word and sacrament at a specific location. The church is corporal; a physical entity that draws life from the crucified and risen Christ. Together we confess our need for grace and receive forgiveness. Together we partake of the body and blood of the Lamb of God slain for us. Together we struggle through the temptations, trials, joy and sorrows of the baptismal life.
The woman who swept the floor for the lost coin and the shepherd who swept the horizon for the lost sheep could not contain the joy of their faith. Faith is never turned inward. Faith always acts for the good of the community and is always a response to the gospel’s freeing and life-giving power. This power is not an end in itself. The Bible says, “He Himself –that is Christ- bore our sins in His body on the tree”7 so that he might carry us all the way to our eternal home. Christ seeks. He finds. And we share in His joy. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Luke 15:5
2 SD V, 9
3 SD V, 10
4 Luke 15:7
5 Luke 15:6, 9
6 Romans 12:15
7 1 Peter 2:24
8 Luke 7:47
Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost
15 September 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Monday, September 16, 2013
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 14:28-30
Theme: Free But Not Cheap
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God has made you a child, a son, an heir, and a disciple. The Spirit has grafted you into the body of Christ. Your redemption is free and your placement gratuitous; but the cost was immeasurable. What value can be placed on the blood of Jesus? Today He asks His followers to count the cost and bear their crosses. Admirers are not the same as disciples. Discipleship demands real change. It necessitates a reordering of priorities driven by an altered viewpoint and perspective on life.
A biblical perspective on life always begins with an honest recognition of our independent status before God. How do we fare when we stand alone? Jeremiah was sent to the potter’s house. There he witnessed an object lesson that was intended to help call the people to repentance. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel,”1said the Lord. It remains a stinging reminder that we are not masters of our own domains: He is the potter, we are the clay. Repentance is as much a confession of our frail mortality as it is being sorry for particular sins.
If we had hoped our independence would bring us freedom we soon learn that it means nothing less than bondage to sin. Here enters the Saviour. He comes as Shepherd seeking the lost sheep. He sends the Advocate and mirrors the image of the Father. The believer never stands independently before God because he or she stands in Christ. Never again are we autonomous, nor would we want to be. This fact is a true Sabbath rest for the soul.
The conscience can only be put at rest when it knows the blood of Christ has satisfied the cost of redemption. As soon as we try to factor in our merits, contributions, or even good intentions we confuse the issue and are sure to lose the heart of the gospel. The Reformers said this, “This whole teaching is to be referred to that conflict of the terrified conscience, nor can it be understood apart from that conflict. Accordingly inexperienced and profane men, who dream that Christian righteousness is nothing else than civil or philosophical righteousness, have bad judgment concerning this teaching.”2
Security in the gospel, however, does not mean we are resting on our laurels. The maturing of our faith is not programmatic. There is no simple formula. Your faith may mature as you witness more fully God’s very tangible goodness. Perhaps you are cured from serious illness, spared from a dangerous situation, blessed with material prosperity, or affirmed and valued in your vocation personally or professionally. But your faith is much more likely to mature in the crucible of trial. This may involve betrayal in broken relationships, cynicism in professional pursuits or opposition to Christian values. The deeper our cry for mercy the nearer we are to a compassionate God.
Within the dynamic tension of grappling with temptation we come to rely on God’s grace more fully. Some temptations are particularly carnal and easily identified; sexual immorality, greed, lust, theft, violence, substance abuse, just to name a few. Others are more subtle; arrogance, doubt, fear, false humility, self-serving agendas and ambitions. King David, the woman caught in adultery, the woman at the well, and St. Peter all struggled with temptations that had overcome them. Their faith was tested, refined and strengthened. What matters in the end is Christ’s faithfulness not our failures.
The most dangerous of temptations involve being lured away from the foundational truths of the faith. This is often a gradual and sometimes barely noticeable process. Little by little the apostolic teaching, the “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints,”3 which Jude tells us to contend for is re-imaged, marginalized or abandoned. Anything that compromises the work of Christ for the salvation of the world is the devil’s tool. The Holy Spirit alone can shield us from these powers that are beyond our means. And He must do this continually. Without the Spirit we become estranged from Christ.
We live in a culture of affluence and that can quickly side-track us from true purpose in life. For many it causes a loss of focus. One social critic defined decadence as the loss of an aim or object in life. "Men and women become decadent when they forget or deny the objects of life, and so fritter away their years in trifles or debauchery."4 Oh how much time we spend engaged in trivial matters! We chase wealth and reputation in a vain pursuit of security. We worry more about material possessions than spiritual truths. Perhaps Will Rogers captured it well when he said, “I am not as concerned with the return on my money as I am with the return of my money.” But what about our investment in spiritual things?
The only way to tell the difference between wasting and investing is to know one's ultimate purpose in life and to judge accordingly. Baptism plunges you into the fray. At the same time it is the power and promise of your baptism that gives you the strength and the certainty to stare even death itself in the face. It is a strength that is renewed each time you receive Christ’s body and blood. It is a strength always on loan from Christ. He was the all-sufficient sacrifice for your sins. He rose from the grave and lives as the source of all life.
The desire of a believer to follow God’s will follows automatically as a result of trusting Christ has secured for us the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with the Father. In other words, faith is active and simply cannot be restrained. But the spontaneity of faith certainly does not exclude planning. So how do we best live as believers in the present time? Obedience to Christ is not meant to be chaotic and disorganized. We have great privileges and responsibilities as stewards! Any worthwhile or substantial undertaking requires preparation and commitment, thus Jesus’ reference to building towers and fighting battles. God calls us to design and implement those activities which we believe prosper the work of the kingdom personally and corporately. That includes your charity. It should also involve planning and pursing your deliberate education in the faith.
Christ said, “He who has been forgiven little loves little.”5 Of all the words of Scripture relating to faith and good works, these words of Jesus are perhaps the most relevant and the most impacting. If I don’t highly cherish the forgiveness of sins my actions will show it. If I am deeply grateful my devotion will be evident. Not evident in the sense of an ostentatious show, but clear to those who know me best. There can never be a complete privatization of personal faith. Faith is always a gift possessed by an individual but it is always engaged in community.
Salvation is free but it was not cheap. We can bear our crosses for the fleeting moments of this life because Christ bore His for our eternal future. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Jeremiah 18:6
2 AC XX, 17-18
3 Jude 3
4 Russell Kirk
5 Luke 7:47
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
8 September 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Luke 14:28-30
Theme: Free But Not Cheap
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God has made you a child, a son, an heir, and a disciple. The Spirit has grafted you into the body of Christ. Your redemption is free and your placement gratuitous; but the cost was immeasurable. What value can be placed on the blood of Jesus? Today He asks His followers to count the cost and bear their crosses. Admirers are not the same as disciples. Discipleship demands real change. It necessitates a reordering of priorities driven by an altered viewpoint and perspective on life.
A biblical perspective on life always begins with an honest recognition of our independent status before God. How do we fare when we stand alone? Jeremiah was sent to the potter’s house. There he witnessed an object lesson that was intended to help call the people to repentance. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel,”1said the Lord. It remains a stinging reminder that we are not masters of our own domains: He is the potter, we are the clay. Repentance is as much a confession of our frail mortality as it is being sorry for particular sins.
If we had hoped our independence would bring us freedom we soon learn that it means nothing less than bondage to sin. Here enters the Saviour. He comes as Shepherd seeking the lost sheep. He sends the Advocate and mirrors the image of the Father. The believer never stands independently before God because he or she stands in Christ. Never again are we autonomous, nor would we want to be. This fact is a true Sabbath rest for the soul.
The conscience can only be put at rest when it knows the blood of Christ has satisfied the cost of redemption. As soon as we try to factor in our merits, contributions, or even good intentions we confuse the issue and are sure to lose the heart of the gospel. The Reformers said this, “This whole teaching is to be referred to that conflict of the terrified conscience, nor can it be understood apart from that conflict. Accordingly inexperienced and profane men, who dream that Christian righteousness is nothing else than civil or philosophical righteousness, have bad judgment concerning this teaching.”2
Security in the gospel, however, does not mean we are resting on our laurels. The maturing of our faith is not programmatic. There is no simple formula. Your faith may mature as you witness more fully God’s very tangible goodness. Perhaps you are cured from serious illness, spared from a dangerous situation, blessed with material prosperity, or affirmed and valued in your vocation personally or professionally. But your faith is much more likely to mature in the crucible of trial. This may involve betrayal in broken relationships, cynicism in professional pursuits or opposition to Christian values. The deeper our cry for mercy the nearer we are to a compassionate God.
Within the dynamic tension of grappling with temptation we come to rely on God’s grace more fully. Some temptations are particularly carnal and easily identified; sexual immorality, greed, lust, theft, violence, substance abuse, just to name a few. Others are more subtle; arrogance, doubt, fear, false humility, self-serving agendas and ambitions. King David, the woman caught in adultery, the woman at the well, and St. Peter all struggled with temptations that had overcome them. Their faith was tested, refined and strengthened. What matters in the end is Christ’s faithfulness not our failures.
The most dangerous of temptations involve being lured away from the foundational truths of the faith. This is often a gradual and sometimes barely noticeable process. Little by little the apostolic teaching, the “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints,”3 which Jude tells us to contend for is re-imaged, marginalized or abandoned. Anything that compromises the work of Christ for the salvation of the world is the devil’s tool. The Holy Spirit alone can shield us from these powers that are beyond our means. And He must do this continually. Without the Spirit we become estranged from Christ.
We live in a culture of affluence and that can quickly side-track us from true purpose in life. For many it causes a loss of focus. One social critic defined decadence as the loss of an aim or object in life. "Men and women become decadent when they forget or deny the objects of life, and so fritter away their years in trifles or debauchery."4 Oh how much time we spend engaged in trivial matters! We chase wealth and reputation in a vain pursuit of security. We worry more about material possessions than spiritual truths. Perhaps Will Rogers captured it well when he said, “I am not as concerned with the return on my money as I am with the return of my money.” But what about our investment in spiritual things?
The only way to tell the difference between wasting and investing is to know one's ultimate purpose in life and to judge accordingly. Baptism plunges you into the fray. At the same time it is the power and promise of your baptism that gives you the strength and the certainty to stare even death itself in the face. It is a strength that is renewed each time you receive Christ’s body and blood. It is a strength always on loan from Christ. He was the all-sufficient sacrifice for your sins. He rose from the grave and lives as the source of all life.
The desire of a believer to follow God’s will follows automatically as a result of trusting Christ has secured for us the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with the Father. In other words, faith is active and simply cannot be restrained. But the spontaneity of faith certainly does not exclude planning. So how do we best live as believers in the present time? Obedience to Christ is not meant to be chaotic and disorganized. We have great privileges and responsibilities as stewards! Any worthwhile or substantial undertaking requires preparation and commitment, thus Jesus’ reference to building towers and fighting battles. God calls us to design and implement those activities which we believe prosper the work of the kingdom personally and corporately. That includes your charity. It should also involve planning and pursing your deliberate education in the faith.
Christ said, “He who has been forgiven little loves little.”5 Of all the words of Scripture relating to faith and good works, these words of Jesus are perhaps the most relevant and the most impacting. If I don’t highly cherish the forgiveness of sins my actions will show it. If I am deeply grateful my devotion will be evident. Not evident in the sense of an ostentatious show, but clear to those who know me best. There can never be a complete privatization of personal faith. Faith is always a gift possessed by an individual but it is always engaged in community.
Salvation is free but it was not cheap. We can bear our crosses for the fleeting moments of this life because Christ bore His for our eternal future. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Jeremiah 18:6
2 AC XX, 17-18
3 Jude 3
4 Russell Kirk
5 Luke 7:47
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
8 September 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Monday, September 2, 2013
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 14:7-11
Theme: Faith not Facade
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The most important promises of God cannot be verified by observation. Inscrutability does not sit well with human reason which seeks tangible evidence for all things. Daily bread is tangible but pardon for sins not so much. The conundrum evident in Thomas is a perennial barrier to faith. We want to see the wounds. Christ promises that through His death, death itself has been overcome. He promises to believers a resolution to all pain, hardship, sickness, misery and grief. He offers unending life free from all frailty and decay- all realized in the fully divine and fully human Saviour, Jesus Christ. If this hope does not drive Christianity it degenerates into a philosophical or moral regime.
The Spirit educates believers not primarily by providing more empirical evidence for God’s goodness- though He often does this too- but by slaying the ego and offering Christ as the only hope. Christ never missed the opportunity to teach. He carefully made use of the most opportune times to engage people in the deeper truths of the kingdom. He sought to do this at critical junctures. Today as Jesus was having dinner at the home of a prominent Pharisee He witnessed how people chose the seats of honour at the table. Humility was hardly their motivation. They risked being embarrassed by the host who had the privilege to reseat them in a lesser place. The best-laid designs can be quickly ruined.
We are all designers. Architects design structures. Rulers design legacies. Politicians design campaigns. Coaches design strategies. Sinners design facades. Facades are some of the most well-maintained of all human possessions. Great sacrifices are made to preserve them. Great pains are taken to polish them. Sometimes they are but a thin veneer, other times a mortared barricade. The opinion others have of us is often much more important than we care to admit.
The propensity for pretense has an impressive pedigree. Sin’s pervasive power makes this inevitable. Adam said, “It was the woman,”1 Abraham said, “She is my sister,”2 Judas said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” 3 The Pharisees were labeled as whitewashed tombs4, to mention just a few of the more high-profile examples. All desired to deceive to avoid facing the consequences of the truth. Often we’d rather pretend to be something more than we know we really are.
Denial and self-deception are common tactics of the sinful nature. The cry that God is inequitable is common too. “Why do others not seem to be as severely reprimanded by God as I am?” But don’t waste any time comparing your sins to your neighbours’ or even weighing your own sins, one against another. These are but indicators of a desire to justify yourself. Repent and turn away from every transgression. Honour your conscience and seek to inform and revise it through God’s word.
Today Christ issues His call to humility with very practical advice. “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But…invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.”5 As soon as we calculate who is most likely to return the favour the spontaneity of a generous faith is lost. Yet Jesus adds a glorious promise. “Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”6
Humility never yearns to be exalted over another. George Whitefield and John Wesley were both prominent founders of Methodism. Although Whitefield disagreed with John Wesley on some theological matters, he was careful not to create problems in public that could be used to hinder the preaching of the gospel. When someone asked Whitefield if he thought he would see Wesley in heaven, Whitefield replied, "I fear not, for he will be so near the eternal throne and we at such a distance, we shall hardly get sight of him."
Thankfully all of our selfish designs and schemes are shattered by the wisdom of the cross. We can only serve the neighbour when we believe we have nothing holy to offer to the Master. All depends upon the sheer grace of God in Christ. The Lutheran reformers said it this way, “In justification before God faith trusts neither in contrition nor in love nor in other virtues, but solely in Christ and in His perfect obedience with which He fulfilled the law of God in our stead and which is reckoned to the believers as righteousness.”7
This Messiah was born in meager circumstances, lived in poverty, died in humiliation, was raised in glory- all for you and your salvation. No expense was spared, no sacrifice omitted to reconcile you to the Father in heaven. He bore the cross for you, and, becoming a curse, humbled Himself to the point of death. He now coddles you, cleanses you, comforts and confirms you with water and word; bread and wine. He shepherds you, pastors you, chaperons and nurses you. He prepares the place ordained for you. The Scripture says we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”8And again, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.”9
In Christ we can disassociate from overvaluing human opinion and rightly value God’s estimation. On the Day of judgment God will never ask how well you kept up appearances. You are free to live candidly so that others see Christ reflected in you. The question is not whether your witness meets the expectations and opinions of others but whether it is true to His cause. In Christ and through Christ the activities of your faith cannot fail to benefit others. What do the Scriptures say, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”10
Dear friends, your place at the heavenly table has already been reserved. Christ absented Himself from heaven so that you could be present there. He is the eternal host. There will be no need for facades or disguises. The glory of the Trinity will be unveiled and the full expression of His love will be unhindered. We will experience joy not in trivial or temporal measure, not in shadow or reflection, but in ceaseless and immortal dimension “for we shall see Him as He is.”11Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 See Genesis 3:12
2 Genesis 20:2
3 John 12:5
4 See Matthew 23:27
5 Luke 14:12-14
6 Luke 14:14
7 Solid Declaration III
8 Romans 8:17
9 1 John 31:
10 Hebrews 13:15-16
11 1 John 3:2
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost
1 September 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Luke 14:7-11
Theme: Faith not Facade
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The most important promises of God cannot be verified by observation. Inscrutability does not sit well with human reason which seeks tangible evidence for all things. Daily bread is tangible but pardon for sins not so much. The conundrum evident in Thomas is a perennial barrier to faith. We want to see the wounds. Christ promises that through His death, death itself has been overcome. He promises to believers a resolution to all pain, hardship, sickness, misery and grief. He offers unending life free from all frailty and decay- all realized in the fully divine and fully human Saviour, Jesus Christ. If this hope does not drive Christianity it degenerates into a philosophical or moral regime.
The Spirit educates believers not primarily by providing more empirical evidence for God’s goodness- though He often does this too- but by slaying the ego and offering Christ as the only hope. Christ never missed the opportunity to teach. He carefully made use of the most opportune times to engage people in the deeper truths of the kingdom. He sought to do this at critical junctures. Today as Jesus was having dinner at the home of a prominent Pharisee He witnessed how people chose the seats of honour at the table. Humility was hardly their motivation. They risked being embarrassed by the host who had the privilege to reseat them in a lesser place. The best-laid designs can be quickly ruined.
We are all designers. Architects design structures. Rulers design legacies. Politicians design campaigns. Coaches design strategies. Sinners design facades. Facades are some of the most well-maintained of all human possessions. Great sacrifices are made to preserve them. Great pains are taken to polish them. Sometimes they are but a thin veneer, other times a mortared barricade. The opinion others have of us is often much more important than we care to admit.
The propensity for pretense has an impressive pedigree. Sin’s pervasive power makes this inevitable. Adam said, “It was the woman,”1 Abraham said, “She is my sister,”2 Judas said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” 3 The Pharisees were labeled as whitewashed tombs4, to mention just a few of the more high-profile examples. All desired to deceive to avoid facing the consequences of the truth. Often we’d rather pretend to be something more than we know we really are.
Denial and self-deception are common tactics of the sinful nature. The cry that God is inequitable is common too. “Why do others not seem to be as severely reprimanded by God as I am?” But don’t waste any time comparing your sins to your neighbours’ or even weighing your own sins, one against another. These are but indicators of a desire to justify yourself. Repent and turn away from every transgression. Honour your conscience and seek to inform and revise it through God’s word.
Today Christ issues His call to humility with very practical advice. “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But…invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.”5 As soon as we calculate who is most likely to return the favour the spontaneity of a generous faith is lost. Yet Jesus adds a glorious promise. “Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”6
Humility never yearns to be exalted over another. George Whitefield and John Wesley were both prominent founders of Methodism. Although Whitefield disagreed with John Wesley on some theological matters, he was careful not to create problems in public that could be used to hinder the preaching of the gospel. When someone asked Whitefield if he thought he would see Wesley in heaven, Whitefield replied, "I fear not, for he will be so near the eternal throne and we at such a distance, we shall hardly get sight of him."
Thankfully all of our selfish designs and schemes are shattered by the wisdom of the cross. We can only serve the neighbour when we believe we have nothing holy to offer to the Master. All depends upon the sheer grace of God in Christ. The Lutheran reformers said it this way, “In justification before God faith trusts neither in contrition nor in love nor in other virtues, but solely in Christ and in His perfect obedience with which He fulfilled the law of God in our stead and which is reckoned to the believers as righteousness.”7
This Messiah was born in meager circumstances, lived in poverty, died in humiliation, was raised in glory- all for you and your salvation. No expense was spared, no sacrifice omitted to reconcile you to the Father in heaven. He bore the cross for you, and, becoming a curse, humbled Himself to the point of death. He now coddles you, cleanses you, comforts and confirms you with water and word; bread and wine. He shepherds you, pastors you, chaperons and nurses you. He prepares the place ordained for you. The Scripture says we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”8And again, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.”9
In Christ we can disassociate from overvaluing human opinion and rightly value God’s estimation. On the Day of judgment God will never ask how well you kept up appearances. You are free to live candidly so that others see Christ reflected in you. The question is not whether your witness meets the expectations and opinions of others but whether it is true to His cause. In Christ and through Christ the activities of your faith cannot fail to benefit others. What do the Scriptures say, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”10
Dear friends, your place at the heavenly table has already been reserved. Christ absented Himself from heaven so that you could be present there. He is the eternal host. There will be no need for facades or disguises. The glory of the Trinity will be unveiled and the full expression of His love will be unhindered. We will experience joy not in trivial or temporal measure, not in shadow or reflection, but in ceaseless and immortal dimension “for we shall see Him as He is.”11Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 See Genesis 3:12
2 Genesis 20:2
3 John 12:5
4 See Matthew 23:27
5 Luke 14:12-14
6 Luke 14:14
7 Solid Declaration III
8 Romans 8:17
9 1 John 31:
10 Hebrews 13:15-16
11 1 John 3:2
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost
1 September 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 13:10-17
Theme: Hypocrisy and Healing
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God gives. We receive. God gives in truth. We receive in faith. God heals. We are restored. God pardons. We are released. The highest way to honour God is to receive what He offers. Faith does not advise God, let alone dictate to Him, but humbly receives what He tenders. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not give as a custodian gives. He gives as possessor of the gifts. He does not heal as one borrowing the power of another. He does not pardon as if under another’s authority. Christ embodies the fullness of the Deity and executes the mission of the triune God. He then privileges us to participate in this Life1 and embody it for others.2
What happens when we seek to live this baptismal life in such a way that we seek “tick the God boxes” yet live according to our own aspirations? This is easily done through outward appearances. We then become spiritual legalists of some type wanting God’s approval without trusting God’s promise is the heart of the matter. Whenever the letter of the law prevails over the spirit of the law, the law’s beneficial intention is transgressed. Jesus constantly confronted the over-zealous Pharisees on this matter- usually in relation to the Sabbath. Today’s circumstance is a case-in-point. They were indignant because Jesus did this work of healing on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work, so come and be healed on those days,”3they said.
Here legalism was shining brightly. It was like saying, “The law says do not preach the good news of the gospel today. Today is reserved for strict obedience to God’s commands.” But the one cannot be pitted against the other. Does the ambulance not transcend the normal traffic laws when the circumstances demand it? Are the police not given authority average citizens are not granted? The well-being of the citizens is the chief concern. Was not the Sabbath most clearly upheld by the very act of restoration Jesus rendered! The good Samaritan is Christ’s example par excellence. The priest and Levite followed the ceremonial law to the letter and meanwhile transgressed the intent of the moral law.
Satan lurks behind everything that binds us in sin. If we are uncomfortable about acknowledging a spiritual dimension to things we think should only be explained with the language of medicine, materialism or science we must at least recognize the Scriptures speak in this way. The Scripture describes this woman’s infirmity as a spirit of weakness. Has Christianity lost some of its holism? Do we compartmentalize our “spiritual” lives from our more temporal pursuits? God addresses us holistically; body and soul, spirit, emotion, psyche, and physical aspects.
Sin binds us. Selfishness, greed, addiction, jealously and all similar fruits of sin are all symptoms of captivity. Sickness too is a consequence of the tangled web of sin and evidence of its binding power. Ageing is a universal expression of its power of decay. We should not underestimate the shackling power of sin. Repent of your transgressions, great and small. Repent especially of the thinking that you are immune to sin’s gravitational power. You cannot live without the freeing power of Christ’s forgiveness.
There were once two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other's business. If one got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival. One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, "I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice as wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?" The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!"
Jealousy binds us. Sin can consume us. Forgiveness frees us. The woman today was literally ‘released’, set free from her infirmity. Our account tells us that the synagogue ruler was put to shame as the crowds rejoiced. It was sometimes necessary for Jesus to humiliate His opponents. Only in this way could false piety be uprooted. We are transparent before God and this transparency should lead to integrity before our neighbour.
The true desires of the heart cannot run contrary to the work of the Spirit or faith is shown to be a fallacy. The person who doesn’t actually desire to be healed cannot at the same time have faith in Christ’s healing power. Unbelief and the Holy Spirit cannot co-exist in the same human heart. The person who doesn’t actually desire to be forgiven cannot rely on a blanket pardon from the Almighty. Repentance that seeks only to give the appearance of contrition is a mockery. Certainly there will be doubts, temptations and struggles. Your faith will be assaulted by Satan and tested by God Himself. Like the hymn-writer says,
“Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come.”4
None of this negates that fact that both repentance and faith are gifts to begin with. Life must first be given to that which is dead; light must break in on the darkness. Baptism is the power of life and salvation. Only then can the human will engage God’s truth and cooperate with the Holy Spirit. A spiritual corpse cannot act on its own volition in service to God or to others. With the image of God marred unrecognizably through original sin we can only serve ourselves- oblivious to God and others. But Christ is the image of God. And in His people this image has begun to be restored. You are justified, declared righteous- by grace, through faith- and this has immediate and profound implications.
We should consider every healing of every sort a participation in Christ’s restorative power. In Christ you have already been healed even when sicknesses remain. The Bible says, “By His wounds we are healed.”5 The infirmities we are not freed from in this life will be quickly resolved in the next- such is the power of forgiveness and the promise of salvation. Meanwhile, He has given you the medicine of immortality in the Lord’s Supper. Freedom from the law’s condemnation breathes life into the sinner. Christ simultaneously transcended any legalism and fulfilled every law and promise. He said, “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but fulfill them.”6 St. Paul says, “He forgave our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross.”7 The resurrected and living Lord will not fail to bring to actualization the full consequences of His redeeming work. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 See Revelation 1:18
2 See Romans 12:1
3 Luke 13:14
4 LH #335
5 Isaiah 53:5
6 Matthew 5:17
7 Colossians 2:13-15
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
25 August 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Luke 13:10-17
Theme: Hypocrisy and Healing
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God gives. We receive. God gives in truth. We receive in faith. God heals. We are restored. God pardons. We are released. The highest way to honour God is to receive what He offers. Faith does not advise God, let alone dictate to Him, but humbly receives what He tenders. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not give as a custodian gives. He gives as possessor of the gifts. He does not heal as one borrowing the power of another. He does not pardon as if under another’s authority. Christ embodies the fullness of the Deity and executes the mission of the triune God. He then privileges us to participate in this Life1 and embody it for others.2
What happens when we seek to live this baptismal life in such a way that we seek “tick the God boxes” yet live according to our own aspirations? This is easily done through outward appearances. We then become spiritual legalists of some type wanting God’s approval without trusting God’s promise is the heart of the matter. Whenever the letter of the law prevails over the spirit of the law, the law’s beneficial intention is transgressed. Jesus constantly confronted the over-zealous Pharisees on this matter- usually in relation to the Sabbath. Today’s circumstance is a case-in-point. They were indignant because Jesus did this work of healing on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work, so come and be healed on those days,”3they said.
Here legalism was shining brightly. It was like saying, “The law says do not preach the good news of the gospel today. Today is reserved for strict obedience to God’s commands.” But the one cannot be pitted against the other. Does the ambulance not transcend the normal traffic laws when the circumstances demand it? Are the police not given authority average citizens are not granted? The well-being of the citizens is the chief concern. Was not the Sabbath most clearly upheld by the very act of restoration Jesus rendered! The good Samaritan is Christ’s example par excellence. The priest and Levite followed the ceremonial law to the letter and meanwhile transgressed the intent of the moral law.
Satan lurks behind everything that binds us in sin. If we are uncomfortable about acknowledging a spiritual dimension to things we think should only be explained with the language of medicine, materialism or science we must at least recognize the Scriptures speak in this way. The Scripture describes this woman’s infirmity as a spirit of weakness. Has Christianity lost some of its holism? Do we compartmentalize our “spiritual” lives from our more temporal pursuits? God addresses us holistically; body and soul, spirit, emotion, psyche, and physical aspects.
Sin binds us. Selfishness, greed, addiction, jealously and all similar fruits of sin are all symptoms of captivity. Sickness too is a consequence of the tangled web of sin and evidence of its binding power. Ageing is a universal expression of its power of decay. We should not underestimate the shackling power of sin. Repent of your transgressions, great and small. Repent especially of the thinking that you are immune to sin’s gravitational power. You cannot live without the freeing power of Christ’s forgiveness.
There were once two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other's business. If one got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival. One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, "I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice as wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?" The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!"
Jealousy binds us. Sin can consume us. Forgiveness frees us. The woman today was literally ‘released’, set free from her infirmity. Our account tells us that the synagogue ruler was put to shame as the crowds rejoiced. It was sometimes necessary for Jesus to humiliate His opponents. Only in this way could false piety be uprooted. We are transparent before God and this transparency should lead to integrity before our neighbour.
The true desires of the heart cannot run contrary to the work of the Spirit or faith is shown to be a fallacy. The person who doesn’t actually desire to be healed cannot at the same time have faith in Christ’s healing power. Unbelief and the Holy Spirit cannot co-exist in the same human heart. The person who doesn’t actually desire to be forgiven cannot rely on a blanket pardon from the Almighty. Repentance that seeks only to give the appearance of contrition is a mockery. Certainly there will be doubts, temptations and struggles. Your faith will be assaulted by Satan and tested by God Himself. Like the hymn-writer says,
“Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come.”4
None of this negates that fact that both repentance and faith are gifts to begin with. Life must first be given to that which is dead; light must break in on the darkness. Baptism is the power of life and salvation. Only then can the human will engage God’s truth and cooperate with the Holy Spirit. A spiritual corpse cannot act on its own volition in service to God or to others. With the image of God marred unrecognizably through original sin we can only serve ourselves- oblivious to God and others. But Christ is the image of God. And in His people this image has begun to be restored. You are justified, declared righteous- by grace, through faith- and this has immediate and profound implications.
We should consider every healing of every sort a participation in Christ’s restorative power. In Christ you have already been healed even when sicknesses remain. The Bible says, “By His wounds we are healed.”5 The infirmities we are not freed from in this life will be quickly resolved in the next- such is the power of forgiveness and the promise of salvation. Meanwhile, He has given you the medicine of immortality in the Lord’s Supper. Freedom from the law’s condemnation breathes life into the sinner. Christ simultaneously transcended any legalism and fulfilled every law and promise. He said, “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but fulfill them.”6 St. Paul says, “He forgave our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross.”7 The resurrected and living Lord will not fail to bring to actualization the full consequences of His redeeming work. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 See Revelation 1:18
2 See Romans 12:1
3 Luke 13:14
4 LH #335
5 Isaiah 53:5
6 Matthew 5:17
7 Colossians 2:13-15
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
25 August 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 12:49-53
Theme: Plundered Peace
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“All who draw the sword will die by the sword,”1 these are the words of Jesus, the Lord of the church, spoken to Simon Peter, apostle of the church. Jesus never used force, violence, or coercion to institute His kingdom. The law of God certainly convicts the human heart and threatens temporal and eternal punishment, but no one is compelled to bend the ear or bow the knee to the Servant King. Nevertheless the ministry of Jesus brought division and it continues to do so. It is instructive to understand why.
Jesus said, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”2 Here we seem to reach an impasse- or at least a paradox- concerning Jesus’ purpose and work. How can we reconcile these words of conflict from the mouth of the Prince of Peace? They are neither gentle, nor meek, nor timid, nor cajoling. They are frank, direct, and condemning. The crowds were strongly rebuked for their steadfast rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Christ wanted no misgivings or misunderstandings about the nature of His mission.
Jesus Christ did not come to facilitate a confluence of philosophies, ideas, and beliefs about all things spiritual, mystical, and religious. He is not the great guru of assimilation. He is not a broker of various paths to enlightenment. He never claimed harmony in society, or concord among earthly kingdoms and powers was at the top of His agenda. Efforts at human concord are worthy in their own right. But the remedy to sin’s pernicious power must be more trenchant. A small bandage will not remedy terminal cancer. Cosmetic enhancements will not address internal infections.
Through His death and resurrection Christ does bring peace between God and sinners. Yet the conflict with unbelief and Satan will necessarily cause division between humans. Many people look to others as their ultimate security and thus make idols out of them. And people do not give up their idols easily. Some will be offended at Christ and seek to undermine His cause. Jesus came to clarify truth and elucidate the only way of salvation. Truth necessarily initiates conflict with those who have vested interest in falsehoods that underpin power structures which serve their agendas.
Only Christ can take us beyond the limitations of this fallen world. There will never be any technology, discovery, or progress that will make us capable of controlling the consequences of sin and its mature expression-death! What came of the great humanistic hope that mankind had collectively progressed beyond degrees of evil that could any longer render sweeping damage to the human race? World War I and World War II utterly crushed such unrestrained optimism. It has never been recovered. Outward actions can be curbed and even taught but the heart is not so easily tamed. The prophet reminds us “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”3A perennial underestimation of sin’s effects remains.
How does the Lutheran Church of Australia take seriously these words of the Lord as it seeks to give faithful witness in a society increasingly at odds with Christian teaching? Do we capitulate to the spirit of the age for the sake of peace? Will we find courage in the promise of Christ and the freedom of the gospel? Are we willing to endure ridicule and risk being ostracized for the sake of His name? We find great inspiration from the saints of old mentioned in Hebrews today. About those who were persecuted for their faith the Scripture says, “The world was not worthy of them.”4 What matters is being made worthy by the blood of the Lamb.
The challenge of every generation is to assess, understand and engage the culture of the day for the sake of the gospel. How is Christ perceived and how do we articulate better? The name of Christ does still command some respect even in the civil sphere. In the state of Tennessee this week a judge ruled that a couple who had named their baby Messiah had to change it saying, “The word Messiah is a title and it's a title that has only been earned by one person and that one person is Jesus Christ.” The couple said they hadn’t chosen the name for religious reasons but because they liked the way it sounded. So even through such unusual circumstances the Saviour’s name gets some publicity.
Of course Jesus is not concerned about publicity. He is not seeking spectators but followers. He is not calling for onlookers but witnesses. He offers forgiveness to the repentant not the curious. His teaching is not the material of innocuous debate but of life, death and immortality. Every day we face temptation. Every hour the Holy Spirit leads us in the struggle. History tells of a soldier who was wounded at the battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War and was ordered to go to the rear. The fighting was fierce and within minutes he returned to his commanding officer. "Captain, give me a gun!" he shouted. "This fight doesn’t have any rear!" And so it is with the very real struggle of living the baptismal life- life under the cross. We are always in the fray. We always need the protection of His promise and the refreshment of the gospel.
Luther said, “If you could see how many knives, darts, and arrows are every moment aimed at you, you would be glad to come to the sacrament as often as possible.”5 He doesn’t say this in order to panic us but to encourage us to cherish the sacred treasure that is offered in the Lord’s Supper. The forgiveness of sins is no trivial gift. We can have no certainty apart from it. Without it we cannot be assured of a gracious God. Remember, you are baptized into the name and kingdom of the Living God.
Dear friends, you do not come to God’s house to show that you are holy. The Holy Spirit draws you here because you are still a sinner. The more you believe this the greater your appreciation of His grace will become. The more fully will you see that the sacrifice made for you on the cross was the most profound act of love ever expressed. The more fully will you participate in the spiritual resurrection you already have because of Christ’s resurrection and look forward to day body and soul are resurrected to glory. Do not pull away even when in His house struggle confronts you. It shows your faith is active. Peace is a gift. Divine peace is one of the “spoils” of war. The struggle for the faith is still intense but Christ has won the war. Satan’s kingdom has been plundered. You are a participant in His victory. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Matthew 26:52
2 Luke 12:50
3 Jeremiah 17:9
4 Hebrews 11:38
5 Large Catechism of Martin Luther
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost
18 August 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Luke 12:49-53
Theme: Plundered Peace
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“All who draw the sword will die by the sword,”1 these are the words of Jesus, the Lord of the church, spoken to Simon Peter, apostle of the church. Jesus never used force, violence, or coercion to institute His kingdom. The law of God certainly convicts the human heart and threatens temporal and eternal punishment, but no one is compelled to bend the ear or bow the knee to the Servant King. Nevertheless the ministry of Jesus brought division and it continues to do so. It is instructive to understand why.
Jesus said, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”2 Here we seem to reach an impasse- or at least a paradox- concerning Jesus’ purpose and work. How can we reconcile these words of conflict from the mouth of the Prince of Peace? They are neither gentle, nor meek, nor timid, nor cajoling. They are frank, direct, and condemning. The crowds were strongly rebuked for their steadfast rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Christ wanted no misgivings or misunderstandings about the nature of His mission.
Jesus Christ did not come to facilitate a confluence of philosophies, ideas, and beliefs about all things spiritual, mystical, and religious. He is not the great guru of assimilation. He is not a broker of various paths to enlightenment. He never claimed harmony in society, or concord among earthly kingdoms and powers was at the top of His agenda. Efforts at human concord are worthy in their own right. But the remedy to sin’s pernicious power must be more trenchant. A small bandage will not remedy terminal cancer. Cosmetic enhancements will not address internal infections.
Through His death and resurrection Christ does bring peace between God and sinners. Yet the conflict with unbelief and Satan will necessarily cause division between humans. Many people look to others as their ultimate security and thus make idols out of them. And people do not give up their idols easily. Some will be offended at Christ and seek to undermine His cause. Jesus came to clarify truth and elucidate the only way of salvation. Truth necessarily initiates conflict with those who have vested interest in falsehoods that underpin power structures which serve their agendas.
Only Christ can take us beyond the limitations of this fallen world. There will never be any technology, discovery, or progress that will make us capable of controlling the consequences of sin and its mature expression-death! What came of the great humanistic hope that mankind had collectively progressed beyond degrees of evil that could any longer render sweeping damage to the human race? World War I and World War II utterly crushed such unrestrained optimism. It has never been recovered. Outward actions can be curbed and even taught but the heart is not so easily tamed. The prophet reminds us “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”3A perennial underestimation of sin’s effects remains.
How does the Lutheran Church of Australia take seriously these words of the Lord as it seeks to give faithful witness in a society increasingly at odds with Christian teaching? Do we capitulate to the spirit of the age for the sake of peace? Will we find courage in the promise of Christ and the freedom of the gospel? Are we willing to endure ridicule and risk being ostracized for the sake of His name? We find great inspiration from the saints of old mentioned in Hebrews today. About those who were persecuted for their faith the Scripture says, “The world was not worthy of them.”4 What matters is being made worthy by the blood of the Lamb.
The challenge of every generation is to assess, understand and engage the culture of the day for the sake of the gospel. How is Christ perceived and how do we articulate better? The name of Christ does still command some respect even in the civil sphere. In the state of Tennessee this week a judge ruled that a couple who had named their baby Messiah had to change it saying, “The word Messiah is a title and it's a title that has only been earned by one person and that one person is Jesus Christ.” The couple said they hadn’t chosen the name for religious reasons but because they liked the way it sounded. So even through such unusual circumstances the Saviour’s name gets some publicity.
Of course Jesus is not concerned about publicity. He is not seeking spectators but followers. He is not calling for onlookers but witnesses. He offers forgiveness to the repentant not the curious. His teaching is not the material of innocuous debate but of life, death and immortality. Every day we face temptation. Every hour the Holy Spirit leads us in the struggle. History tells of a soldier who was wounded at the battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War and was ordered to go to the rear. The fighting was fierce and within minutes he returned to his commanding officer. "Captain, give me a gun!" he shouted. "This fight doesn’t have any rear!" And so it is with the very real struggle of living the baptismal life- life under the cross. We are always in the fray. We always need the protection of His promise and the refreshment of the gospel.
Luther said, “If you could see how many knives, darts, and arrows are every moment aimed at you, you would be glad to come to the sacrament as often as possible.”5 He doesn’t say this in order to panic us but to encourage us to cherish the sacred treasure that is offered in the Lord’s Supper. The forgiveness of sins is no trivial gift. We can have no certainty apart from it. Without it we cannot be assured of a gracious God. Remember, you are baptized into the name and kingdom of the Living God.
Dear friends, you do not come to God’s house to show that you are holy. The Holy Spirit draws you here because you are still a sinner. The more you believe this the greater your appreciation of His grace will become. The more fully will you see that the sacrifice made for you on the cross was the most profound act of love ever expressed. The more fully will you participate in the spiritual resurrection you already have because of Christ’s resurrection and look forward to day body and soul are resurrected to glory. Do not pull away even when in His house struggle confronts you. It shows your faith is active. Peace is a gift. Divine peace is one of the “spoils” of war. The struggle for the faith is still intense but Christ has won the war. Satan’s kingdom has been plundered. You are a participant in His victory. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Matthew 26:52
2 Luke 12:50
3 Jeremiah 17:9
4 Hebrews 11:38
5 Large Catechism of Martin Luther
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost
18 August 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 12:35-40
Theme: Vigilant Faith
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The actions of Christ defy our instincts. His teaching refutes human logic. In His admonition to be watchful today Jesus reverses the normal course of events. The retuning master will gird himself and serve the household slaves. Christ is the Master who came not to be served but to serve. Our God is humble to the point of absurdity. But that doesn’t mean He is feeble or tentative. Christ speaks with unqualified resolve. Christianity that holds to its foundations claims the absolute truth which Jesus proclaimed. The world is offended precisely at this point.
By and large society can accommodate those aspects of Christ’s teaching which are amenable to, or at least not restrictive of, its goals and perspectives. The call to charity, generosity and self-sacrifice is hardly unique to Christianity. A moral platform of honesty and responsibility is shared by humanists and most of the major and minor religions of the world. But the inflexible decree that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”1 and can be justified and reclaimed only through this one man who is God-in-the-flesh- this is offensive to human sensibilities. It is sheer folly to those who have constructed their idols on the so-called certainties of human knowledge and achievement.
Therefore, the hopes of the baptized remain a mystery to the unbelieving world. God assesses things differently than we humans. Civil respectability is no measure of one’s faith. Was the Pharisee more righteous than the criminal crucified at Jesus’ side? Is the self-indulged, arrogant professional more righteous than the petty criminal who lives by taking what he can? Faith is a gift by which we receive the mercy of God in Christ. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”2 With these words the Holy Spirit describes the nature of Christian belief. Our trust stands firmly on God’s promises in Christ. Bombarded with the world’s “evidence” that “might makes right” and life is a fevered pursuit of materialism and pleasure; we nevertheless cling to the “foolishness” of the cross. Life has meaning because Christ was crucified for us and for our salvation. Christianity does not merely accommodate this truth but draws its very life and breath from it.
Today the Lord addresses the challenges of remaining vigilant in the faith. He does so by reminding us of His return. When the biblical teaching of Christ’s Second Coming- embedded in the creedal confessions of the faith, such as in the Nicene Creed, “He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead,” - is neglected the church is tempted to immediately and persuasively become focused mainly on temporal concerns. It does so to its peril. It does so to the peril of souls. Without robust belief that Christ’s return in glory is both expected and inescapable the witness and mission of the church is compromised. Earnestness is not easily driven by uncertainty. Passion for souls and zeal for having people rescued from the power of sin, death, and Satan are not easily maintained by an indefinite conviction about the end of all things.
Of course no one knows the hour of Christ’s return. Therefore the resolution to this challenge must also be considered from the personal perspective of mortality. Indeed, from the standpoint of our spiritual future meeting the returning Christ and facing our physical death have the same implications. Here too, we see the profound impact of a prevailing philosophy that everyone and everything will somehow turn out alright in the next life. Evil will be overlooked. Guilt will be forgotten. Judgment will be dissolved. Unbelief will be ignored. Harmony and peace will just exist as a matter of course. The idea is called universalism. As powerfully appealing as the concept is, it has no foundation in the teaching of the prophets, Christ or the apostles.
Christians too can intentionally or unwittingly give scope and credibility to this falsehood. Do we give the impression, even if it’s from genuine soft-heartedness that on their deathbed everyone is indiscriminately handed a free-pass to heaven? Is Christ only a deliverer from current woes? Is He only a temporary companion for the often dark journey of life?
At what point do faith, the Spirit’s work, the struggle against temptation, and finally the sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world become essentially meaningless? At what point is grace no longer the favour of God obtained by the blood of Christ but just a nice religious word conveying God’s tolerance of anything and everything? These are serious questions that are directly relevant to millions today searching for meaning to their existence. Is the call to take up one’s cross and follow the Saviour just a game that serves as a possible way to deal with our own personal angst?
Dear friends, faith can never exist aloof from its object or apathetic in its resolve. Faith’s activity cannot be suppressed. Luther says, Faith “is also a very mighty, active, restless, busy thing, which at once renews a man, gives him a second birth, and introduces him to a new manner and way of life, so that it is impossible for him not to do good without ceasing.”3 Was the faith of Noah a reflective faith? In the face of scorn and ridicule he prepared for God’s judgment as the ark was built. Was Noah quaintly brushing aside the attacks from every corner? Was his struggle of faith not great? Was there a greater struggle of faith- except that of the Crucified One- than that faced by Abraham! Was the faith of Abraham a pensive, navel-gazing speculation as he went about sacrificing his son Isaac? Was the faith of David a balancing of moral prescriptions and prohibitions? Was he merely trying to satisfy God enough to remain in power?
The Bible says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.”4How blessed are we in comparison to live after the accomplished acts of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension! Yet, not unlike the saints of old our faith looks forward. We yearn to be released, resurrected, and restored. St. Paul says, “Or citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”5 That same Saviour comforts His people today saying, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”6
We have these gifts of the kingdom already. His body and blood are a foretaste of the kingdom but they also renew your faith here and now. Strengthened by sins forgiven you can have the confidence to face all that the world hurls at you. You do not face it alone. Christ has come to serve. He has girded Himself with strength and compassion. His gifts are yours in time and in eternity. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Romans 3:23
2 Hebrews 11:1
3 WA 10.3:285
4 Hebrews 11:13
5 Philippians 3:20
6 Luke 12:32
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost
11 August 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Luke 12:35-40
Theme: Vigilant Faith
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The actions of Christ defy our instincts. His teaching refutes human logic. In His admonition to be watchful today Jesus reverses the normal course of events. The retuning master will gird himself and serve the household slaves. Christ is the Master who came not to be served but to serve. Our God is humble to the point of absurdity. But that doesn’t mean He is feeble or tentative. Christ speaks with unqualified resolve. Christianity that holds to its foundations claims the absolute truth which Jesus proclaimed. The world is offended precisely at this point.
By and large society can accommodate those aspects of Christ’s teaching which are amenable to, or at least not restrictive of, its goals and perspectives. The call to charity, generosity and self-sacrifice is hardly unique to Christianity. A moral platform of honesty and responsibility is shared by humanists and most of the major and minor religions of the world. But the inflexible decree that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”1 and can be justified and reclaimed only through this one man who is God-in-the-flesh- this is offensive to human sensibilities. It is sheer folly to those who have constructed their idols on the so-called certainties of human knowledge and achievement.
Therefore, the hopes of the baptized remain a mystery to the unbelieving world. God assesses things differently than we humans. Civil respectability is no measure of one’s faith. Was the Pharisee more righteous than the criminal crucified at Jesus’ side? Is the self-indulged, arrogant professional more righteous than the petty criminal who lives by taking what he can? Faith is a gift by which we receive the mercy of God in Christ. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”2 With these words the Holy Spirit describes the nature of Christian belief. Our trust stands firmly on God’s promises in Christ. Bombarded with the world’s “evidence” that “might makes right” and life is a fevered pursuit of materialism and pleasure; we nevertheless cling to the “foolishness” of the cross. Life has meaning because Christ was crucified for us and for our salvation. Christianity does not merely accommodate this truth but draws its very life and breath from it.
Today the Lord addresses the challenges of remaining vigilant in the faith. He does so by reminding us of His return. When the biblical teaching of Christ’s Second Coming- embedded in the creedal confessions of the faith, such as in the Nicene Creed, “He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead,” - is neglected the church is tempted to immediately and persuasively become focused mainly on temporal concerns. It does so to its peril. It does so to the peril of souls. Without robust belief that Christ’s return in glory is both expected and inescapable the witness and mission of the church is compromised. Earnestness is not easily driven by uncertainty. Passion for souls and zeal for having people rescued from the power of sin, death, and Satan are not easily maintained by an indefinite conviction about the end of all things.
Of course no one knows the hour of Christ’s return. Therefore the resolution to this challenge must also be considered from the personal perspective of mortality. Indeed, from the standpoint of our spiritual future meeting the returning Christ and facing our physical death have the same implications. Here too, we see the profound impact of a prevailing philosophy that everyone and everything will somehow turn out alright in the next life. Evil will be overlooked. Guilt will be forgotten. Judgment will be dissolved. Unbelief will be ignored. Harmony and peace will just exist as a matter of course. The idea is called universalism. As powerfully appealing as the concept is, it has no foundation in the teaching of the prophets, Christ or the apostles.
Christians too can intentionally or unwittingly give scope and credibility to this falsehood. Do we give the impression, even if it’s from genuine soft-heartedness that on their deathbed everyone is indiscriminately handed a free-pass to heaven? Is Christ only a deliverer from current woes? Is He only a temporary companion for the often dark journey of life?
At what point do faith, the Spirit’s work, the struggle against temptation, and finally the sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world become essentially meaningless? At what point is grace no longer the favour of God obtained by the blood of Christ but just a nice religious word conveying God’s tolerance of anything and everything? These are serious questions that are directly relevant to millions today searching for meaning to their existence. Is the call to take up one’s cross and follow the Saviour just a game that serves as a possible way to deal with our own personal angst?
Dear friends, faith can never exist aloof from its object or apathetic in its resolve. Faith’s activity cannot be suppressed. Luther says, Faith “is also a very mighty, active, restless, busy thing, which at once renews a man, gives him a second birth, and introduces him to a new manner and way of life, so that it is impossible for him not to do good without ceasing.”3 Was the faith of Noah a reflective faith? In the face of scorn and ridicule he prepared for God’s judgment as the ark was built. Was Noah quaintly brushing aside the attacks from every corner? Was his struggle of faith not great? Was there a greater struggle of faith- except that of the Crucified One- than that faced by Abraham! Was the faith of Abraham a pensive, navel-gazing speculation as he went about sacrificing his son Isaac? Was the faith of David a balancing of moral prescriptions and prohibitions? Was he merely trying to satisfy God enough to remain in power?
The Bible says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.”4How blessed are we in comparison to live after the accomplished acts of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension! Yet, not unlike the saints of old our faith looks forward. We yearn to be released, resurrected, and restored. St. Paul says, “Or citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”5 That same Saviour comforts His people today saying, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”6
We have these gifts of the kingdom already. His body and blood are a foretaste of the kingdom but they also renew your faith here and now. Strengthened by sins forgiven you can have the confidence to face all that the world hurls at you. You do not face it alone. Christ has come to serve. He has girded Himself with strength and compassion. His gifts are yours in time and in eternity. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Romans 3:23
2 Hebrews 11:1
3 WA 10.3:285
4 Hebrews 11:13
5 Philippians 3:20
6 Luke 12:32
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost
11 August 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 12:13-21
Theme: All Things In Christ
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Money makes the world go round. Have you heard that phrase before? It expresses a fundamental truth about culture and the nature of what makes people tick. Around the acquisition and retaining of material goods human society has constructed a system of value that it refines and defends vigorously. Such definitions of worth pervade every aspect of human existence, even the spiritual. No one is exempt from confronting these influences. Jesus says, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”1 May the Spirit grant us the strength to believe this whole-heartedly!
We are only custodians of God’s gifts and our stewardship consists of assessing and meeting the needs of others. But Jesus is hardly just beating the drum of generosity and advising that all things be done in moderation. He is warning of spiritually fatal obsession with material wealth. He is cautioning against loss of faith and finally, eternal life. Paul echoes the same with His well-known admonition, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith.”2
The day of reckoning will come. It’s not a possibility. It’s a certainty. Each of us will face our Maker. Avoidance or denial will not change the reality. Facing mortality is the issue in today’s Scripture from Luke. In answer to an inheritance dispute Christ warns about the dangers of greed. His parable of the rich fool speaks directly to contemporary life. The man was not foolish in the world’s eyes, but spiritually. In a worldly sense he may well have been known as a shrewd and successful businessman. Such praise from society is a powerful motivation for the pursuit of success.
How worthless are our material riches in comparison with the value of the soul! It’s one thing to hear the preacher say that, it’s another thing for people to believe it. Little effort is needed to convince people why we so easily get caught up in the desire for wealth. There is always a perpetual and resilient belief among the majority of people that money is the key to happiness. The pursuit of material wealth and security dominates the interests and energies of many people. It is vigorously argued that a certain amount of money secure contentment. In truth, contentment is the key to handling money.
Chasing after money causes terrible stress even from a worldly perspective. It can control a person’s mindset and compromise their health. Greed and jealously ruin friendships and even divide families. Lottery winners are often more unhappy after their ‘windfall”. God knows your temptations, your weaknesses and your blatant sins when it comes to money and material possessions. He knows when you’ve been stingy, dishonest, selfish, and jealous. These transgressions are not to be excused, or defended, but confessed.
We are naturally quick to judge others and colour the situation in our favour. We all know the tendencies of a self-righteous attitude. When other people take a long time to do something, they're slow; when we take a long time, we're thorough. When they don't do something, they're lazy; when we don't, we're too busy. When they succeed, they're lucky; when we do, we deserve it. It’s no wonder the news media are known for using spin; it’s built into our genes. But God sees us as we are. The struggle of the Christian life is to live as such.
The Russian author Leo Tolstoy once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run; knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost. As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. He immediately collapsed. In a few minutes he was dead. Afterwards, his servants dug a grave on his land. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide.
Through the parable of the foolish farmer the crowd was being strictly advised about the genuineness of their faith. Faith cannot exist in name only. It is not positive thinking or moral respectability. Action characterizes faith, showing it to be either alive or dead. Faith does not have independent existence. It depends on the Holy Spirit and lives in connection with Christ. Faith exists in repentance. It lives in struggle. You cannot measure your faith by gauging its effortlessness or ease. Faith grapples with God’s promise to provide daily bread. It wrestles with the action of sacrificing for others. Faith is active in love- not only those from whom we expect reciprocation- but particularly the love of those who are unable to return our generosity.
Christ is the example par excellence. The Scripture says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.”3 It wasn’t His meager material comforts during His earthly sojourn that speak most clearly of His profound compassion but His act of immersing Himself in the muck of sinful humanity. Christ’s greatest humiliation did not involve harsh treatment or unfair rebuke but rather His willingness to become as one of us, flesh and blood, so that He might bear the burdens of our sins. He bore our guilt all the way to the cross and laid it to rest in the grave. His resurrection opened the way for us to serve in freedom. We are released from death’s curse.
Through baptism you have become a participant in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. In this covenant He binds Himself inseparably to you. The apostle says today, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”4 The motivation of materialism dies in a Christian because he or she believes these blessings are just a means to an end.
But because this belief is flatly rejected by the world Christians are risk-takers in the highest sense. Fidelity to the teachings of Christ runs the risk of opposition, discrimination, and even persecution from the world. This is not a one-off possibility, but the constant reality of living the faith. Yet this taking on of risk is not optional for the believer. It is part and parcel of identifying with Christ’s name. St. Peter says, “Let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”5
Luther never tired of reminding people that in comparison to what God has prepared for His people all of our challenges in life- even the most severe trial- are trifles. Even our greatest pleasures are mere shadows and previews. To teach this is to do nothing less than preach the Good News of eternal salvation in Jesus Christ. God has greater riches in store for you than you could ever accumulate or even enjoy in the life. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Luke 11:5
2 1 Timothy 6:10
3 2 Corinthians 8:9
4 Colossians 3:1-3
5 1 Peter 4:19
Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost
4 August 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Luke 12:13-21
Theme: All Things In Christ
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Money makes the world go round. Have you heard that phrase before? It expresses a fundamental truth about culture and the nature of what makes people tick. Around the acquisition and retaining of material goods human society has constructed a system of value that it refines and defends vigorously. Such definitions of worth pervade every aspect of human existence, even the spiritual. No one is exempt from confronting these influences. Jesus says, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”1 May the Spirit grant us the strength to believe this whole-heartedly!
We are only custodians of God’s gifts and our stewardship consists of assessing and meeting the needs of others. But Jesus is hardly just beating the drum of generosity and advising that all things be done in moderation. He is warning of spiritually fatal obsession with material wealth. He is cautioning against loss of faith and finally, eternal life. Paul echoes the same with His well-known admonition, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith.”2
The day of reckoning will come. It’s not a possibility. It’s a certainty. Each of us will face our Maker. Avoidance or denial will not change the reality. Facing mortality is the issue in today’s Scripture from Luke. In answer to an inheritance dispute Christ warns about the dangers of greed. His parable of the rich fool speaks directly to contemporary life. The man was not foolish in the world’s eyes, but spiritually. In a worldly sense he may well have been known as a shrewd and successful businessman. Such praise from society is a powerful motivation for the pursuit of success.
How worthless are our material riches in comparison with the value of the soul! It’s one thing to hear the preacher say that, it’s another thing for people to believe it. Little effort is needed to convince people why we so easily get caught up in the desire for wealth. There is always a perpetual and resilient belief among the majority of people that money is the key to happiness. The pursuit of material wealth and security dominates the interests and energies of many people. It is vigorously argued that a certain amount of money secure contentment. In truth, contentment is the key to handling money.
Chasing after money causes terrible stress even from a worldly perspective. It can control a person’s mindset and compromise their health. Greed and jealously ruin friendships and even divide families. Lottery winners are often more unhappy after their ‘windfall”. God knows your temptations, your weaknesses and your blatant sins when it comes to money and material possessions. He knows when you’ve been stingy, dishonest, selfish, and jealous. These transgressions are not to be excused, or defended, but confessed.
We are naturally quick to judge others and colour the situation in our favour. We all know the tendencies of a self-righteous attitude. When other people take a long time to do something, they're slow; when we take a long time, we're thorough. When they don't do something, they're lazy; when we don't, we're too busy. When they succeed, they're lucky; when we do, we deserve it. It’s no wonder the news media are known for using spin; it’s built into our genes. But God sees us as we are. The struggle of the Christian life is to live as such.
The Russian author Leo Tolstoy once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run; knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost. As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. He immediately collapsed. In a few minutes he was dead. Afterwards, his servants dug a grave on his land. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide.
Through the parable of the foolish farmer the crowd was being strictly advised about the genuineness of their faith. Faith cannot exist in name only. It is not positive thinking or moral respectability. Action characterizes faith, showing it to be either alive or dead. Faith does not have independent existence. It depends on the Holy Spirit and lives in connection with Christ. Faith exists in repentance. It lives in struggle. You cannot measure your faith by gauging its effortlessness or ease. Faith grapples with God’s promise to provide daily bread. It wrestles with the action of sacrificing for others. Faith is active in love- not only those from whom we expect reciprocation- but particularly the love of those who are unable to return our generosity.
Christ is the example par excellence. The Scripture says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.”3 It wasn’t His meager material comforts during His earthly sojourn that speak most clearly of His profound compassion but His act of immersing Himself in the muck of sinful humanity. Christ’s greatest humiliation did not involve harsh treatment or unfair rebuke but rather His willingness to become as one of us, flesh and blood, so that He might bear the burdens of our sins. He bore our guilt all the way to the cross and laid it to rest in the grave. His resurrection opened the way for us to serve in freedom. We are released from death’s curse.
Through baptism you have become a participant in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. In this covenant He binds Himself inseparably to you. The apostle says today, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”4 The motivation of materialism dies in a Christian because he or she believes these blessings are just a means to an end.
But because this belief is flatly rejected by the world Christians are risk-takers in the highest sense. Fidelity to the teachings of Christ runs the risk of opposition, discrimination, and even persecution from the world. This is not a one-off possibility, but the constant reality of living the faith. Yet this taking on of risk is not optional for the believer. It is part and parcel of identifying with Christ’s name. St. Peter says, “Let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”5
Luther never tired of reminding people that in comparison to what God has prepared for His people all of our challenges in life- even the most severe trial- are trifles. Even our greatest pleasures are mere shadows and previews. To teach this is to do nothing less than preach the Good News of eternal salvation in Jesus Christ. God has greater riches in store for you than you could ever accumulate or even enjoy in the life. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Luke 11:5
2 1 Timothy 6:10
3 2 Corinthians 8:9
4 Colossians 3:1-3
5 1 Peter 4:19
Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost
4 August 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
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