+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Col 3:17, John 8:12, 1 Tim 6:12, Rev 2:10
Theme: Primary Promises
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Dear candidates for confirmation; Brailey, Shenay, Ethan, and Luke,
In a few moments you will each be asked a series of questions and the first one you will be asked to respond to is this: “Do you this day in the presence of God and of this congregation acknowledge the gifts which God gave you in your baptism?” The promise of your baptism is the starting point for this day of your confirmation. And it is also the ending point because you have been baptized into Christ’s death and His resurrection.
Today is a day about promises. Promises have fallen on hard times lately. If you get married one day you will make a promise to be faithful to your spouse. That is a serious promise. If you sign a contract for a job; that is a serious promise. If you take out a mortgage to purchase a house or property; that is a serious promise. If you join the military you will promise not to be insubordinate; that is a serious promise. Whenever these types of promises are broken there are severe consequences. But the type of promise you’re making today is really the most serious of all. You will be promising to remain faithful to God and the truth of His word even to the point of death. There are many important things in your life; family, friends, school, health, sport and many other activities, hopes and dreams, but your trust in the one true God and your life of faith surpasses them all.
If you take it seriously it will not be an easy promise to keep. Firstly, like all of us, all of you are sinners. That means you will constantly be tempted to think of yourself first and forget about what God says. Secondly, none of us know where life will take any of you, but we do know where Satan and the unbelieving world would like to take you: As far away from God’s word, His truth, His house, and His kingdom as possible. The devil has proven to be very effective at this in recent times. Thirdly, the world is filled with darkness. It is deep and sinister but it is often disguised in a way that appears attractive and appealing. Thankfully when we repent of our sins God promises to forgive us for Jesus’ sake.
The good news is God’s promise to us is bigger than all our failures. Christ did keep His promise even to the point of death. He went to the cross where He shed His blood for you. He overcame death and the grave for you. Crucified and risen He lives to intercede for you. He promises to never leave you or forsake you.
You cannot make God into someone or something else. As soon as you try to do so you have made an idol. But God can and has and will make/made you into someone else. The Holy Spirit gives you faith and as He grows you in that faith He shapes you into a unique person with a unique place of service in His kingdom.
The Bible is full of promises and all of its promises centre on Christ. Each of you has been assigned a Bible verse on this day of your confirmation.
Shenay “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17
Brailey “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Ethan “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12
Luke “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10
Christ is light. He is forgiveness. He is salvation. Confirmation is not graduation. It is just one step in your life-long baptismal journey. And it is a journey you never travel alone. May God bless each of you now and from this day forward and may the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, your Saviour, keep you strong until the day you meet Him face to face. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Advent
Rite of Confirmation
14 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Monday, December 15, 2014
Sunday, November 30, 2014
First Sunday of Advent (B) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: Mark 13:32
Theme: Advent Angels
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The angels will be released. They will be sent to summon the elect. It’s an intriguing scene to consider and a reality that will captivate us with some urgency. We won’t be mere observers, but targets of His intimate love. Yet nothing in the universe will remain unaffected. The coming of the Son of Man will involve the disturbance and subjugation of the entire cosmos. The Creator will fully purge His creation. Neither the most remote and inaccessible star nor the very ground under our feet will remain untouched. Time and space will be breached; sieved in an instant. From Adam to the newly conceived infant humanity will appear before its Maker. There will be no exclusions or exceptions. Ancient things will become new and nascent things will be made mature.
Advent intends to lift our thoughts from mundane repetition to the fulfillment of holy promises. Advent means ‘coming’ and the season aims to jolt us from spiritual slothfulness in anticipation of that great day of the Lord. The Scriptures continually teach us to be mindful of our mortality. We heard Isaiah today, “We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”1 How feeble is human strength and how fleeting is our opportunity! We are only sojourners in this land and there is great danger and delusion in believing otherwise. Of the faithful of past centuries the Bible says, “They admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.”2 A permanent home awaits us too.
Dear friends, as we embark on a new Church Year we are called on to reassess how in tune our lives are with the truth God reveals to us. Christianity is not an ideological position. Obedience to God’s will brings us into direct conflict with the agenda of Satan. Advent is a call to forsake our sinful ways. Does self-interest dominate our schedules? Are God’s commands treated as optional guidelines instead of the scaffolding which supports our love for Him and others? Do we not see that the specifics of His commands are meant to serve us holistically? Does, for example, ignoring the Sabbath not merit a second thought? Does sexual immorality cause us no angst? Does lying and deceit trigger no pain in our conscience? Do we allow jealousy and covetousness to rule unchecked, justifying it as part and parcel of the pursuit of our ambitions? Are our sins of omission even more glaring than the sins we commit?
And how do we react to being confronted by the perfect will of God? Do we dart for the shadows? Do we race for cover hoping to fade into anonymity? Do we grasp for a new identity pretending to have some type of cathartic amnesia? All such attempts are in vain; we cannot escape our past. Sin allows for no self-disassociation. In fact, sin adheres to us like superglue, it stains us deeply. And it impacts us. Luther said, “Where there is sin there is no clear conscience; where there is no clear conscience, there is a life of uncertainty and an unquenchable fear of death and hell in the presence of which no real joy can exist in the heart.”3
Advent does, however, announce to us the only real reason for joy. Christ comes to lift the burden we cannot bear. He cleanses the stain. Our offensiveness to God is covered by His body hanging from the tree. His corpse is draped over our body of sin and buried with Him in the grave. In baptism we are submerged into the death and burial of Christ. And there the punishment for the sins of the believer stays buried. In baptism we also participate in His resurrection. Raised spiritually now, we await the resurrection on the Last Day. A cross was lifted for us and the price of our freedom was nailed to it.
That freedom from sin’s condemning and binding power is something we have the privilege of sharing with the world. Christ tells His disciples to be wise as serpents but innocent as doves. We are called to be wise to the misrepresentations, the equivocations and the blatant condemnations of the secular agenda. We are not to participate in them but rather expose them. We cannot sit back and allow the most vulnerable to be taken advantage of. Christian life is one of service. We are lights in a spiritually dark world.
Black is the ‘colour’ we see when all the colours of the spectrum are absorbed or are absent. White is what we experience when all the colours are present at once. Black symbolizes the absence of God and His gifts. It represents our spiritual condition without Christ. But Christ shines on us with the full spectrum of His love. We are bathed in the whiteness of His righteousness. Our lives are coloured by His holiness. In His perfect presence there are no shadows, no dark corners; no aspects of our existence are hidden from the brilliance of His redeeming light.
Dear friends, advent is not only concerned with future promises. Every time your heart is moved to an honest confession of sins and you receive His forgiveness you anticipate His advent. Every time you are called to remember your baptism you anticipate His advent. Every time you receive the sacrament of His body and blood you anticipate His advent. And at the very same time He also meets you in these gifts. Christ is coming in glory but He is already here in grace. He will rend the heavens and come down but He already embraces you with compassion. Presently we can only behold Him by faith. Our fallen nature prevents direct participation by our senses. At His coming we will be freed from sin’s curse and know Him fully. The Scripture says, “The dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”4
We will be changed- for eternity. No trial, circumstance, or adversity can prevent that from happening for God’s people. The angels wait to participate in that event. We soon look forward to meeting once again the angels of the nativity; Gabriel’s visit to Mary, and good tidings announced to shepherds. But that was just the beginning of their work. They will come to gather the elect. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit has made this promise, “God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”5 “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”6
Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday of Advent
30 November 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Isaiah 64:6
2 Hebrews 11:13
3 Martin Luther, Complete Sermons
4 1 Corinthians 15:52
5 1 Corinthians 1:9
6 1 Corinthians 1:8
Text: Mark 13:32
Theme: Advent Angels
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The angels will be released. They will be sent to summon the elect. It’s an intriguing scene to consider and a reality that will captivate us with some urgency. We won’t be mere observers, but targets of His intimate love. Yet nothing in the universe will remain unaffected. The coming of the Son of Man will involve the disturbance and subjugation of the entire cosmos. The Creator will fully purge His creation. Neither the most remote and inaccessible star nor the very ground under our feet will remain untouched. Time and space will be breached; sieved in an instant. From Adam to the newly conceived infant humanity will appear before its Maker. There will be no exclusions or exceptions. Ancient things will become new and nascent things will be made mature.
Advent intends to lift our thoughts from mundane repetition to the fulfillment of holy promises. Advent means ‘coming’ and the season aims to jolt us from spiritual slothfulness in anticipation of that great day of the Lord. The Scriptures continually teach us to be mindful of our mortality. We heard Isaiah today, “We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”1 How feeble is human strength and how fleeting is our opportunity! We are only sojourners in this land and there is great danger and delusion in believing otherwise. Of the faithful of past centuries the Bible says, “They admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.”2 A permanent home awaits us too.
Dear friends, as we embark on a new Church Year we are called on to reassess how in tune our lives are with the truth God reveals to us. Christianity is not an ideological position. Obedience to God’s will brings us into direct conflict with the agenda of Satan. Advent is a call to forsake our sinful ways. Does self-interest dominate our schedules? Are God’s commands treated as optional guidelines instead of the scaffolding which supports our love for Him and others? Do we not see that the specifics of His commands are meant to serve us holistically? Does, for example, ignoring the Sabbath not merit a second thought? Does sexual immorality cause us no angst? Does lying and deceit trigger no pain in our conscience? Do we allow jealousy and covetousness to rule unchecked, justifying it as part and parcel of the pursuit of our ambitions? Are our sins of omission even more glaring than the sins we commit?
And how do we react to being confronted by the perfect will of God? Do we dart for the shadows? Do we race for cover hoping to fade into anonymity? Do we grasp for a new identity pretending to have some type of cathartic amnesia? All such attempts are in vain; we cannot escape our past. Sin allows for no self-disassociation. In fact, sin adheres to us like superglue, it stains us deeply. And it impacts us. Luther said, “Where there is sin there is no clear conscience; where there is no clear conscience, there is a life of uncertainty and an unquenchable fear of death and hell in the presence of which no real joy can exist in the heart.”3
Advent does, however, announce to us the only real reason for joy. Christ comes to lift the burden we cannot bear. He cleanses the stain. Our offensiveness to God is covered by His body hanging from the tree. His corpse is draped over our body of sin and buried with Him in the grave. In baptism we are submerged into the death and burial of Christ. And there the punishment for the sins of the believer stays buried. In baptism we also participate in His resurrection. Raised spiritually now, we await the resurrection on the Last Day. A cross was lifted for us and the price of our freedom was nailed to it.
That freedom from sin’s condemning and binding power is something we have the privilege of sharing with the world. Christ tells His disciples to be wise as serpents but innocent as doves. We are called to be wise to the misrepresentations, the equivocations and the blatant condemnations of the secular agenda. We are not to participate in them but rather expose them. We cannot sit back and allow the most vulnerable to be taken advantage of. Christian life is one of service. We are lights in a spiritually dark world.
Black is the ‘colour’ we see when all the colours of the spectrum are absorbed or are absent. White is what we experience when all the colours are present at once. Black symbolizes the absence of God and His gifts. It represents our spiritual condition without Christ. But Christ shines on us with the full spectrum of His love. We are bathed in the whiteness of His righteousness. Our lives are coloured by His holiness. In His perfect presence there are no shadows, no dark corners; no aspects of our existence are hidden from the brilliance of His redeeming light.
Dear friends, advent is not only concerned with future promises. Every time your heart is moved to an honest confession of sins and you receive His forgiveness you anticipate His advent. Every time you are called to remember your baptism you anticipate His advent. Every time you receive the sacrament of His body and blood you anticipate His advent. And at the very same time He also meets you in these gifts. Christ is coming in glory but He is already here in grace. He will rend the heavens and come down but He already embraces you with compassion. Presently we can only behold Him by faith. Our fallen nature prevents direct participation by our senses. At His coming we will be freed from sin’s curse and know Him fully. The Scripture says, “The dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”4
We will be changed- for eternity. No trial, circumstance, or adversity can prevent that from happening for God’s people. The angels wait to participate in that event. We soon look forward to meeting once again the angels of the nativity; Gabriel’s visit to Mary, and good tidings announced to shepherds. But that was just the beginning of their work. They will come to gather the elect. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit has made this promise, “God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”5 “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”6
Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday of Advent
30 November 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Isaiah 64:6
2 Hebrews 11:13
3 Martin Luther, Complete Sermons
4 1 Corinthians 15:52
5 1 Corinthians 1:9
6 1 Corinthians 1:8
Monday, November 24, 2014
Last Sunday of the Church Year (A) 2014
Text: Matthew 25:37
Theme: Royal Surprises
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God has no plan to keep this fallen world in perpetual motion. In fact, it is winding down. Christ did not come to keep the world on life-support; that’s not what redemption means. The door will be shut. The window will be closed. The curtain will be dropped on human history. The Father has determined an end to Satan’s opportunities. Christ will come in magnificent glory and overwhelming power and all will be subject to Him.
Yet, even now, Christ is always seeking the lost sheep. Today we come to the conclusion of another Church Year and prepare to embark on the season of Advent. Could there be any more relevant motive to move people to honest repentance than knowing the Last Day is imminent? All of our pursuits and dreams, our ambitions and passions, our challenges and fears must be viewed from the angle of how they relate to our status before God. Come what may, prosperity or adversity, the one thing we cannot suffer is to face the judgment with the uncertainty of whether sin is left unresolved. These are the most pressing matters of the heart.
Thankfully we are in the right place to address the question. The house of God is a surgical theatre for cardiac patients. The Holy Spirit is a heart specialist. He knows what ails you. He knows where you have blockages. He knows what causes your heart to race and what throws it out of rhythm. He knows how to heal and fortify our souls with divine gifts.
The pertinent question today is: Will we be judged by what we believe or how we have loved? It is a question that often vexes many people. But, you see, the one cannot be separated from the other. Faith and love should never be pitted against each other. The Lord does not judge by outward appearance. The Scripture says, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”1 Salvation is accomplished by Christ alone and we receive that salvation by faith- itself a gift of the Holy Spirit. But faith is always active in love. Otherwise it is shown to be sham. Love cannot be contrived; a show put on in order to make a good impression. Any ‘good work’ done with false motives is actually a sin. Because good works flow automatically from faith we find today that the righteous, the sheep, are surprised to be commended for serving the King. In serving those in need we are serving Christ.
The sheep and the goats aren’t necessarily easily discerned by the human eye. The sheep are surprised to be commended. The goats are even more surprised that the judgment goes against them. They don’t see where they’ve failed. They don’t recall disregarding any summons to serve the Lord. They want to know specifics. Yet in unbelief, they had neglected to serve others. There was no faith active in love. They were focused on other things.
Imagine if the most influential in society put as much effort into preventing the world from falling into moral collapse as they do trying to keep it from economical or ecological disaster! Imagine if people were encouraged to conceive children within the bounds of marriage instead of advocating for abortion on demand to secure the convenience of casual sexual relationships. Imagine if people were taught they are valued because they are made in the image of God instead of being appraised by how useful they are to the ambitions of others. Material affluence cannot substitute for strong relationships. Godliness and integrity in our vocations is more important than financial success. Attending to those in need is more important than building status or gaining popularity.
Christians learn to despise and detest sin even though they are continually tempted toward it. The unbelieving heart, by contrast, embraces sin and when that sin is not accepted publicly even in the secular culture seeks to justify its actions. Only fear of punishment or hope of reward, not love of God, motivates or restrains the unbeliever. Believers understand chastisement as the just and loving discipline of the Heavenly Father always intended to purify us. Still, we are, by nature prone to be angry with God, accusing Him of being unfair. The baptismal life involves the constant struggle of taking God at His word and trusting He has our best interests in mind. That is no small challenge. God allows afflictions to come upon us for the purpose of drawing us closer to Himself.
Don’t entertain, even for a moment, the idea that at the final judgment there is even a remote possibility that God will ‘come around’ and recognize your life’s effort as being worthy of His admiration. Shun all false humility, abandon all naïve hope, and cast yourself at His mercy. Neither your greatest sacrifices, nor your most generous acts of charity, nor your most steadfast obedience, nor moral integrity will win the argument in the divine courtroom. Christ hung from a cross and you did not. Not that it would matter if you had. Only His life was worthy of the ransom that was required. Christ “gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”2 For Christians the sentence against sin was already rendered at the cross therefore we do not fear the judgment.
Things will, on the Last Day, appear significantly different than they do now. No false appearances will be maintained. No secrets will be kept. No offences will remain concealed. No crimes will stay unsolved. No wool will be pulled over God’s eyes. Believers will be filled with joy and amazement when the full nature of God is revealed to them in Christ. The Scripture says, “We are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”3
How astounding it will be to see Christ as He is; face to face! That’s why Paul says today, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.”4 That kind of prayer is wholesome spiritual food. It feeds our souls. And hidden under bread and wine we already do meet God ‘face to face’ as we take His body and blood unto our lips. His glory remains veiled in the sacrament but the promise acquired by His sacrifice makes us citizens of heaven already now.
Dear friends, the promise of Christ coming again almost seems too remote to be real. The repetitiveness of the world’s activities dulls our senses. But the Holy Spirit breathes fresh life into our souls. We are baptized for a purpose that far exceeds these earthly limitations. The resurrection awaits us. The dead will be raised and the curtain of history will be drawn. Satan, the demons, and the wicked will be forever separated from the triune God, the angels, and believers. Christians will experience complete joy in the presence of God for eternity. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 1 Samuel 16:7
2 Galatians 1:3-4
3 1 John 3:2
4 Ephesians 1:18-20
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: Matthew 25:21
Theme: Servants of THE Servant
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus Christ is the servant of servants. That truth does not stand in contradiction to the fact that he is also Master and Lord. Christ was exalted through humiliation; He was glorified through suffering. “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered, and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.”1
You, as His baptized children, are privileged to be His servants. Today’s parable teaches what a great honour and responsibility that is. To His devoted disciples He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master;”2 a preview of the greeting at heaven’s gate.
They are significant words and should compel us to consider what they imply and how we value them. How highly do you prize the affirmation of God? Do you cherish the certainty of His favour or do you take it for granted? Are there other commendations you desire more? Does your need to be liked, or in control, or seen to be right motivate and drive you most? The world is like a fast-moving river whose current is endlessly trying to pull us along. It is like a persistent wind that never rests. Like the tide moving back and forth the temptation to conform to the latest trends in culture are always there. They are “in our face.”
Today Jesus teaches about faithfulness through the parable of the talents. The contrast is between the faithful servants who invest the money entrusted to them and the unfaithful one who does not. Each servant was entrusted with a very large sum of money. Essentially, the owner gives them complete control. The master, who represents Christ, was away for a long time. The first two put the money to work- they invested it, probably in things relating to the master’s business. The third, in fear and laziness, buried his master’s money in the ground. The climax is reached when the master returns. The faithful servants are commended and share in the master’s wealth but for the wicked servant the punishment is harsh and swift. These words of Jesus are not for the faint of heart.
Consider momentarily the reason why any place depicted as outside, in the darkness “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,”3 is so commonly avoided, re-interpreted, or flatly denied (even in spiritual conversation and preaching). There’s no secret or mystery here. Eternal punishment is an affront to our sensibilities and the politically correct ideology of our culture. More importantly, it’s an offence to our nature. And it wouldn’t appear to be too helpful to the mission of Christianity. Who wants to be associated with a God whose judgment is harsh, swift, and final?
Therefore, the temptation to manage and manipulate God’s judgment against sin is always present. Better if the pastor is allowed to mention the problem of sin (that’s part of his job), but to do so without too much specificity. Otherwise we may be shaken from our comfort zones and called to honest repentance. If we were completely candid we’d admit that often we deem our own sin to be so minor that we have embarrassingly few things to repent of. It’s like the little girl who kept her room so spotless that when her parents told her to clean it she had to go mess it up a little first.
God knows better. The truth is our struggle as sinners is tied up inextricably with the love-hate tension with have within ourselves, towards others, and towards God Himself. We are redeemed but we remain powerfully self-centred. But, dear friends, God does not get confused by complexity or confounded by disorder. He can clearly differentiate between the sin and the sinner. The Holy Spirit is impeccably discriminating. He knows the perplexity of our motives; that our intention to love or help or obey is also tainted by hope of praise or fear of reward. He knows that we can be at the same time overflowing with sympathy and yet burning with rage. He knows our hope is often mingled with despair; joy with sorrow. He knows that we are simultaneously saints and sinners.
And He loves us despite of what He knows. His love is intentional and precise. The love of God is not nebulous. That is, it is not vague or ill-defined. Divine love is not a generic feeling of good will or unspecified sentiment of kindness. God is concrete, purposeful, and specific in His actions. God hears your prays, they’re not heaped on a common pile or filed away in a unnamed folder. He knows the thoughts and desires of your heart.
His intimate love is grounded in the tangible work of Christ. The cross was not arbitrary; a mere coincidence of historical context. The crucifixion was deliberate and definitive. Sacrifice was the only way in which God could fully show His love for us. Pardon from sin, freedom from Satan, rescue from death could not be accomplished in any other way. The Holy Spirit does not leave people guessing, wondering how God can be approached or salvation can be secured. The Scripture says, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.”4 It says Christ, “was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”5 When you receive His body and blood at this alar you receive both the benefits of His death and the power of His life.
The message of the parable is clear: Faith has consequences; as does unbelief. Faith never exists in suspended-animation. Luther teaches us that faith is a living, active, and busy thing. It is continually ‘at work’ for the benefit of the kingdom. The promised return of the King reminds us that we are only stewards, not owners. We are not the proprietors, the landlords, or the title-holders. In a culture in which we are accustomed to possessing an abundance of material things we must be reminded that they can just as easily become the cause of stumbling and idolatry as being recognized as God’s blessings. Were we to own nothing at all-if even the very clothes we were wearing were borrowed-we would still be rich in Christ. As the apostle says, “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”6
Think, dear friends, what it means that we are now co-inheritors of the kingdom with Christ. We are cherished citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. We were by nature outcasts; sinners from conception with no legitimate entitlement to the inheritance. We were doomed to face the unmitigated judgment of God. Yet God has “rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.”7 We are baptized, we are justified, we are sanctified, and we will be glorified. We are freed from the power of death. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.”8 Christ is the Servant of servants and we will be His benefactors for all eternity. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Hebrews 5:8-9
2 Matthew 25:21
3 Matthew 25:30
4 1 Peter 2:24
5 Romans 4:25
6 Philippians 3:7-8
7 Colossians 1:13
8 1 Thessalonians 5:10
Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost
16 November 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Matthew 25:21
Theme: Servants of THE Servant
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus Christ is the servant of servants. That truth does not stand in contradiction to the fact that he is also Master and Lord. Christ was exalted through humiliation; He was glorified through suffering. “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered, and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.”1
You, as His baptized children, are privileged to be His servants. Today’s parable teaches what a great honour and responsibility that is. To His devoted disciples He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master;”2 a preview of the greeting at heaven’s gate.
They are significant words and should compel us to consider what they imply and how we value them. How highly do you prize the affirmation of God? Do you cherish the certainty of His favour or do you take it for granted? Are there other commendations you desire more? Does your need to be liked, or in control, or seen to be right motivate and drive you most? The world is like a fast-moving river whose current is endlessly trying to pull us along. It is like a persistent wind that never rests. Like the tide moving back and forth the temptation to conform to the latest trends in culture are always there. They are “in our face.”
Today Jesus teaches about faithfulness through the parable of the talents. The contrast is between the faithful servants who invest the money entrusted to them and the unfaithful one who does not. Each servant was entrusted with a very large sum of money. Essentially, the owner gives them complete control. The master, who represents Christ, was away for a long time. The first two put the money to work- they invested it, probably in things relating to the master’s business. The third, in fear and laziness, buried his master’s money in the ground. The climax is reached when the master returns. The faithful servants are commended and share in the master’s wealth but for the wicked servant the punishment is harsh and swift. These words of Jesus are not for the faint of heart.
Consider momentarily the reason why any place depicted as outside, in the darkness “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,”3 is so commonly avoided, re-interpreted, or flatly denied (even in spiritual conversation and preaching). There’s no secret or mystery here. Eternal punishment is an affront to our sensibilities and the politically correct ideology of our culture. More importantly, it’s an offence to our nature. And it wouldn’t appear to be too helpful to the mission of Christianity. Who wants to be associated with a God whose judgment is harsh, swift, and final?
Therefore, the temptation to manage and manipulate God’s judgment against sin is always present. Better if the pastor is allowed to mention the problem of sin (that’s part of his job), but to do so without too much specificity. Otherwise we may be shaken from our comfort zones and called to honest repentance. If we were completely candid we’d admit that often we deem our own sin to be so minor that we have embarrassingly few things to repent of. It’s like the little girl who kept her room so spotless that when her parents told her to clean it she had to go mess it up a little first.
God knows better. The truth is our struggle as sinners is tied up inextricably with the love-hate tension with have within ourselves, towards others, and towards God Himself. We are redeemed but we remain powerfully self-centred. But, dear friends, God does not get confused by complexity or confounded by disorder. He can clearly differentiate between the sin and the sinner. The Holy Spirit is impeccably discriminating. He knows the perplexity of our motives; that our intention to love or help or obey is also tainted by hope of praise or fear of reward. He knows that we can be at the same time overflowing with sympathy and yet burning with rage. He knows our hope is often mingled with despair; joy with sorrow. He knows that we are simultaneously saints and sinners.
And He loves us despite of what He knows. His love is intentional and precise. The love of God is not nebulous. That is, it is not vague or ill-defined. Divine love is not a generic feeling of good will or unspecified sentiment of kindness. God is concrete, purposeful, and specific in His actions. God hears your prays, they’re not heaped on a common pile or filed away in a unnamed folder. He knows the thoughts and desires of your heart.
His intimate love is grounded in the tangible work of Christ. The cross was not arbitrary; a mere coincidence of historical context. The crucifixion was deliberate and definitive. Sacrifice was the only way in which God could fully show His love for us. Pardon from sin, freedom from Satan, rescue from death could not be accomplished in any other way. The Holy Spirit does not leave people guessing, wondering how God can be approached or salvation can be secured. The Scripture says, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.”4 It says Christ, “was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”5 When you receive His body and blood at this alar you receive both the benefits of His death and the power of His life.
The message of the parable is clear: Faith has consequences; as does unbelief. Faith never exists in suspended-animation. Luther teaches us that faith is a living, active, and busy thing. It is continually ‘at work’ for the benefit of the kingdom. The promised return of the King reminds us that we are only stewards, not owners. We are not the proprietors, the landlords, or the title-holders. In a culture in which we are accustomed to possessing an abundance of material things we must be reminded that they can just as easily become the cause of stumbling and idolatry as being recognized as God’s blessings. Were we to own nothing at all-if even the very clothes we were wearing were borrowed-we would still be rich in Christ. As the apostle says, “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”6
Think, dear friends, what it means that we are now co-inheritors of the kingdom with Christ. We are cherished citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. We were by nature outcasts; sinners from conception with no legitimate entitlement to the inheritance. We were doomed to face the unmitigated judgment of God. Yet God has “rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.”7 We are baptized, we are justified, we are sanctified, and we will be glorified. We are freed from the power of death. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.”8 Christ is the Servant of servants and we will be His benefactors for all eternity. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Hebrews 5:8-9
2 Matthew 25:21
3 Matthew 25:30
4 1 Peter 2:24
5 Romans 4:25
6 Philippians 3:7-8
7 Colossians 1:13
8 1 Thessalonians 5:10
Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost
16 November 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Friday, November 14, 2014
Christian Burial of Rosemary Ziersch
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 11:25
Theme: Resurrection and Life
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Rosemary; Deb, Kym, Brenton, and especially you; Rod,
The struggle has ended; the celebration has only begun. Today the Spirit can temper our sense of grief and loss with a genuine appreciation for the blessings Rosemary now enjoys. As the apostle says, she now sees God “face to face.”1 Rosemary is at peace. We have it on the highest authority, the very decree from heaven, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them.’”2 Of course, Rosemary’s rest doesn’t mean inactivity. Undoubtedly the vitality she possessed on earth is even more magnified in heaven.
Dear friends, death is as common as the rising of the sun; a regular occurrence that collides with our daily routines and throws them decidedly, if only temporarily, out of balance. Even though death is commonplace- and we all must face it- it is always momentous. Something much more than a physical life reaching its conclusion is involved. Eternal things are at stake. Death brings us face to face with the big questions of existence, the deepest mysteries and the thorniest conundrums.
When reflecting on the death of a loved one honesty compels us to consider our own mortality. Nothing in this earthly realm is more final than death. It is an invincible power. We are defenceless to stand against it. We do ourselves no favours by ignoring it or brushing lightly past it. Death is not child’s play. It is deep, dark, and sinister. Death is not natural. It has a malicious cause. The Holy Scriptures say, “The wages of sin is death.”3 Because all are sinners all must face it. We live in a fallen world
Into this fallen existence comes an infant in a manger who grows up to be nailed to a cross. God sent His Son, in the flesh, to suffer and die. Divine intervention was required to rescue the human race. Here is where the skepticism of the world is met head on. Who wouldn’t have been filled with skepticism when Christ replied to the distraught Martha saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”4 They were filled with more doubt and even derision as He stood outside the grave of Lazarus- a man four-days dead- and called, “Lazarus, come out!”5 But the proof was in the pudding. And it was only a preview of His own victory over the grave. Christ is the immortal God who has conquered death itself. Easter is the bedrock of Christian truth. Rosemary held this conviction firmly and with transparent honesty.
Rosemary wasn’t pretentious in any way. She was a straight shooter; always calling a spade a spade. She was full of life, vitality, and good humour. Her laugh was always recognizable. She had a cheery disposition, determination, and tenacity. Her perseverance in overcoming the incapacitation of her stroke was remarkable. She fought on for five years not in bitterness but embracing her life in its altered dimensions. A stroke crippled her body but it could not cripple her spirit. She was a devoted wife and loving mother and nana.
On her last full day on this earth I asked Rosemary if she had any fears about going to heaven. Without hesitation her face grimaced in a fashion which indicated I had asked a pointless question and then she said emphatically, “None at all, the sooner the better!” She wasn’t just telling the local pastor what she thought he wanted to hear. She was filled with conviction. The time had come and she was ready. She looked forward to being relieved from the burdens of her deteriorating body. She longed to be freed from the mental and emotional strain of the daily grind. She had no reservations; believing that she lived a blessed and full life.
What could give her such confidence? Rosemary wasn’t silly, and her mind certainly wasn’t failing. Her trust rested not on hollow promises but on the fact Christ could not be held in the grave. She knew this meant that His crucifixion had freed her from the guilt of sin, that forgiveness was valid; that death does not have the final say. She received the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood insisting that the head of her bed be raised to what she considered a more reverent position. Nurtured one more time by His gifts and promises she was even more at ease. Though a sinner like all of us she knew she was saved by grace.
Rosemary was a flower in her little patch of God’s garden. Colourful in personality she added flavour to the lives of many. Her season in this short span of time we call temporal life has ended. The Scripture reminds us, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”6 Her soul has been gathered into the fellowship of the faithful in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit where she awaits with us all the great resurrection of the Last Day. Secured in God’s eternal fortress no harm can reach her. No stroke can cripple her, no pain can burden her; no worry can trouble her. And there is nothing to subdue her laughter. The promise of her baptism has come to fulfillment.
And this is our only source of true comfort. The Holy Scripture says, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.”1 Thessalonians 5:10 She now enjoys the communion of God in a manner that is beyond the widest limits of our imagination. Rod, the days ahead for you cannot be scripted. The journey of grief is unique to each of us. But as you reflect on the gift that Rosemary was to you as a wife and as a mother to your children take comfort in knowing that she is whole again; healed and restored never to be afflicted. Rosemary now rests from her labours. She has received the crown of everlasting life. Thanks be to God for His immeasurable love. Amen
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Rosemary Jennifer Ziersch
14 November 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Corinthians 13:12
2 Revelation 14:13
3 Romans 6:23
4 John 11:25
5 John 11:43
6 Isaiah 40:8
7 1 Thessalonians 5:10
Text: John 11:25
Theme: Resurrection and Life
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Rosemary; Deb, Kym, Brenton, and especially you; Rod,
The struggle has ended; the celebration has only begun. Today the Spirit can temper our sense of grief and loss with a genuine appreciation for the blessings Rosemary now enjoys. As the apostle says, she now sees God “face to face.”1 Rosemary is at peace. We have it on the highest authority, the very decree from heaven, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them.’”2 Of course, Rosemary’s rest doesn’t mean inactivity. Undoubtedly the vitality she possessed on earth is even more magnified in heaven.
Dear friends, death is as common as the rising of the sun; a regular occurrence that collides with our daily routines and throws them decidedly, if only temporarily, out of balance. Even though death is commonplace- and we all must face it- it is always momentous. Something much more than a physical life reaching its conclusion is involved. Eternal things are at stake. Death brings us face to face with the big questions of existence, the deepest mysteries and the thorniest conundrums.
When reflecting on the death of a loved one honesty compels us to consider our own mortality. Nothing in this earthly realm is more final than death. It is an invincible power. We are defenceless to stand against it. We do ourselves no favours by ignoring it or brushing lightly past it. Death is not child’s play. It is deep, dark, and sinister. Death is not natural. It has a malicious cause. The Holy Scriptures say, “The wages of sin is death.”3 Because all are sinners all must face it. We live in a fallen world
Into this fallen existence comes an infant in a manger who grows up to be nailed to a cross. God sent His Son, in the flesh, to suffer and die. Divine intervention was required to rescue the human race. Here is where the skepticism of the world is met head on. Who wouldn’t have been filled with skepticism when Christ replied to the distraught Martha saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”4 They were filled with more doubt and even derision as He stood outside the grave of Lazarus- a man four-days dead- and called, “Lazarus, come out!”5 But the proof was in the pudding. And it was only a preview of His own victory over the grave. Christ is the immortal God who has conquered death itself. Easter is the bedrock of Christian truth. Rosemary held this conviction firmly and with transparent honesty.
Rosemary wasn’t pretentious in any way. She was a straight shooter; always calling a spade a spade. She was full of life, vitality, and good humour. Her laugh was always recognizable. She had a cheery disposition, determination, and tenacity. Her perseverance in overcoming the incapacitation of her stroke was remarkable. She fought on for five years not in bitterness but embracing her life in its altered dimensions. A stroke crippled her body but it could not cripple her spirit. She was a devoted wife and loving mother and nana.
On her last full day on this earth I asked Rosemary if she had any fears about going to heaven. Without hesitation her face grimaced in a fashion which indicated I had asked a pointless question and then she said emphatically, “None at all, the sooner the better!” She wasn’t just telling the local pastor what she thought he wanted to hear. She was filled with conviction. The time had come and she was ready. She looked forward to being relieved from the burdens of her deteriorating body. She longed to be freed from the mental and emotional strain of the daily grind. She had no reservations; believing that she lived a blessed and full life.
What could give her such confidence? Rosemary wasn’t silly, and her mind certainly wasn’t failing. Her trust rested not on hollow promises but on the fact Christ could not be held in the grave. She knew this meant that His crucifixion had freed her from the guilt of sin, that forgiveness was valid; that death does not have the final say. She received the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood insisting that the head of her bed be raised to what she considered a more reverent position. Nurtured one more time by His gifts and promises she was even more at ease. Though a sinner like all of us she knew she was saved by grace.
Rosemary was a flower in her little patch of God’s garden. Colourful in personality she added flavour to the lives of many. Her season in this short span of time we call temporal life has ended. The Scripture reminds us, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”6 Her soul has been gathered into the fellowship of the faithful in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit where she awaits with us all the great resurrection of the Last Day. Secured in God’s eternal fortress no harm can reach her. No stroke can cripple her, no pain can burden her; no worry can trouble her. And there is nothing to subdue her laughter. The promise of her baptism has come to fulfillment.
And this is our only source of true comfort. The Holy Scripture says, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.”1 Thessalonians 5:10 She now enjoys the communion of God in a manner that is beyond the widest limits of our imagination. Rod, the days ahead for you cannot be scripted. The journey of grief is unique to each of us. But as you reflect on the gift that Rosemary was to you as a wife and as a mother to your children take comfort in knowing that she is whole again; healed and restored never to be afflicted. Rosemary now rests from her labours. She has received the crown of everlasting life. Thanks be to God for His immeasurable love. Amen
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Rosemary Jennifer Ziersch
14 November 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Corinthians 13:12
2 Revelation 14:13
3 Romans 6:23
4 John 11:25
5 John 11:43
6 Isaiah 40:8
7 1 Thessalonians 5:10
Monday, November 10, 2014
Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: Matthew 25:10
Theme: The Door of Heaven
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The shadows of the Church Year are lengthening. We are nearing the end of the cycle that celebrates the gracious intervention of God into our lives through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Scriptures through which the Holy Spirit speaks to us today prepare us for the end of time and the commencement of eternity. The Bible leaves little to doubt about the Lord’s intention. “The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”1 May God prepare us for this hour of glory.
Today Jesus seeks to jolt His hearers out of apathy through the parable of the ten virgins. The context is a First Century Jewish wedding in which it was customary for the groom and his attendants to process to the house of the parents of the bride. They would be joined by the bride and her family and then process to the groom’s home where the wedding would take place and the celebration, typically a week in length, would commence. Like today, weddings were announced well in advance and involved much preparation by everyone involved. Our story involves five ‘wise’ virgins and five ‘foolish’ ones. All went with their lamps to meet the groom but when he was delayed they fell asleep. When the call went out the foolish ones were found to be out of oil for their lamps. When they went out to buy some the bridegroom came and the wise virgins went into the wedding celebration.
Now we reach the critical juncture. The Bible says, “The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.”2 This is the turning point of the parable: The door was shut. When the foolish virgins return later, they say, “Lord, Lord, open the door for us! But He replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’”3 Were this a typical wedding celebration the response would have been almost unthinkable. How could the bride’s attendants be denied entry! It now becomes crystal clear that the final coming of Christ, the Bridegroom, is spoken of. The foolish virgins say, “Lord, Lord!” But the time is already past. He does not know them. That is, they were not true believers who endured in faith to the end. When God drops the curtain on history there will be no curtain call.
The door was shut. The foolish virgins were on the outside of God’s eternal grace. The shutting of the door is the final chapter in the book of history, the final act in the divine drama of judgment and salvation. But is should not come as a surprise. It is not without preview, precedent, or parallel. In a previous chapter of the history of redemption we are reminded that when Noah’s family and the animals were on the ark, “The Lord shut him in.”4 The ark was the sole place of salvation. Everything shut outside perished. The earth was purged of sin and Noah and the creatures emerged to inhabit a new and transformed world. Not surprisingly St. Peter says that it symbolizes baptism in which God washes us clean and makes us new.
Sin seals shut the door of heaven. We are powerless to unlock it or break it down. The essence of repentance is to recognize that we need help. There exists One more powerful than all humanity combined. His blood covers all sin. His death sustains all life. His life overcomes all death. Of Him the Scripture says, “These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.”5 Christ is the door of heaven.
It is difficult when studying this parable to know exactly what symbolism is intended. The virgins appear to be the same except for their preparedness in regards to the oil and the lamps. Does the oil represent faith, love, or perhaps the Holy Spirit? Nevertheless the main point is unmistakably clear, “Keep watch, because you do not know the day or hour.”6 Such watchfulness involves perseverant faith and it can only take place under the shadow of the cross. The wisdom of the world laughs at the meaning of Jesus’ crucifixion but for Christians it is the wisdom of salvation.
We must understand beyond all doubt that for every man, woman, and child on the face of this earth the door has not yet been shut. In fact, in this life, until we die or until the Lord comes again, the door is only shut by our own unbelief. No one can be saved except by the Lord’s doing. Yet, no one can perish except by their own fault. The grace of Christ is universal. He died for all. No sin is left un-atoned for. No sinner is left without hope. Yet those who deny the need for His grace begin swinging the door shut. And once they have driven the Holy Spirit away the door latches. It is not within our power to open the door. But, rest assured, Christ never turns away the repentant soul.
Inside the banquet hall the eternal wedding feast of the Bridegroom has already begun. The banquet hall is lit by God’s own radiance. The saints feast on sumptuous fare. Their souls are white as the driven snow. Yet even now we participate in the glory of that celebration. The Holy Spirit lights our paths. The bridegroom gives us of His own body and blood. The words of salvation sink into our ears and fortify our hearts. Our baptismal robes of righteousness cover our sin-soiled souls.
The reality that St. John saw has been secured for us, “After this I looked, and there was before me a door standing open in heaven.”7 Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep…I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved.”8 As the shadow of the Church Year’s approaching end fades to the dawn of Advent may the Holy Spirit fill you with peace and joy as you look forward to the celebration of the wedding feast unencumbered by the weight of sin. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
2 Matthew 25:10
3 Matthew 25:11-12
4 Genesis 7:16
5 Revelation 3:7
6 Matthew 25:13
7 Revelation 4:1
8 John 10:7, 9
Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost
9 November 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Matthew 25:10
Theme: The Door of Heaven
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The shadows of the Church Year are lengthening. We are nearing the end of the cycle that celebrates the gracious intervention of God into our lives through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Scriptures through which the Holy Spirit speaks to us today prepare us for the end of time and the commencement of eternity. The Bible leaves little to doubt about the Lord’s intention. “The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”1 May God prepare us for this hour of glory.
Today Jesus seeks to jolt His hearers out of apathy through the parable of the ten virgins. The context is a First Century Jewish wedding in which it was customary for the groom and his attendants to process to the house of the parents of the bride. They would be joined by the bride and her family and then process to the groom’s home where the wedding would take place and the celebration, typically a week in length, would commence. Like today, weddings were announced well in advance and involved much preparation by everyone involved. Our story involves five ‘wise’ virgins and five ‘foolish’ ones. All went with their lamps to meet the groom but when he was delayed they fell asleep. When the call went out the foolish ones were found to be out of oil for their lamps. When they went out to buy some the bridegroom came and the wise virgins went into the wedding celebration.
Now we reach the critical juncture. The Bible says, “The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.”2 This is the turning point of the parable: The door was shut. When the foolish virgins return later, they say, “Lord, Lord, open the door for us! But He replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’”3 Were this a typical wedding celebration the response would have been almost unthinkable. How could the bride’s attendants be denied entry! It now becomes crystal clear that the final coming of Christ, the Bridegroom, is spoken of. The foolish virgins say, “Lord, Lord!” But the time is already past. He does not know them. That is, they were not true believers who endured in faith to the end. When God drops the curtain on history there will be no curtain call.
The door was shut. The foolish virgins were on the outside of God’s eternal grace. The shutting of the door is the final chapter in the book of history, the final act in the divine drama of judgment and salvation. But is should not come as a surprise. It is not without preview, precedent, or parallel. In a previous chapter of the history of redemption we are reminded that when Noah’s family and the animals were on the ark, “The Lord shut him in.”4 The ark was the sole place of salvation. Everything shut outside perished. The earth was purged of sin and Noah and the creatures emerged to inhabit a new and transformed world. Not surprisingly St. Peter says that it symbolizes baptism in which God washes us clean and makes us new.
Sin seals shut the door of heaven. We are powerless to unlock it or break it down. The essence of repentance is to recognize that we need help. There exists One more powerful than all humanity combined. His blood covers all sin. His death sustains all life. His life overcomes all death. Of Him the Scripture says, “These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.”5 Christ is the door of heaven.
It is difficult when studying this parable to know exactly what symbolism is intended. The virgins appear to be the same except for their preparedness in regards to the oil and the lamps. Does the oil represent faith, love, or perhaps the Holy Spirit? Nevertheless the main point is unmistakably clear, “Keep watch, because you do not know the day or hour.”6 Such watchfulness involves perseverant faith and it can only take place under the shadow of the cross. The wisdom of the world laughs at the meaning of Jesus’ crucifixion but for Christians it is the wisdom of salvation.
We must understand beyond all doubt that for every man, woman, and child on the face of this earth the door has not yet been shut. In fact, in this life, until we die or until the Lord comes again, the door is only shut by our own unbelief. No one can be saved except by the Lord’s doing. Yet, no one can perish except by their own fault. The grace of Christ is universal. He died for all. No sin is left un-atoned for. No sinner is left without hope. Yet those who deny the need for His grace begin swinging the door shut. And once they have driven the Holy Spirit away the door latches. It is not within our power to open the door. But, rest assured, Christ never turns away the repentant soul.
Inside the banquet hall the eternal wedding feast of the Bridegroom has already begun. The banquet hall is lit by God’s own radiance. The saints feast on sumptuous fare. Their souls are white as the driven snow. Yet even now we participate in the glory of that celebration. The Holy Spirit lights our paths. The bridegroom gives us of His own body and blood. The words of salvation sink into our ears and fortify our hearts. Our baptismal robes of righteousness cover our sin-soiled souls.
The reality that St. John saw has been secured for us, “After this I looked, and there was before me a door standing open in heaven.”7 Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep…I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved.”8 As the shadow of the Church Year’s approaching end fades to the dawn of Advent may the Holy Spirit fill you with peace and joy as you look forward to the celebration of the wedding feast unencumbered by the weight of sin. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
2 Matthew 25:10
3 Matthew 25:11-12
4 Genesis 7:16
5 Revelation 3:7
6 Matthew 25:13
7 Revelation 4:1
8 John 10:7, 9
Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost
9 November 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: Matthew 21:32
Theme: The Way of Righteousness
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The authority of Jesus was often questioned. That should not surprise us. Christ came to overturn some of the most deeply held beliefs of human society. He came to shatter the understanding of how humans are reconciled to God. He did it not through coercion but through sacrifice. He challenged the power structures of the world but not on their terms. Pilate, the civil authority, allowed a miscarriage of justice. But it was the religious rulers who sought Jesus’ demise. It could be no other way because Jesus came to show the way of righteousness, a way diametrically opposed to the one they were determined to follow. The gospel is not a new program of human achievement. It is pure grace and true freedom from sin’s condemnation.
The problem of sin is underestimated when guilt is only associated with outward actions. Most people can readily agree with just condemnation for obvious sins, even when they themselves are implicated. The spouse that is violated because of unfaithfulness, the family that is ruined because of addiction, the life that is terminated because of abortion, the countless numbers who are wronged by deceit, dishonesty and calculated crimes people perpetrate against one another; these all cry out for justice. When these are no longer recognized for what they are then we are just playing games and risk swift judgment from God. Sin and sinners must be dealt with. And thank God that Christ came to die lest we all be without hope.
But a great danger lies in confining our understanding of sin to particular actions or circumstances. This is especially true for Christians. Refraining from participating in such open sins does not thereby absolve us. The problem is much deeper. Do the words of our confession “I have deeply displeased you and deserve your punishment in time and eternity” pass quickly over our lips and prick neither our hearts nor our consciences? The law-abiding Christian can easily be lulled into thinking personal guilt before God is no longer a serious problem. After all, we go to church. Soon our outward righteousness is confidently held up for God to examine. Save for giving formal lip service to the fact of our sinful nature, we assume all is covered.
But dear friends, to put it starkly, we are damnable not because we sin, but because we are sinners. And to believe that this is what Christ came to address is the core of the issue. The way of righteousness is the way of repentance. Repent and you will live. God resurrects those who are spiritually helpless. The teaching of Christianity, the doctrine of Jesus Christ, is counterintuitive to the wisdom of the world because it reverses things. In Christ, the wise are foolish, the strong are weak, the exalted are humbled. In Christ, the humble are lifted up, the frail are strengthened, the disenfranchised are empowered.
The god of Islam rewards those who are strong. The gods of Hinduism favour those who are persistent. All religions of the law, including all misguided interpretations of Christianity offer hope only to those who exhibit some human capacity to achieve spiritual benchmarks. Our God attends to the weak, the frail, the helpless, and those on the brink of losing hope. The true God is worshipped not by proudly presenting Him with our credentials, but humbling receiving His gifts. Before God we are always beggars before a king, penitents before a judge, beneficiaries before a sovereign, and finally revelers before a Saviour.
Repentance is the way of Christianity. It is not a starting point or an occasional activity. It is a continual way of relating to God. It is to be cultivated as a mindset, a habit, a way of thinking and acting. Repentance relates not to a single point in time, but a continuum of existence. It is not as though we have turned away from sin and are now finished with that. We are always turning away from sin. It is not as though we had believed in Christ’s forgiveness, but then moved past that necessity. We are always believing; yearning, and aching for Christ’s forgiveness.
In today’s gospel Jesus speaks of a man who had two sons. He asked them both to go and work in the vineyard. “‘I will not,’ [the first] answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.”1 Which son’s relationship most closely resembles your relationship with the heavenly Father? The first son had his heart convicted and repented. The second son, despite his words, was hardened in heart. What mattered was not what was said, but what was done. Repentance is evidenced by the integrity of its actions.
The biblical understanding of repentance involves turning. It involves a rejection of the former way and turning to a new direction. Now it must be made clear that the Bible’s understanding of repentance it not merely a matter human decision or the opportunity to choose from valid options. The rejection of the former way entails recognition it was the wrong way. It means sorrow and acceptance of guilt over disobedience towards God’s will. This is worked only by the Holy Spirit. Likewise, the new direction entails trust that Christ is the only hope for deliverance. This too is the work of the Holy Spirit involving the gift of faith.
If the Holy Spirit did not turn us around and keep us on the right path human ability could never accomplish it. But the gospel can and does change things. Consider the magnitude of how Jesus concludes today, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.”2 Here we have remarkable words; stinging in their condemnation of the self-righteous but full of hope for the humble. There is no darkness in your life that is so deep that Christ’s light cannot penetrate it.
Dear friends, the way of righteousness is not a program for self-improvement or a scheme to boost our morality. The way of righteousness is the way of Christ. In complete humility He became a human being and “became obedient to death- even death on a cross.”3
You have been redeemed by His sacrifice- a price sufficient to cover the sins of the world. In His resurrection you have present and future life. You are washed by baptismal waters and fed with sacred food. The baptismal promise is never revoked. The menu at His sacramental table never says “no longer available.” Jesus’ authority will continue to be contested, believers will be refined in the crucible, but these are just temporary trials and travels in darkness that will quickly fade at the dawn of the resurrection. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Matthew 21:29-30 2 Matthew 21:31-32 3 Philippians 2:8
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
28 September 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Matthew 21:32
Theme: The Way of Righteousness
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The authority of Jesus was often questioned. That should not surprise us. Christ came to overturn some of the most deeply held beliefs of human society. He came to shatter the understanding of how humans are reconciled to God. He did it not through coercion but through sacrifice. He challenged the power structures of the world but not on their terms. Pilate, the civil authority, allowed a miscarriage of justice. But it was the religious rulers who sought Jesus’ demise. It could be no other way because Jesus came to show the way of righteousness, a way diametrically opposed to the one they were determined to follow. The gospel is not a new program of human achievement. It is pure grace and true freedom from sin’s condemnation.
The problem of sin is underestimated when guilt is only associated with outward actions. Most people can readily agree with just condemnation for obvious sins, even when they themselves are implicated. The spouse that is violated because of unfaithfulness, the family that is ruined because of addiction, the life that is terminated because of abortion, the countless numbers who are wronged by deceit, dishonesty and calculated crimes people perpetrate against one another; these all cry out for justice. When these are no longer recognized for what they are then we are just playing games and risk swift judgment from God. Sin and sinners must be dealt with. And thank God that Christ came to die lest we all be without hope.
But a great danger lies in confining our understanding of sin to particular actions or circumstances. This is especially true for Christians. Refraining from participating in such open sins does not thereby absolve us. The problem is much deeper. Do the words of our confession “I have deeply displeased you and deserve your punishment in time and eternity” pass quickly over our lips and prick neither our hearts nor our consciences? The law-abiding Christian can easily be lulled into thinking personal guilt before God is no longer a serious problem. After all, we go to church. Soon our outward righteousness is confidently held up for God to examine. Save for giving formal lip service to the fact of our sinful nature, we assume all is covered.
But dear friends, to put it starkly, we are damnable not because we sin, but because we are sinners. And to believe that this is what Christ came to address is the core of the issue. The way of righteousness is the way of repentance. Repent and you will live. God resurrects those who are spiritually helpless. The teaching of Christianity, the doctrine of Jesus Christ, is counterintuitive to the wisdom of the world because it reverses things. In Christ, the wise are foolish, the strong are weak, the exalted are humbled. In Christ, the humble are lifted up, the frail are strengthened, the disenfranchised are empowered.
The god of Islam rewards those who are strong. The gods of Hinduism favour those who are persistent. All religions of the law, including all misguided interpretations of Christianity offer hope only to those who exhibit some human capacity to achieve spiritual benchmarks. Our God attends to the weak, the frail, the helpless, and those on the brink of losing hope. The true God is worshipped not by proudly presenting Him with our credentials, but humbling receiving His gifts. Before God we are always beggars before a king, penitents before a judge, beneficiaries before a sovereign, and finally revelers before a Saviour.
Repentance is the way of Christianity. It is not a starting point or an occasional activity. It is a continual way of relating to God. It is to be cultivated as a mindset, a habit, a way of thinking and acting. Repentance relates not to a single point in time, but a continuum of existence. It is not as though we have turned away from sin and are now finished with that. We are always turning away from sin. It is not as though we had believed in Christ’s forgiveness, but then moved past that necessity. We are always believing; yearning, and aching for Christ’s forgiveness.
In today’s gospel Jesus speaks of a man who had two sons. He asked them both to go and work in the vineyard. “‘I will not,’ [the first] answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.”1 Which son’s relationship most closely resembles your relationship with the heavenly Father? The first son had his heart convicted and repented. The second son, despite his words, was hardened in heart. What mattered was not what was said, but what was done. Repentance is evidenced by the integrity of its actions.
The biblical understanding of repentance involves turning. It involves a rejection of the former way and turning to a new direction. Now it must be made clear that the Bible’s understanding of repentance it not merely a matter human decision or the opportunity to choose from valid options. The rejection of the former way entails recognition it was the wrong way. It means sorrow and acceptance of guilt over disobedience towards God’s will. This is worked only by the Holy Spirit. Likewise, the new direction entails trust that Christ is the only hope for deliverance. This too is the work of the Holy Spirit involving the gift of faith.
If the Holy Spirit did not turn us around and keep us on the right path human ability could never accomplish it. But the gospel can and does change things. Consider the magnitude of how Jesus concludes today, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.”2 Here we have remarkable words; stinging in their condemnation of the self-righteous but full of hope for the humble. There is no darkness in your life that is so deep that Christ’s light cannot penetrate it.
Dear friends, the way of righteousness is not a program for self-improvement or a scheme to boost our morality. The way of righteousness is the way of Christ. In complete humility He became a human being and “became obedient to death- even death on a cross.”3
You have been redeemed by His sacrifice- a price sufficient to cover the sins of the world. In His resurrection you have present and future life. You are washed by baptismal waters and fed with sacred food. The baptismal promise is never revoked. The menu at His sacramental table never says “no longer available.” Jesus’ authority will continue to be contested, believers will be refined in the crucible, but these are just temporary trials and travels in darkness that will quickly fade at the dawn of the resurrection. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Matthew 21:29-30 2 Matthew 21:31-32 3 Philippians 2:8
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
28 September 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
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