+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 4:12
Theme: The Battle-Hardened Saviour
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Every year for a six week period of time the Christian Church gives emphasis to a decidedly counter-cultural event. The emphasis is called the season of Lent. In Lent believers especially focus on repentance, humility, self-denial and sacrifice. The word Lent actually means springtime, but spiritual renewal and cleansing is the point. What could be more out of touch with a culture that stresses self-indulgence, satisfaction, greed, arrogance and unmitigated pursuit of all of one’s desires! Christmas and even Easter are marketer’s dreams, but Lent is a very tough sell. It is difficult to take Lenten themes and twist them to acquire the consumer dollar. Hats off to IGA for using the term Lent in advertising their fish sales. Lent must be a reality check in a culture largely defined by what sells.
In regards to the chronology of Christ’s life, the Lenten season commences with the temptation in the wilderness. St. Luke tells us that after His baptism, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days He was tempted by the devil.”1 Each temptation involved an enticement intended to derail the divine plan of redemption. As He begins His public ministry the fate of the world hinges on Jesus’ every move. The location of the final temptation is in Jerusalem. It was a preview of even greater temptations to come, but also the place of fulfillment.
Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness involves a dialogue with Satan. It is a war of words that cut to the heart. The ONLY words Jesus speaks are quotations of Scripture. Though Jesus could speak on His own authority, He speaks on the authority of the Father by the inspiration of the Spirit. He quotes from sections of Deuteronomy regarding the disobedience of the Israelites in their own desert wanderings and temptations. Satan too, resorts to quoting Scripture, but only subversively. Satan challenges the Sonship of Christ, not acknowledging Him to be God’s Son, but casting doubt on whether He is.
Christ does not waver. Hebrews describes the importance His steadfastness this way, “We do not have a high priest that who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin.”2 Anything less than His perfect obedience would have shipwrecked our salvation. The Bible says, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”3 This He did not do.
We should be clear in understanding exactly what sin the devil was trying to get Christ to commit and the nature of sin in general. Satan offered Christ all the kingdoms of the world if only He would worship him. Had Christ succumbed it would have been in direct violation of the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”4 But were the kingdoms of the world even Satan’s to give? Certainly not in the absolute sense. Yet we must not overlook His power. The devil has a certain qualified authority. He is referred to in the Bible as the prince of this world. He is not to be trifled with. Satan offered Christ an easier way to restore humanity. If Jesus would bow the knee, Satan would (ostensibly) relinquish his control. His suffering and crucifixion could be averted. Jesus could become the prince of His people with less struggle. All of the devil’s efforts tempted Jesus to reach for glory NOW at the expense of the future.
Sin always involves such false promises and deceptions. Some benefit is always guaranteed or at least proposed. But there can be no true benefit from any desire, thought, word or deed that is against the will of God. If we would only trust that engaging in sin is never beneficial to us. Of course that is the key to the deception. Satan enquired of Eve, “Did God really say?”5 Every doubt that all of God’s parameters for our lives are always for our well-being is always a sin. From this doubt none of us exempt. From the guilt of sin none of us is excused. “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand.”6 Recognition of sin is a tough sell because it is diametrically opposed to the disposition of our human nature.
During Lent we focus on the disposition of God towards us. Faith is that medium by which a person is confident that he sees things from God’s perspective. Faith is trust that things are as God says they are. Christ responded to Satan with “It is written.”7 This is the only sure and infallible foundation for us. We must spend our entire lives learning to say, “It is written.” It is written, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”8 But it is also written, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”9 “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.”10 “In his great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”11 “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”12
Only the power of God’s Word can bring down rulers from their thrones, give strength to weak, rest to the weary, comfort to the sorrowful, hope to the depressed, justice to the downtrodden, release to the oppressed, joy to those who are sad, assurance to those who doubt, and most of all faith to unbelievers. It is written, “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”13
Eternal death is locked away the moment the Holy Spirit kindles spiritual life. Baptism is the means Christ has appointed for this. The church baptized because it is the command of Christ. We trust that the Holy Spirit grants faith through the gospel. We rejoice that forgiveness is not limited by anyone’s age, or knowledge; is not dependent upon the strength of their will or their piety. The pledge of your baptism is that sin cannot win the victory. The Holy Spirit does battle for you and within you. As we face the challenge of our sins, we also size up the volume of God’s love. There was no relief for Christ until the cross. There is no relief for us except for the cross.
Christ lived for us and the vocation of all Christians is to live for others. Christ sacrificed His life. He only asks that we sacrifice our resources so that others may know of His ultimate sacrifice for them. Yet these are not easy challenges. God charges us to best meet the needs of His kingdom. But we remember too, that nothing is really ours to give. All that we have and own and are is a trust from His gracious hand. The totality of our being is given by Him and is to be received back by Him. That is the Biblical perspective for the Christian life. It is written, “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”14 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday In Lent
14 February, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 4:1-2 9 John1:29
2 Hebrews 4:15 10 1 Peter 2:24
3 James 2:10 11 1 Peter 1:3
4 Deuteronomy 5:7 12 Matthew 26:28
5 Genesis 3:1 13 Romans 10:8-9
6 Psalm 130:3 14 Ephesians 5:25
7 Luke 4:4
8 Romans 3:23
Monday, February 15, 2016
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Ash Wednesday 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 6:21
Theme: The Renovated Heart
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”1 So says Jeremiah! “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,”2so says our Lord. That upon which the heart dwells, that with which it steadfastly resides to the end, that in which it finds its final hope and joy- that is one’s god. There are numberless idols to suit numberless passions but there is one God of passion. He seeks the devotion of the heart to the exclusion of all others. He is the God of our Lenten journey- the Crucified One.
Our midweek series for this Season of Lent is called ‘Places of the Passion”. Each week we will consider the events that took place at key locations in the passion narrative. These are road markers on the journey to the cross. Lent is an ancient tradition. Countless Christians over the centuries have benefitted from the focused reminder that it offers. The decisive events of the Christian faith, of world history, and of eternal destiny are the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everyone must come to terms with the truth that He represents. His message is universal. His place is central.
Ash Wednesday kicks off the season of Lent. The vivid image of ashes is confronting; a palpable reminder of our mortality. Our time here is fleeting and it’s fraught with many struggles. As we consider the places of the passion we’ll be looking at our place in relation to God and others. Sin has the power to rob people of their identity. When lives become fractured beyond the limits of normal functioning people become displaced within families and society. At a deeper level they become estranged from God. People may float along as if they have been cut adrift on the open ocean. People are searching for a sense of belonging. In Lent the Holy Spirit points us to the ‘place’ where God meets us: the flesh and blood of His Son, Jesus.
So, above all, Lent is a season for listening. God’s truth has power. When God’s word is proclaimed the Holy Spirit has a way of making sure people hear what they need to hear. It’s not necessarily what they want to hear. They may be wanting to justify themselves but hear condemnation. They may be wanting to hear castigation- proof they are no good and without hope, subjects for self-pity-instead they hear words of liberation. The self-righteous always want to hear more law because they believe they are exempt from condemnation (because of their piety.) They get satisfaction from having other people (the real sinners) called to account. For them the gospel is superfluous; perhaps amusing, but irrelevant. The absolved penitent always wants to hear more gospel. They are filled with joy from the overwhelming freedom Christ’s mercy gives. The unremorseful sinner always needs to hear more law. The repentant sinner always needs the comfort of the gospel. Lent certainly involves a call to repentance but fore mostly, accentuates the profound love of God in Christ.
A worthy goal of Lenten reflection is to bring these truths into sharper focus. Clarity is important. God does not wish to be misunderstood. The best of intentions can have disastrous results when misconstrued. Consider these classified ads actually listed in the newspaper: “For sale: dog, eats anything and is fond of children.” “For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.” “Lost: small poodle. Reward: neutered like one of the family.”
The Scriptures do not misrepresent God when they tell us He judges sin but longs to shower sinners with His grace. Jesus says today, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen.”3There is a very practical danger here. A danger that this text could be misunderstood and thus reinforce the particularly Western phenomenon of religious individualism. That which is almost second-nature to us was completely foreign to First Century believers. We have been immersed, for some time now, in a cultural climate that encourages the privatization of faith. Our Lord was not advocating private practice of the faith to the exclusion of public worship. Jesus was condemning ostentatious displays of piety. Do we seek praise from others or to be faithful to God?
We all have our personal battles. We have weaknesses, propensities, and addictions. We struggle with the world’s opinions, our own limitations, and Satan’s temptations. But they should never, ever be isolated struggles. Isolation is a triumph for the devil. He easily outwits the solitary soul. We are privileged to be part of a mystical fellowship, the “one holy, Christian and apostolic church.” It is spiritual but it is also very concrete. Living within the body of Christ can be a real challenge. But it also has many rewards. All believers are responsible to one another. Mutual support and sensitivity are offered in Christ’s name.
What does this mean for those moments of stress? Anxiety over pending results of medical tests; pressure to perform at work, angst over strained relationships between spouses, children, and parents, just the struggle to make ends meet? What does it mean for those despairing of deeper meaning in life? It means hope in the midst of darkness. It means permanence in the midst of change. It anchors us to truth in a world of deceit. It means companionship in an often lonely world.
Dear friends, world history is a chronicle of structures, achievements, and whole civilizations that flourished, were destroyed and then were rebuilt. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in days. It was rebuilt in greater grandeur. The Twin Towers were destroyed in hours. The Freedom Tower has risen in their place. Dynasties have been destroyed over decades and even centuries. New ones advance to supersede them. The whole scheme and scaffolding of this world is decaying under the weight of sin. But all of God’s good creation will be reconstituted in Christ.
He wore your crown of thorns. He was pierced by your nails. He embraced the harrowing horrors of hell that you may be spared from its fury. He was on the spot every place necessary for your salvation. He first offered His body and blood for you in the Upper Room. He sweat drops of blood for you in the Garden of Gethsemane. He endured the slander of the High Priest and the defeatist skepticism of Pontius Pilate for you. He ascended the Hill of the Skull for you. He is risen! He stands as your intercessor, your High Priest, your Redeemer before the throne of grace.
The baptismal water that washed over you was vested with the Spirit’s promise and His power. Death lasts for a moment; the resurrection for eternity. The very structure of your body and all that constitutes it will be destroyed. Nothing can prevent it. But your ashes will rise to experience immortality. The heart is always under renovation. But it already possesses the promise of complete restoration. This promise is no pious wish. It was decreed by Christ. He is the firstborn from the dead. He has sovereignty over your ashes. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Ash Wednesday
10 February, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Jeremiah 17:9
2 Matthew 6:21
3 Matthew 6:6
Text: Matthew 6:21
Theme: The Renovated Heart
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”1 So says Jeremiah! “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,”2so says our Lord. That upon which the heart dwells, that with which it steadfastly resides to the end, that in which it finds its final hope and joy- that is one’s god. There are numberless idols to suit numberless passions but there is one God of passion. He seeks the devotion of the heart to the exclusion of all others. He is the God of our Lenten journey- the Crucified One.
Our midweek series for this Season of Lent is called ‘Places of the Passion”. Each week we will consider the events that took place at key locations in the passion narrative. These are road markers on the journey to the cross. Lent is an ancient tradition. Countless Christians over the centuries have benefitted from the focused reminder that it offers. The decisive events of the Christian faith, of world history, and of eternal destiny are the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everyone must come to terms with the truth that He represents. His message is universal. His place is central.
Ash Wednesday kicks off the season of Lent. The vivid image of ashes is confronting; a palpable reminder of our mortality. Our time here is fleeting and it’s fraught with many struggles. As we consider the places of the passion we’ll be looking at our place in relation to God and others. Sin has the power to rob people of their identity. When lives become fractured beyond the limits of normal functioning people become displaced within families and society. At a deeper level they become estranged from God. People may float along as if they have been cut adrift on the open ocean. People are searching for a sense of belonging. In Lent the Holy Spirit points us to the ‘place’ where God meets us: the flesh and blood of His Son, Jesus.
So, above all, Lent is a season for listening. God’s truth has power. When God’s word is proclaimed the Holy Spirit has a way of making sure people hear what they need to hear. It’s not necessarily what they want to hear. They may be wanting to justify themselves but hear condemnation. They may be wanting to hear castigation- proof they are no good and without hope, subjects for self-pity-instead they hear words of liberation. The self-righteous always want to hear more law because they believe they are exempt from condemnation (because of their piety.) They get satisfaction from having other people (the real sinners) called to account. For them the gospel is superfluous; perhaps amusing, but irrelevant. The absolved penitent always wants to hear more gospel. They are filled with joy from the overwhelming freedom Christ’s mercy gives. The unremorseful sinner always needs to hear more law. The repentant sinner always needs the comfort of the gospel. Lent certainly involves a call to repentance but fore mostly, accentuates the profound love of God in Christ.
A worthy goal of Lenten reflection is to bring these truths into sharper focus. Clarity is important. God does not wish to be misunderstood. The best of intentions can have disastrous results when misconstrued. Consider these classified ads actually listed in the newspaper: “For sale: dog, eats anything and is fond of children.” “For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.” “Lost: small poodle. Reward: neutered like one of the family.”
The Scriptures do not misrepresent God when they tell us He judges sin but longs to shower sinners with His grace. Jesus says today, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen.”3There is a very practical danger here. A danger that this text could be misunderstood and thus reinforce the particularly Western phenomenon of religious individualism. That which is almost second-nature to us was completely foreign to First Century believers. We have been immersed, for some time now, in a cultural climate that encourages the privatization of faith. Our Lord was not advocating private practice of the faith to the exclusion of public worship. Jesus was condemning ostentatious displays of piety. Do we seek praise from others or to be faithful to God?
We all have our personal battles. We have weaknesses, propensities, and addictions. We struggle with the world’s opinions, our own limitations, and Satan’s temptations. But they should never, ever be isolated struggles. Isolation is a triumph for the devil. He easily outwits the solitary soul. We are privileged to be part of a mystical fellowship, the “one holy, Christian and apostolic church.” It is spiritual but it is also very concrete. Living within the body of Christ can be a real challenge. But it also has many rewards. All believers are responsible to one another. Mutual support and sensitivity are offered in Christ’s name.
What does this mean for those moments of stress? Anxiety over pending results of medical tests; pressure to perform at work, angst over strained relationships between spouses, children, and parents, just the struggle to make ends meet? What does it mean for those despairing of deeper meaning in life? It means hope in the midst of darkness. It means permanence in the midst of change. It anchors us to truth in a world of deceit. It means companionship in an often lonely world.
Dear friends, world history is a chronicle of structures, achievements, and whole civilizations that flourished, were destroyed and then were rebuilt. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in days. It was rebuilt in greater grandeur. The Twin Towers were destroyed in hours. The Freedom Tower has risen in their place. Dynasties have been destroyed over decades and even centuries. New ones advance to supersede them. The whole scheme and scaffolding of this world is decaying under the weight of sin. But all of God’s good creation will be reconstituted in Christ.
He wore your crown of thorns. He was pierced by your nails. He embraced the harrowing horrors of hell that you may be spared from its fury. He was on the spot every place necessary for your salvation. He first offered His body and blood for you in the Upper Room. He sweat drops of blood for you in the Garden of Gethsemane. He endured the slander of the High Priest and the defeatist skepticism of Pontius Pilate for you. He ascended the Hill of the Skull for you. He is risen! He stands as your intercessor, your High Priest, your Redeemer before the throne of grace.
The baptismal water that washed over you was vested with the Spirit’s promise and His power. Death lasts for a moment; the resurrection for eternity. The very structure of your body and all that constitutes it will be destroyed. Nothing can prevent it. But your ashes will rise to experience immortality. The heart is always under renovation. But it already possesses the promise of complete restoration. This promise is no pious wish. It was decreed by Christ. He is the firstborn from the dead. He has sovereignty over your ashes. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Ash Wednesday
10 February, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Jeremiah 17:9
2 Matthew 6:21
3 Matthew 6:6
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Transfiguration/Harvest Thanksgiving (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 9:35
Theme: All Things Provided
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God has designed us to be contingent, that is, dependent upon powers greater than ourselves. At the most basic level two outcomes from this truth become evident. Firstly, we need to be loved or our lives will be bereft of significant meaning. Secondly, our basic bodily needs have to be met. Nourishment and protection are essential. The heart must have hope. The stomach must have stable supply. When either category is deprived life quickly becomes distorted. God tends to all of these needs but through different means. The body He cares for with resources from the earth; the soul with resources from heaven.
The transfiguration of Christ might appear to favour the heavenly display of God’s blessings. But remember, it’s in His earthly, human flesh that Jesus reveals His divinity. The incarnation of Jesus is the definitive proof that God does not despise His fallen creation but intends to redeem it. Meanwhile, through God’s providence and grace, this fallen creation continues to meet our temporal needs. Harvest Thanksgiving is recognition of this truth. Grain from the paddock, grapes from the vine, fruit from the orchard, vegetables from the garden, lambs from the fold, birds from the flock are all acquired through the participation of human labor. Yet, none would exist if not for the pure generosity of God. The seed does not germinate apart from Him. Conception does not occur without Him.
Literally, since the beginning, people have depended on the produce of the earth. And immediately after the fall they began to be ungrateful for it. Thanklessness reached its pinnacle in the Sinai desert. The (freed) Israelites murmured against God and against Moses longing to return to captivity in Egypt where they sat around pots of meat and enjoyed the produce of the well-watered Nile valley. Their sense of priority wasn’t elevated above the satisfaction of their stomachs. At least in Egypt food was available. There’s more than a bit of irony in the complaint of Numbers 11, “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost- also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”1God promised them a land flowing with milk and honey but that seemed like a distant and unattainable mirage as they wandered the parched desert.
Manna was the answer. It was more than a practical solution. It was a divine blessing pregnant with Messianic promise. The Bread-giver to come would silence all clamoring. Of Him the prophet says, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”2Quail were provided too. Their cries did not fall on deaf ears. But God was eager to hear cries from their hearts not from their stomachs.
How d eliberately forgetful and ungrateful to claim they ate well in Egypt at no cost. The cost was their own enslavement. They weren’t free to worship the true and living God and so they forgot about Him. At least their stomachs were filled! Dear friends, there are no free lunches. Somebody pays the price. Food security is naturally a high priority for modern governments. Orderly and honest government is God’s means for stable society. Seed, sun, soil, and water are God’s means of providing. As modern society becomes more estranged from its agricultural roots; these lessons will have to be re-learned.
Spiritually, God does provide without cost to us but the price was paid by His Son. There are no spiritual free lunches either. It’s hardly disputable that in the West the appetite for God’s forgiveness is being lost. Spiritual taste buds are becoming dulled. Hearts, and minds, and souls are being filled with humanistic or demonic ideas which centre not on the power and mercy of God in Christ, but in human wisdom and achievement or supernatural or psychic entities. Our sin of ungratefulness is driven by the greater sin of unbelief.
We’re both arrogant and naïve if we think the early followers of Jesus were just simpletons who were duped into putting their hope in a charlatan. Christianity involves assertion. Peter says, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.”3That mountain was the mount of transfiguration. It’s notable that Peter wanted to prolong the experience.
Christ asserts a worldview of reality which is constituted by Him. It’s an enormous claim and that’s why it has been and will continue to be contested. Defending the assertions of Christian truth necessarily involves the refutation of error. Opposing claims cannot both be true. Either God created the universe and ordered it. Or random chaos has cleverly disguised itself in an organized fashion. Either sin has estranged us from God, or sin is just a projection of human brokenness that has no permanent consequences. Either Jesus, the Christ, has made sacrifice for our sins or human effort has impressed Him enough to cancel the debt. And on it goes! Either we recognize these fruits of the harvest as gifts of God or we further demonstrate the power of unbelief through thankless denial.
Jesus, the Bread of Life, does not serve us with poor nutrition. He fills us with love. He fortifies us with truth. He enriches us with grace. He suffered to a degree beyond human understanding. Death took Him but death could not hold Him. We are His baptized. We are fed from His holy table. We are heirs of His kingdom. We are witnesses to His promises. These promises are fulfilled in the temporal sphere as Jesus, the Good Shepherd, ensures that we never lack what we really need. They are fulfilled spiritually every time His own words come true which say, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”4 We pray that God would cultivate in us a deep thankfulness for our daily bread and all the provision that comes from His bounty.
Today, Jesus was transfigured in an instant. It was a stunning display of His glory. We are, in this life, transfigured gradually. Every act of refinement the Holy Spirit performs upon us draws us steadily closer to His image. Our sins are confessed. Our sins are forgiven. Our will is exerted. Our will is broken. Our plans are mislaid. Our plans are corrected. Constant contact with His truth begins to polish our rougher edges. Still, we are broken. We are works in progress. But our moment of drama will come. The scripture says, “In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”5 May God grant us great anticipation for that Day even as we give thanks for the blessings of the present. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Transfiguration of Our Lord
7 February, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Number 11:5-6
2 Isaiah 55:1
3 2 Peter 1:16-18
4 Matthew 4:4
5 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Text: Luke 9:35
Theme: All Things Provided
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God has designed us to be contingent, that is, dependent upon powers greater than ourselves. At the most basic level two outcomes from this truth become evident. Firstly, we need to be loved or our lives will be bereft of significant meaning. Secondly, our basic bodily needs have to be met. Nourishment and protection are essential. The heart must have hope. The stomach must have stable supply. When either category is deprived life quickly becomes distorted. God tends to all of these needs but through different means. The body He cares for with resources from the earth; the soul with resources from heaven.
The transfiguration of Christ might appear to favour the heavenly display of God’s blessings. But remember, it’s in His earthly, human flesh that Jesus reveals His divinity. The incarnation of Jesus is the definitive proof that God does not despise His fallen creation but intends to redeem it. Meanwhile, through God’s providence and grace, this fallen creation continues to meet our temporal needs. Harvest Thanksgiving is recognition of this truth. Grain from the paddock, grapes from the vine, fruit from the orchard, vegetables from the garden, lambs from the fold, birds from the flock are all acquired through the participation of human labor. Yet, none would exist if not for the pure generosity of God. The seed does not germinate apart from Him. Conception does not occur without Him.
Literally, since the beginning, people have depended on the produce of the earth. And immediately after the fall they began to be ungrateful for it. Thanklessness reached its pinnacle in the Sinai desert. The (freed) Israelites murmured against God and against Moses longing to return to captivity in Egypt where they sat around pots of meat and enjoyed the produce of the well-watered Nile valley. Their sense of priority wasn’t elevated above the satisfaction of their stomachs. At least in Egypt food was available. There’s more than a bit of irony in the complaint of Numbers 11, “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost- also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”1God promised them a land flowing with milk and honey but that seemed like a distant and unattainable mirage as they wandered the parched desert.
Manna was the answer. It was more than a practical solution. It was a divine blessing pregnant with Messianic promise. The Bread-giver to come would silence all clamoring. Of Him the prophet says, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”2Quail were provided too. Their cries did not fall on deaf ears. But God was eager to hear cries from their hearts not from their stomachs.
How d eliberately forgetful and ungrateful to claim they ate well in Egypt at no cost. The cost was their own enslavement. They weren’t free to worship the true and living God and so they forgot about Him. At least their stomachs were filled! Dear friends, there are no free lunches. Somebody pays the price. Food security is naturally a high priority for modern governments. Orderly and honest government is God’s means for stable society. Seed, sun, soil, and water are God’s means of providing. As modern society becomes more estranged from its agricultural roots; these lessons will have to be re-learned.
Spiritually, God does provide without cost to us but the price was paid by His Son. There are no spiritual free lunches either. It’s hardly disputable that in the West the appetite for God’s forgiveness is being lost. Spiritual taste buds are becoming dulled. Hearts, and minds, and souls are being filled with humanistic or demonic ideas which centre not on the power and mercy of God in Christ, but in human wisdom and achievement or supernatural or psychic entities. Our sin of ungratefulness is driven by the greater sin of unbelief.
We’re both arrogant and naïve if we think the early followers of Jesus were just simpletons who were duped into putting their hope in a charlatan. Christianity involves assertion. Peter says, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.”3That mountain was the mount of transfiguration. It’s notable that Peter wanted to prolong the experience.
Christ asserts a worldview of reality which is constituted by Him. It’s an enormous claim and that’s why it has been and will continue to be contested. Defending the assertions of Christian truth necessarily involves the refutation of error. Opposing claims cannot both be true. Either God created the universe and ordered it. Or random chaos has cleverly disguised itself in an organized fashion. Either sin has estranged us from God, or sin is just a projection of human brokenness that has no permanent consequences. Either Jesus, the Christ, has made sacrifice for our sins or human effort has impressed Him enough to cancel the debt. And on it goes! Either we recognize these fruits of the harvest as gifts of God or we further demonstrate the power of unbelief through thankless denial.
Jesus, the Bread of Life, does not serve us with poor nutrition. He fills us with love. He fortifies us with truth. He enriches us with grace. He suffered to a degree beyond human understanding. Death took Him but death could not hold Him. We are His baptized. We are fed from His holy table. We are heirs of His kingdom. We are witnesses to His promises. These promises are fulfilled in the temporal sphere as Jesus, the Good Shepherd, ensures that we never lack what we really need. They are fulfilled spiritually every time His own words come true which say, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”4 We pray that God would cultivate in us a deep thankfulness for our daily bread and all the provision that comes from His bounty.
Today, Jesus was transfigured in an instant. It was a stunning display of His glory. We are, in this life, transfigured gradually. Every act of refinement the Holy Spirit performs upon us draws us steadily closer to His image. Our sins are confessed. Our sins are forgiven. Our will is exerted. Our will is broken. Our plans are mislaid. Our plans are corrected. Constant contact with His truth begins to polish our rougher edges. Still, we are broken. We are works in progress. But our moment of drama will come. The scripture says, “In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”5 May God grant us great anticipation for that Day even as we give thanks for the blessings of the present. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Transfiguration of Our Lord
7 February, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Number 11:5-6
2 Isaiah 55:1
3 2 Peter 1:16-18
4 Matthew 4:4
5 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 4:30
Theme: Christ’s Forbearance
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Attempted homicide! It’s not the way we expect most gospel accounts to end. Sometimes the biblical narrative takes surprising twists. How quickly admiration can turn to rage! The hometown lynch mob was after Jesus. They sought to silence Him by casting Him down the cliff. Perhaps stoning was also on the agenda? But His time had not yet come so He passed through their midst and went on His way. And so we are privy to one episode in this divine saga, this Messianic struggle to renovate humanity. The nexus of refusal and persuasion, of offence and grace, of apprehension and peace is a preview of things to come. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”1
But the Redeemer is not so easily deterred. His focus is more resolute than all the apathy and chaos of the human race. He will not be derailed from His destiny at the cross. But the suffering, agony, and sacrificial death of Jesus cannot be appreciated for what it is until the need becomes apparent. A personal encounter of opposing beliefs is required. Sinful humans face a holy God. The encounter is not personal until, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the abstraction is removed.
Think of church in the synagogue today. The Sabbath quickly turned sour. Apparently the people of Nazareth were expecting commendation from Jesus. Instead they received rebuke. He made it personal. All people are under the wrath of God. God’s wrath is just. That is, it is justified and justifiable. No one can cry foul for being punished for their sins. No one can say they do not deserve the threat of eternal damnation. But the prospect, when taken seriously, is more than we can bear. The condemnation appears too harsh. “Since our nature is corrupted by sin and is worthy and deserving of God’s wrath and damnation, God owes us neither His Word, nor his Spirit, nor his grace.”2 In short, God owes us nothing. Yet our expectations are often huge. We often expect God’s leniency.
God is not lenient. He is forgiving. God is not indulgent. He is absolving. Never do the Scriptures give us the impression that He lowers His standards or bends His own rules when He sees how thoroughly we fail to remain obedient to Him. Ignorance is no excuse before Him. Wicked intentions elicit harsh condemnation. A holy God does not tolerate sinful humans. But the concept is too abstract when disconnected from the person of Christ.
Guilt and shame are words that relate to our sinfulness. Carefully defining the meaning of words is important. Guilt is a more abstract concept than shame. If I am accused of guilt, or guilt is attributed to me, it may have little effect on me if I don’t believe the allegation is valid. My heart may become hardened even more. But if I am ashamed that means my heart has been reached. The first stage of repentance is happening. Of course, if I feel guilty than I am also experiencing remorse and the words are used synonymously. The words are not as important as the realities they describe. God’s words actually create their own reality.
In Christ, the holiness of God takes on tangible dimensions; and so does forgiveness. What was an abstract idea, a holy God who doesn’t tolerate sinners- but a God easily thought of as distant and aloof- now becomes very concrete as the life of Jesus is portrayed before our very eyes. The Bible says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”2 St. John gives this witness of the incarnation, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it”4
You see, God does not abandon His creation. He does not stand aloof from it. He redeems it through Jesus. He dies for it, covering the price for our transgressions. He rises again that He might guarantee us incorruptible life. These truths are measures of His love. Jeremiah reminds us that the heavenly Father knew him before his conception and set him apart. It’s no different for you. That’s the mystery of His love.
The thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is the superlative biblical chapter on love. In the triumvirate of faith, hope, and love, the supremacy of love is singled out by the apostle. When love prevails all things are possible. Offences are forgotten, hatred is dissolved, long-held grudges are even laid to rest. When love triumphs fractured relationships are restored, bitter rivals become companions, despair is transformed to hope. If this were not so and if it were not possible then the entire substance of biblical truth would be found to be hollow. But it was the grave that was found to be empty not the promises of the crucified Lord who greeted His followers alive with scars in His flesh to steady their incredulous faith.
Love has prevailed. The evidence often appears dark and distant; a shadow of hope, a glimmer of optimism. We yearn to be fully embraced by its power. The devil still has his little day in the sun. The power of sin is broken, but like a mighty river whose source has dried up, its consequences keep flowing through the channels human lives. If the headwaters of the Mississippi River were suspended it would still take more than three months for the last drop of water to reach the end. A person walking at a leisurely pace could walk across the Australian continent in that time. Sin remains a scourge, the effects of which we cannot avoid in this mortal life.
Yet, love prevails. Love prevailed for the people of Nazareth that day. They just couldn’t see the cross in the distance. They couldn’t yet understand that they, too, needed this Saviour. They may have been looking for a hometown hero they could brag about but not one who would supply their greatest need. We’re no different until the Holy Spirit transforms our perspective. It’s something He has to keep doing again, and again, and again. Baptism is underpinned by the promise that love has conquered. Baptismal water washes the punishment for sin from all the tributaries and rivulets of our lives. Holy Communion send, peace, and forgiveness coursing through our veins.
Love triumphs every time a repentant soul cherishes God’s decree of absolution. Love triumphs every time those who are wise in the ways of the world are made weak by the foolishness of the cross. Love triumphs every time those who feel weak in their inner spiritual life are made strong by the truth of Christ’s life lived on our behalf. Love triumphs every time a believer closes his eyes in death and opens those eyelids in eternity. Many times attempts were made to end the Messiah’s life. He patiently and humbly endured them all until the appointed time. Then what seemed to be the end was only the beginning. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
31 January, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 13:34
2 Formula of Concord XI
3 Hebrews 1:3
4 1 John 1:1-2
5 See Isaiah 53:3
Text: Luke 4:30
Theme: Christ’s Forbearance
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Attempted homicide! It’s not the way we expect most gospel accounts to end. Sometimes the biblical narrative takes surprising twists. How quickly admiration can turn to rage! The hometown lynch mob was after Jesus. They sought to silence Him by casting Him down the cliff. Perhaps stoning was also on the agenda? But His time had not yet come so He passed through their midst and went on His way. And so we are privy to one episode in this divine saga, this Messianic struggle to renovate humanity. The nexus of refusal and persuasion, of offence and grace, of apprehension and peace is a preview of things to come. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem…how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”1
But the Redeemer is not so easily deterred. His focus is more resolute than all the apathy and chaos of the human race. He will not be derailed from His destiny at the cross. But the suffering, agony, and sacrificial death of Jesus cannot be appreciated for what it is until the need becomes apparent. A personal encounter of opposing beliefs is required. Sinful humans face a holy God. The encounter is not personal until, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the abstraction is removed.
Think of church in the synagogue today. The Sabbath quickly turned sour. Apparently the people of Nazareth were expecting commendation from Jesus. Instead they received rebuke. He made it personal. All people are under the wrath of God. God’s wrath is just. That is, it is justified and justifiable. No one can cry foul for being punished for their sins. No one can say they do not deserve the threat of eternal damnation. But the prospect, when taken seriously, is more than we can bear. The condemnation appears too harsh. “Since our nature is corrupted by sin and is worthy and deserving of God’s wrath and damnation, God owes us neither His Word, nor his Spirit, nor his grace.”2 In short, God owes us nothing. Yet our expectations are often huge. We often expect God’s leniency.
God is not lenient. He is forgiving. God is not indulgent. He is absolving. Never do the Scriptures give us the impression that He lowers His standards or bends His own rules when He sees how thoroughly we fail to remain obedient to Him. Ignorance is no excuse before Him. Wicked intentions elicit harsh condemnation. A holy God does not tolerate sinful humans. But the concept is too abstract when disconnected from the person of Christ.
Guilt and shame are words that relate to our sinfulness. Carefully defining the meaning of words is important. Guilt is a more abstract concept than shame. If I am accused of guilt, or guilt is attributed to me, it may have little effect on me if I don’t believe the allegation is valid. My heart may become hardened even more. But if I am ashamed that means my heart has been reached. The first stage of repentance is happening. Of course, if I feel guilty than I am also experiencing remorse and the words are used synonymously. The words are not as important as the realities they describe. God’s words actually create their own reality.
In Christ, the holiness of God takes on tangible dimensions; and so does forgiveness. What was an abstract idea, a holy God who doesn’t tolerate sinners- but a God easily thought of as distant and aloof- now becomes very concrete as the life of Jesus is portrayed before our very eyes. The Bible says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”2 St. John gives this witness of the incarnation, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it”4
You see, God does not abandon His creation. He does not stand aloof from it. He redeems it through Jesus. He dies for it, covering the price for our transgressions. He rises again that He might guarantee us incorruptible life. These truths are measures of His love. Jeremiah reminds us that the heavenly Father knew him before his conception and set him apart. It’s no different for you. That’s the mystery of His love.
The thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is the superlative biblical chapter on love. In the triumvirate of faith, hope, and love, the supremacy of love is singled out by the apostle. When love prevails all things are possible. Offences are forgotten, hatred is dissolved, long-held grudges are even laid to rest. When love triumphs fractured relationships are restored, bitter rivals become companions, despair is transformed to hope. If this were not so and if it were not possible then the entire substance of biblical truth would be found to be hollow. But it was the grave that was found to be empty not the promises of the crucified Lord who greeted His followers alive with scars in His flesh to steady their incredulous faith.
Love has prevailed. The evidence often appears dark and distant; a shadow of hope, a glimmer of optimism. We yearn to be fully embraced by its power. The devil still has his little day in the sun. The power of sin is broken, but like a mighty river whose source has dried up, its consequences keep flowing through the channels human lives. If the headwaters of the Mississippi River were suspended it would still take more than three months for the last drop of water to reach the end. A person walking at a leisurely pace could walk across the Australian continent in that time. Sin remains a scourge, the effects of which we cannot avoid in this mortal life.
Yet, love prevails. Love prevailed for the people of Nazareth that day. They just couldn’t see the cross in the distance. They couldn’t yet understand that they, too, needed this Saviour. They may have been looking for a hometown hero they could brag about but not one who would supply their greatest need. We’re no different until the Holy Spirit transforms our perspective. It’s something He has to keep doing again, and again, and again. Baptism is underpinned by the promise that love has conquered. Baptismal water washes the punishment for sin from all the tributaries and rivulets of our lives. Holy Communion send, peace, and forgiveness coursing through our veins.
Love triumphs every time a repentant soul cherishes God’s decree of absolution. Love triumphs every time those who are wise in the ways of the world are made weak by the foolishness of the cross. Love triumphs every time those who feel weak in their inner spiritual life are made strong by the truth of Christ’s life lived on our behalf. Love triumphs every time a believer closes his eyes in death and opens those eyelids in eternity. Many times attempts were made to end the Messiah’s life. He patiently and humbly endured them all until the appointed time. Then what seemed to be the end was only the beginning. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
31 January, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 13:34
2 Formula of Concord XI
3 Hebrews 1:3
4 1 John 1:1-2
5 See Isaiah 53:3
Monday, January 25, 2016
Third Sunday After Epiphany (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 4:16
Theme: “He Stood Up To Read”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Words were spoken. Life was created. God was rejected. Promises were decreed. The Word was enfleshed. Blood was spilled. Words were written. The Spirit was dispatched. Heaven was recovered. This narrative of God’s creation, redemption, and restoration through Christ constitutes the entire biblical witness. The details and mysteries of the individual believer’s place in this storyline constitute our daily life before God. God speaks to us and through His speaking we are transformed. Why, because He speaks with authority.
It was a remarkable Sabbath in Nazareth. The subject, apex, and fulfillment of Holy Writ was Himself the reader of the Scriptures that day. Jesus turned to Isaiah and the one of whom Isaiah spoke read about Himself. It was akin to reading one’s own autobiography. But it was more. It was similar to being taught by one who had lived the material of instruction. But it was more. It was a spoiler alert: A revealing of the end of the story. But it was more. And in a preview of Holy Week, it was first received with acclamation and then rejected with vehement condemnation. In the person of Jesus, the new Adam, the human race was given rebirth. In the work of Jesus, who was always in concord with His Father, the human race was reconciled.
Jesus, the Word of Life, stands to interpret the word of Scripture. Christians are people of the book. Not in a pedantic manner. We do not worship the Bible. But apart from the Scriptures we worship nothing but idols. The only Christ we can know with certainty is the Jesus of the Bible. Departure from the biblical description of Christ- additions or deletions- results in endless speculation and controversy. If I claim to have inside knowledge about the blessings or work of Christ, who could prove me right or wrong; Such claims are like feelings. They can’t be objectively verified or dismissed. Who is to say I’m not being misled by the devil. Any promptings of the Holy Spirit we believe to be beneficial to our faith must be in complete harmony with the revealed teaching of Holy Scripture. God promises to speak to us through His word.
If believers don’t make a habit of hearing God’s word every Sabbath Satan will make sure they hear something else. He broadcasts ceaseless interference with God’s truth. When God’s word tells us we are sinners, we’d do best to believe it. We may find enough tangible evidence of our faults, foibles, and failings, but we can swiftly makes excuses, passing the blame and downplaying the gravity. Sins become flaws in our eyes and transgressions become lapses. God’s perfect law tells us unequivocally that our guilt makes us worthy of condemnation. The law is the Spirit’s tool, convicting us and working shame and regret in our hearts. Imagine if your sins were on display for the world to see how quickly you would seek to disappear into obscurity!
But thankfully, Christians are people of the book. What did the Israelites do when they had returned from exile in Babylon? Nehemiah tells us, “On the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law (the first five books of the Old Testament) before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon…”1 God’s word is meant to be heard. What advice does the seasoned apostle Paul give to the young pastor Timothy? “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”2 Again he says, “You have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in rightesousness.”3 These Scriptures are also made tangible to us in water, bread, and wine. The apostle says today, “In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”4
The immediate context of Jesus’ visit to Nazareth is the fact of His baptism. His ministry is now public. There is no turning back. He is journeying to the cross. The same is true for us. We are baptized and there is no turning back. God has made His claim on us.
You can rise each morning, remember you are baptized, and marvel that the Scripture has been fulfilled. The Messiah has come. The Redeemer has bought you back with His blood. The Saviour spared you from hell’s fury. The Deliverer has rescued you from Satan’s power. Freedom is decreed to you. The Good News is proclaimed. Your spiritual blindness is healed. Your deafness is cured. The year of the Lord’s favour is announced to you. You have His forgiveness, blessing, and peace. The Lamb of God slain for you on the altar of the cross lives. He has conquered and we participate in His victory.
But many others still live in the defeat of sin even if they don’t understand the bondage they are in. We are freed- in Christ- to serve them in a manner that reflects Christ’s power over sin. Doing so requires a change in mindset that only the Holy Spirit can direct. Very practical realities come into play here. The tendencies of our human nature are very difficult to modify. Think of the typical reaction to being asked to participate in something or commit to it. The first questions we tend to ask ourselves silently follow along the lines of “What’s in it for me?” “Is it something I would benefit from?” “Is it something I would enjoy?” “What are my fears?” “Is it out of my comfort zone?” These are natural questions. They are relevant and not unimportant. But they are not the decisive questions. The first question Christians should ask is “How could my participation in this benefit others?” “If I would invest my time and energy in this way, even stepping out of my comfort zone, would others be helped in a way that is consistent with God’s calling?”
God promises to supply what we lack. Our personal comfort never comes before compassion. Self-interest never outstrips sacrifice. Fear of failure never trumps possibility of assistance. Possibility of inconvenience never surmounts belief that God’s will is done. Of course we know that in practice they often do because we are weak. But they are never taught as the way of Christian life. God has given such great and glorious blessings that all earthly riches pale in comparison.
Think of the holy blessings that were given today in such a humble setting. Nazareth was never highly regarded. A ‘backwater town’ it was neither the place where dreams were fulfilled nor where royals were bred. But on one Sabbath its synagogue was graced by the One who men esteemed not.5 He stood up to read. He rose up to save. He stands to intercede. Life and peace and grace are ours in Him. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday After Epiphany
24 January, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Nehemiah 8:2-3
2 1 Timothy 4:13
3 2 Timothy 3:15-16
4 1 Corinthians 12:13
5 See Isaiah 53:3
Text: Luke 4:16
Theme: “He Stood Up To Read”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Words were spoken. Life was created. God was rejected. Promises were decreed. The Word was enfleshed. Blood was spilled. Words were written. The Spirit was dispatched. Heaven was recovered. This narrative of God’s creation, redemption, and restoration through Christ constitutes the entire biblical witness. The details and mysteries of the individual believer’s place in this storyline constitute our daily life before God. God speaks to us and through His speaking we are transformed. Why, because He speaks with authority.
It was a remarkable Sabbath in Nazareth. The subject, apex, and fulfillment of Holy Writ was Himself the reader of the Scriptures that day. Jesus turned to Isaiah and the one of whom Isaiah spoke read about Himself. It was akin to reading one’s own autobiography. But it was more. It was similar to being taught by one who had lived the material of instruction. But it was more. It was a spoiler alert: A revealing of the end of the story. But it was more. And in a preview of Holy Week, it was first received with acclamation and then rejected with vehement condemnation. In the person of Jesus, the new Adam, the human race was given rebirth. In the work of Jesus, who was always in concord with His Father, the human race was reconciled.
Jesus, the Word of Life, stands to interpret the word of Scripture. Christians are people of the book. Not in a pedantic manner. We do not worship the Bible. But apart from the Scriptures we worship nothing but idols. The only Christ we can know with certainty is the Jesus of the Bible. Departure from the biblical description of Christ- additions or deletions- results in endless speculation and controversy. If I claim to have inside knowledge about the blessings or work of Christ, who could prove me right or wrong; Such claims are like feelings. They can’t be objectively verified or dismissed. Who is to say I’m not being misled by the devil. Any promptings of the Holy Spirit we believe to be beneficial to our faith must be in complete harmony with the revealed teaching of Holy Scripture. God promises to speak to us through His word.
If believers don’t make a habit of hearing God’s word every Sabbath Satan will make sure they hear something else. He broadcasts ceaseless interference with God’s truth. When God’s word tells us we are sinners, we’d do best to believe it. We may find enough tangible evidence of our faults, foibles, and failings, but we can swiftly makes excuses, passing the blame and downplaying the gravity. Sins become flaws in our eyes and transgressions become lapses. God’s perfect law tells us unequivocally that our guilt makes us worthy of condemnation. The law is the Spirit’s tool, convicting us and working shame and regret in our hearts. Imagine if your sins were on display for the world to see how quickly you would seek to disappear into obscurity!
But thankfully, Christians are people of the book. What did the Israelites do when they had returned from exile in Babylon? Nehemiah tells us, “On the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law (the first five books of the Old Testament) before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon…”1 God’s word is meant to be heard. What advice does the seasoned apostle Paul give to the young pastor Timothy? “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”2 Again he says, “You have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in rightesousness.”3 These Scriptures are also made tangible to us in water, bread, and wine. The apostle says today, “In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”4
The immediate context of Jesus’ visit to Nazareth is the fact of His baptism. His ministry is now public. There is no turning back. He is journeying to the cross. The same is true for us. We are baptized and there is no turning back. God has made His claim on us.
You can rise each morning, remember you are baptized, and marvel that the Scripture has been fulfilled. The Messiah has come. The Redeemer has bought you back with His blood. The Saviour spared you from hell’s fury. The Deliverer has rescued you from Satan’s power. Freedom is decreed to you. The Good News is proclaimed. Your spiritual blindness is healed. Your deafness is cured. The year of the Lord’s favour is announced to you. You have His forgiveness, blessing, and peace. The Lamb of God slain for you on the altar of the cross lives. He has conquered and we participate in His victory.
But many others still live in the defeat of sin even if they don’t understand the bondage they are in. We are freed- in Christ- to serve them in a manner that reflects Christ’s power over sin. Doing so requires a change in mindset that only the Holy Spirit can direct. Very practical realities come into play here. The tendencies of our human nature are very difficult to modify. Think of the typical reaction to being asked to participate in something or commit to it. The first questions we tend to ask ourselves silently follow along the lines of “What’s in it for me?” “Is it something I would benefit from?” “Is it something I would enjoy?” “What are my fears?” “Is it out of my comfort zone?” These are natural questions. They are relevant and not unimportant. But they are not the decisive questions. The first question Christians should ask is “How could my participation in this benefit others?” “If I would invest my time and energy in this way, even stepping out of my comfort zone, would others be helped in a way that is consistent with God’s calling?”
God promises to supply what we lack. Our personal comfort never comes before compassion. Self-interest never outstrips sacrifice. Fear of failure never trumps possibility of assistance. Possibility of inconvenience never surmounts belief that God’s will is done. Of course we know that in practice they often do because we are weak. But they are never taught as the way of Christian life. God has given such great and glorious blessings that all earthly riches pale in comparison.
Think of the holy blessings that were given today in such a humble setting. Nazareth was never highly regarded. A ‘backwater town’ it was neither the place where dreams were fulfilled nor where royals were bred. But on one Sabbath its synagogue was graced by the One who men esteemed not.5 He stood up to read. He rose up to save. He stands to intercede. Life and peace and grace are ours in Him. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday After Epiphany
24 January, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Nehemiah 8:2-3
2 1 Timothy 4:13
3 2 Timothy 3:15-16
4 1 Corinthians 12:13
5 See Isaiah 53:3
Monday, January 18, 2016
Second Sunday After Epiphany (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 2:11
Theme: The Life of the Party
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
In God’s presence life is sustained. In His absence death is inevitable. It is truly a miracle that life -any life- exists at all. After millennia of accumulated human knowledge we have no power to commence life from inert material. We can analyze processes and enhance their function but we cannot create life. That takes a miracle. That ability separates us categorically from God. It’s fascinating to think that in heaven the whole concept of miracles will cease to exist. God’s life-sustaining magnificence will be on display at all times. Something to look forward to!
With an eye towards the future life God still calls us to attend to the present. Today we find people enjoying life at a wedding celebration- some perhaps a little more than they should. We hear a number of times of Jesus being invited to social functions. This wedding celebration is exceptional because Jesus uses the occasion to broach the topic of His divinity. When the wine ran out He supplied more. And it was better.
Jesus never proffered dull signs of His deity but this was about as low key as it comes. It wasn’t a dramatic miracle. The stormy sea was not calmed. The blind were not sighted. The dead were not raised. But subtlety does not equal trivialness. The laws of nature were radically circumvented. Divine intervention was undeniable. This Messianic vintner extended the banquet celebration. It was enough to awaken faith in His disciples. Still, no one understood yet that Jesus wasn’t merely the life of the party. They were in the presence of the Bridegroom who sits at the head of the table at the heavenly feast. Their guest was Himself, the personification of hospitality. Veiled in human attire they didn’t recognize it yet.
Today’s wedding of Cana account contains a tense moment between Jesus and His mother. We see that she oversteps the mark in the assumption she made about Jesus’ response to the lack of wine. As such, Mary shows congruence with fallen humanity. Sinful humans always think they know better than God even if they don’t intend to initially. Remember, we’re called to repent not just for careless actions. We’re called to repudiate the entire orientation of our sinful nature. Consider how the Lutheran Confessions say it, “It is an established truth that Christians must regard and recognize as sin not only the actual transgression of God’s commandments but also, and primarily, the abominable and dreadful inherited disease which has corrupted our entire nature. In fact, we must consider this as the chief sin, the root and fountain of all actual sin.”1 There is no way for us to circumvent this reality.
When the promises of God are despised we are made vulnerable to His judgment. God promises that the Holy Spirit works through the word and sacraments. He offers no other means. Satan too, can mimic the Spirit’s approach. The Scripture says, “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”2 Satan never presents his opinions as lies. (Who, except those who have already aligned themselves with evil would deliberately follow lies?) Satan must mimic the truth. He even uses Scripture to set the bait. But he cannot outwit the Lord and we should have confidence in this fact. The Scripture says, “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”3
The presence of the Holy Spirit in your life may not seem dramatic from human perspective. Perhaps, like your daily routine, you consider your spiritual life to be rather pedestrian. Maybe you’ve never felt prompted by the Spirit. Maybe you struggle to offer up your prayers or often feel uninspired to listen to His word. Never think this means His work lacks validity. The authentic presence of God need not be melodramatic or showy. He often works methodically to build the spiritual structure, which is your faith. A skyscraper is built one section at a time. It doesn’t come premade from IKEA. A Blue Whale is sustained by millions of tiny krill. It does swallow a single, large portion of food. Faith is built up in this way too. Through constant exposure to the word, through the continual attention of the Holy Spirit, through the regular support of other Christians faith is sustained and strengthened.
You are baptized for a purpose. You are equipped for a mission. It may not be a mission in some exotic place. It may not seem thrilling or praise-worthy. It may not gain you notoriety or fame. But it is consecrated work because it is sanctified by a holy God. Much of your waking day is lived at the threshold; the conflict zone where the influences of evil are engaged in struggle with God’s truth and light. This happens in the real lives of real people. Hearts, and minds, and wills are stretched to the limit. Adultery competes with fidelity; lust with loyalty. Deceit strives against honesty; lies against truth. Selfishness rivals with contentedness; greed with temperance. Power-grabbing contests with submission; control with sacrifice. Lawlessness contends with obedience; anarchy with stability.
These struggles aren’t caused by differences in perspective; they are ignited and rage because of sin. Christians acknowledge these facts for what they are and act accordingly. You might be the only voice of reason, the only presence of purity, the only source of strength, the only foundation of hope for someone. Of course it’s not you; you’re a vessel of the living God. You are called to be His mouthpiece. The more the church falls silent the more other voices will crowd out the truth. God demands that we don’t mix the sacred with the profane. That is, we don’t mingle falsehood with His truth. We don’t try to smuggle in human opinion under the guise of divine decree. We don’t invest our hope in created things but in God’s promises.
The Bible is full of encouragement to persevere in the midst of struggle. Paul said he could not help but preach the gospel. Isaiah says today, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shine out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.”4 His word will not return empty and we cling to that promise even when the evidence seems otherwise.
For most people in ancient times daily life was a struggle. There was very little leisure time. That’s why weekly observance of the Sabbath and participation in things like wedding celebrations were so important. Respite from the hardships of life was essential. Today people enjoyed it in the presence of Jesus as a dinner guest. Believers find their eternal rest in Him. The greatest threats cannot harm us. Jesus Christ was hung from a cross so that you wouldn’t be hung out to dry at the judgment. He rose from the dead and that means our decayed corpses won’t be left lying in the grave. Manifest sinners that we are, believers are, nevertheless, declared righteous and holy because of His blood shed for us. The wine from His table is better than that supplied at Cana. It carries forgiveness that opens the door to eternal life.
Jesus may not have been the first viticulturist (Noah is the first one mentioned in the Bible5, though Adam was undoubtedly the first.) but He will certainly be the last. His heavenly banquet awaits all the faithful. There will be no need for miracles. The final vintage is a ceaseless supply of His lavish provision.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Epiphany
17 January, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Formula of Concord
2 2 Corinthians 11:14
3 1 Corinthians 12:3
4 Isaiah 62:1
5 Genesis 9:20
Text: John 2:11
Theme: The Life of the Party
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
In God’s presence life is sustained. In His absence death is inevitable. It is truly a miracle that life -any life- exists at all. After millennia of accumulated human knowledge we have no power to commence life from inert material. We can analyze processes and enhance their function but we cannot create life. That takes a miracle. That ability separates us categorically from God. It’s fascinating to think that in heaven the whole concept of miracles will cease to exist. God’s life-sustaining magnificence will be on display at all times. Something to look forward to!
With an eye towards the future life God still calls us to attend to the present. Today we find people enjoying life at a wedding celebration- some perhaps a little more than they should. We hear a number of times of Jesus being invited to social functions. This wedding celebration is exceptional because Jesus uses the occasion to broach the topic of His divinity. When the wine ran out He supplied more. And it was better.
Jesus never proffered dull signs of His deity but this was about as low key as it comes. It wasn’t a dramatic miracle. The stormy sea was not calmed. The blind were not sighted. The dead were not raised. But subtlety does not equal trivialness. The laws of nature were radically circumvented. Divine intervention was undeniable. This Messianic vintner extended the banquet celebration. It was enough to awaken faith in His disciples. Still, no one understood yet that Jesus wasn’t merely the life of the party. They were in the presence of the Bridegroom who sits at the head of the table at the heavenly feast. Their guest was Himself, the personification of hospitality. Veiled in human attire they didn’t recognize it yet.
Today’s wedding of Cana account contains a tense moment between Jesus and His mother. We see that she oversteps the mark in the assumption she made about Jesus’ response to the lack of wine. As such, Mary shows congruence with fallen humanity. Sinful humans always think they know better than God even if they don’t intend to initially. Remember, we’re called to repent not just for careless actions. We’re called to repudiate the entire orientation of our sinful nature. Consider how the Lutheran Confessions say it, “It is an established truth that Christians must regard and recognize as sin not only the actual transgression of God’s commandments but also, and primarily, the abominable and dreadful inherited disease which has corrupted our entire nature. In fact, we must consider this as the chief sin, the root and fountain of all actual sin.”1 There is no way for us to circumvent this reality.
When the promises of God are despised we are made vulnerable to His judgment. God promises that the Holy Spirit works through the word and sacraments. He offers no other means. Satan too, can mimic the Spirit’s approach. The Scripture says, “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”2 Satan never presents his opinions as lies. (Who, except those who have already aligned themselves with evil would deliberately follow lies?) Satan must mimic the truth. He even uses Scripture to set the bait. But he cannot outwit the Lord and we should have confidence in this fact. The Scripture says, “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”3
The presence of the Holy Spirit in your life may not seem dramatic from human perspective. Perhaps, like your daily routine, you consider your spiritual life to be rather pedestrian. Maybe you’ve never felt prompted by the Spirit. Maybe you struggle to offer up your prayers or often feel uninspired to listen to His word. Never think this means His work lacks validity. The authentic presence of God need not be melodramatic or showy. He often works methodically to build the spiritual structure, which is your faith. A skyscraper is built one section at a time. It doesn’t come premade from IKEA. A Blue Whale is sustained by millions of tiny krill. It does swallow a single, large portion of food. Faith is built up in this way too. Through constant exposure to the word, through the continual attention of the Holy Spirit, through the regular support of other Christians faith is sustained and strengthened.
You are baptized for a purpose. You are equipped for a mission. It may not be a mission in some exotic place. It may not seem thrilling or praise-worthy. It may not gain you notoriety or fame. But it is consecrated work because it is sanctified by a holy God. Much of your waking day is lived at the threshold; the conflict zone where the influences of evil are engaged in struggle with God’s truth and light. This happens in the real lives of real people. Hearts, and minds, and wills are stretched to the limit. Adultery competes with fidelity; lust with loyalty. Deceit strives against honesty; lies against truth. Selfishness rivals with contentedness; greed with temperance. Power-grabbing contests with submission; control with sacrifice. Lawlessness contends with obedience; anarchy with stability.
These struggles aren’t caused by differences in perspective; they are ignited and rage because of sin. Christians acknowledge these facts for what they are and act accordingly. You might be the only voice of reason, the only presence of purity, the only source of strength, the only foundation of hope for someone. Of course it’s not you; you’re a vessel of the living God. You are called to be His mouthpiece. The more the church falls silent the more other voices will crowd out the truth. God demands that we don’t mix the sacred with the profane. That is, we don’t mingle falsehood with His truth. We don’t try to smuggle in human opinion under the guise of divine decree. We don’t invest our hope in created things but in God’s promises.
The Bible is full of encouragement to persevere in the midst of struggle. Paul said he could not help but preach the gospel. Isaiah says today, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shine out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.”4 His word will not return empty and we cling to that promise even when the evidence seems otherwise.
For most people in ancient times daily life was a struggle. There was very little leisure time. That’s why weekly observance of the Sabbath and participation in things like wedding celebrations were so important. Respite from the hardships of life was essential. Today people enjoyed it in the presence of Jesus as a dinner guest. Believers find their eternal rest in Him. The greatest threats cannot harm us. Jesus Christ was hung from a cross so that you wouldn’t be hung out to dry at the judgment. He rose from the dead and that means our decayed corpses won’t be left lying in the grave. Manifest sinners that we are, believers are, nevertheless, declared righteous and holy because of His blood shed for us. The wine from His table is better than that supplied at Cana. It carries forgiveness that opens the door to eternal life.
Jesus may not have been the first viticulturist (Noah is the first one mentioned in the Bible5, though Adam was undoubtedly the first.) but He will certainly be the last. His heavenly banquet awaits all the faithful. There will be no need for miracles. The final vintage is a ceaseless supply of His lavish provision.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Epiphany
17 January, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Formula of Concord
2 2 Corinthians 11:14
3 1 Corinthians 12:3
4 Isaiah 62:1
5 Genesis 9:20
Monday, January 11, 2016
First Sunday After Epiphany (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 3:22
Theme: Double Vision: The Son and the Spirit
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christmas doesn’t fade it grows. It steadily uncovers its glory like a rose opening its petals. The Child of Bethlehem has a destiny. He will be the King of Calvary. The journey in between is what will occupy our attention during the next two seasons of the Church Year. Today is the First Sunday after Epiphany. Epiphany is a transitional season. As the wonder and mystery of the nativity sinks deeper into our hearts the identity of the Messiah becomes more clearly revealed in the Epiphany season. Epiphany means ‘revelation’ or ‘showing forth’. In the Epiphany season we focus on a number of events that demonstrate Jesus was no ordinary man, but the divine Son of God. The events include the visit of the Magi, Jesus’ baptism, His turning the water into wine at the wedding in Cana, His preaching in Nazareth, and the transfiguration on the mountain.
The initial event of our transition is the visit of the Magi. The Magi did not come to the manger. They came to the house. It was their visit that triggered Herod’s ruthless decree to kill the baby boys in Bethlehem less than two years of age. It was an indication of the inevitable conflict that would come with Jesus’ presence in the world. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, but the peace that He brings can only be achieved through confrontation with sin.
We should not be surprised, then, that in today’s gospel reading about Jesus’ baptism there is a clear warning about judgment. Luke says, “His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor.”1 Christ threshes the great harvest for the kingdom of His Father. The Father has given Him the authority to judge. It’s an image common to an agricultural society; it is, nevertheless, a stunning one. It runs in parallel with other harvest images of judgment such as in Revelation 14, “‘Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.’ The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.”2
There is no question about the intent of the message. The great sorting out of good and evil, the separation of sin and righteousness, the dividing of unbelief and faith, the parting of light from darkness transpires through agency of Christ. The scope is universal. There are no spectators. All must pass through the sieve of divine discernment. Christ threshes thoroughly and precisely. He makes no mistakes. He caters to no favourites. He yields to no biases. All lives lie open before Him. All motives are transparent to His sight. He separates the sheep from the goats never erring. He divides the wheat from the chaff leaving no contamination.
Dear friends, if the divine judgment against sin were not a divine certainty there would be no need for the gospel. There would be no need for the sacrificial intercession of Jesus on behalf of the human race. If sin did not make all believers deserving of hell there would be no need for a Saviour. The Child, whose birth we have just celebrated, is the Redeemer who was crucified. He rose again on the third day bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to all who believe. This Saviour is present for us in our every need. And yet, the ranks of those who are uninterested continue to grow. Perhaps we are too well acquainted with the gospel?
There is a spiritual parallel to the common wisdom that familiarity breeds contempt. Familiarity can also dull the spiritual senses and lead to apathy. We see it all around us. We know it in our families. We see it in the rapid decline of Christianity in western culture. Materialism presses on us. Secularism tugs at us. Self-promotion and dishonesty are encouraged as means of making progress in society. Even Christians are drawn into the mindset that our lives are ends in them themselves. Spirituality is brokered as a commodity. Even God is used as a means to validate individual opinions. There is no end to the expressions of sinfulness.
Only the Holy Spirit can overcome this infirmity. Undoubtedly that’s why Jesus instructed His disciples to pray for the Holy Spirit. We find Him featuring prominently today at Jesus’ baptism. The appearance of the Holy Spirit in bodily form is significant. This action is unique. The Spirit appears in this way to give clear witness to Christ and bring glory to His name. The voice of the Father is heard audibly. The baptism of Jesus is an epiphany for the Holy Trinity. Those who long to look on the face of God see His perfect image in the person of His Son. When the disciples wanted reassurance, Philip said to Jesus, “‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us’ Jesus answered: ‘Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.”3
So what was important about Jesus’ baptism? Jesus’ baptism was not for His own benefit, but for ours. He had no need to be cleansed from sin. It was necessary, however, that He stand in solidarity with humanity. All of Jesus’ redemptive work involved surrogacy. He did not come to save His own skin, but ours. He had no need to be reconciled to the Father, but we do. He had no need to endure suffering and death, but it was essential for our salvation.
In baptism we become the beneficiaries of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are reconciled to the heavenly Father. And we are empowered to love our neighbour from a new, freed, perspective.
The love of our neighbour is not theoretical or optional. In life under the cross it is where the rubber meets the road. Relationships are not reconciled through avoidance or the harboring of resentment. Honesty, humility, and the willingness to forgive is the only way forward. Love goes the distance. But human love needs the strength of divine empowerment. Often we can hardly hold up under our own frailty let alone carry the burdens of others. Everyone has limited capacity. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. In the hour of need He supplies us. When we realize everything depends Him everything changes. Darkness is turned to light. Crippling loads become light as a feather. What seemed to be drudgery can even become purposeful and gratifying.
Christ is the divine Lover and He always supplies what we lack. Remember what the Scripture says when He was on the threshold of His death. “When Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”4 What does it mean that He loved them to the end except that He went to the cross! There can be no deeper love than complete sacrifice. At the cross any sentimentality of Christmas is turned to pure reverence. On Easter morning it transitions to pure joy. May the Holy Spirit increase your confidence and joy throughout this season of Epiphany! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Epiphany
10 January, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 3:17
2 Revelation 14:18-19
3 John 14:8-9
4 John 13:1
Text: Luke 3:22
Theme: Double Vision: The Son and the Spirit
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christmas doesn’t fade it grows. It steadily uncovers its glory like a rose opening its petals. The Child of Bethlehem has a destiny. He will be the King of Calvary. The journey in between is what will occupy our attention during the next two seasons of the Church Year. Today is the First Sunday after Epiphany. Epiphany is a transitional season. As the wonder and mystery of the nativity sinks deeper into our hearts the identity of the Messiah becomes more clearly revealed in the Epiphany season. Epiphany means ‘revelation’ or ‘showing forth’. In the Epiphany season we focus on a number of events that demonstrate Jesus was no ordinary man, but the divine Son of God. The events include the visit of the Magi, Jesus’ baptism, His turning the water into wine at the wedding in Cana, His preaching in Nazareth, and the transfiguration on the mountain.
The initial event of our transition is the visit of the Magi. The Magi did not come to the manger. They came to the house. It was their visit that triggered Herod’s ruthless decree to kill the baby boys in Bethlehem less than two years of age. It was an indication of the inevitable conflict that would come with Jesus’ presence in the world. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, but the peace that He brings can only be achieved through confrontation with sin.
We should not be surprised, then, that in today’s gospel reading about Jesus’ baptism there is a clear warning about judgment. Luke says, “His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor.”1 Christ threshes the great harvest for the kingdom of His Father. The Father has given Him the authority to judge. It’s an image common to an agricultural society; it is, nevertheless, a stunning one. It runs in parallel with other harvest images of judgment such as in Revelation 14, “‘Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.’ The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.”2
There is no question about the intent of the message. The great sorting out of good and evil, the separation of sin and righteousness, the dividing of unbelief and faith, the parting of light from darkness transpires through agency of Christ. The scope is universal. There are no spectators. All must pass through the sieve of divine discernment. Christ threshes thoroughly and precisely. He makes no mistakes. He caters to no favourites. He yields to no biases. All lives lie open before Him. All motives are transparent to His sight. He separates the sheep from the goats never erring. He divides the wheat from the chaff leaving no contamination.
Dear friends, if the divine judgment against sin were not a divine certainty there would be no need for the gospel. There would be no need for the sacrificial intercession of Jesus on behalf of the human race. If sin did not make all believers deserving of hell there would be no need for a Saviour. The Child, whose birth we have just celebrated, is the Redeemer who was crucified. He rose again on the third day bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to all who believe. This Saviour is present for us in our every need. And yet, the ranks of those who are uninterested continue to grow. Perhaps we are too well acquainted with the gospel?
There is a spiritual parallel to the common wisdom that familiarity breeds contempt. Familiarity can also dull the spiritual senses and lead to apathy. We see it all around us. We know it in our families. We see it in the rapid decline of Christianity in western culture. Materialism presses on us. Secularism tugs at us. Self-promotion and dishonesty are encouraged as means of making progress in society. Even Christians are drawn into the mindset that our lives are ends in them themselves. Spirituality is brokered as a commodity. Even God is used as a means to validate individual opinions. There is no end to the expressions of sinfulness.
Only the Holy Spirit can overcome this infirmity. Undoubtedly that’s why Jesus instructed His disciples to pray for the Holy Spirit. We find Him featuring prominently today at Jesus’ baptism. The appearance of the Holy Spirit in bodily form is significant. This action is unique. The Spirit appears in this way to give clear witness to Christ and bring glory to His name. The voice of the Father is heard audibly. The baptism of Jesus is an epiphany for the Holy Trinity. Those who long to look on the face of God see His perfect image in the person of His Son. When the disciples wanted reassurance, Philip said to Jesus, “‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us’ Jesus answered: ‘Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.”3
So what was important about Jesus’ baptism? Jesus’ baptism was not for His own benefit, but for ours. He had no need to be cleansed from sin. It was necessary, however, that He stand in solidarity with humanity. All of Jesus’ redemptive work involved surrogacy. He did not come to save His own skin, but ours. He had no need to be reconciled to the Father, but we do. He had no need to endure suffering and death, but it was essential for our salvation.
In baptism we become the beneficiaries of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are reconciled to the heavenly Father. And we are empowered to love our neighbour from a new, freed, perspective.
The love of our neighbour is not theoretical or optional. In life under the cross it is where the rubber meets the road. Relationships are not reconciled through avoidance or the harboring of resentment. Honesty, humility, and the willingness to forgive is the only way forward. Love goes the distance. But human love needs the strength of divine empowerment. Often we can hardly hold up under our own frailty let alone carry the burdens of others. Everyone has limited capacity. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. In the hour of need He supplies us. When we realize everything depends Him everything changes. Darkness is turned to light. Crippling loads become light as a feather. What seemed to be drudgery can even become purposeful and gratifying.
Christ is the divine Lover and He always supplies what we lack. Remember what the Scripture says when He was on the threshold of His death. “When Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”4 What does it mean that He loved them to the end except that He went to the cross! There can be no deeper love than complete sacrifice. At the cross any sentimentality of Christmas is turned to pure reverence. On Easter morning it transitions to pure joy. May the Holy Spirit increase your confidence and joy throughout this season of Epiphany! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Epiphany
10 January, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 3:17
2 Revelation 14:18-19
3 John 14:8-9
4 John 13:1
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