+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Romans 5:8
Theme: “While We Were Still Sinners…”
Dear followers of the Saviour,
The Spirit says, “God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”1 This God, this Christ, is in the serious business of reconciling sinners and rectifying the destruction of sin. Yet, His love is often not what the popular imagination would like it to be. Many people want a God who doles out lollies indiscriminately like Santa at Christmas. They want a God who is nothing more than a fairy godmother or a genie in a bottle granting wishes without regard to reason or responsibility. They want a God who guarantees prosperity without measure. They want a God who keeps His distance, who allows autonomy in running our own affairs, but is at our beck and call when we need Him. They want a God who will intervene to stop the corona virus or other threats, but only according to their parameters.
No such God exists. Such a being is a pure fabrication, a human construct of a magical, mythical power beholden to human definition. Even the ancient heathens recognized that such constructs of divine beings were foolish. That’s why they were always seeking to appease their idols when they became angry or working to prevent them from becoming so in the first place. Dear friends, the true God is much more faithful and capable than anything the human imagination can construct. He cannot be duped. His manner of operating cannot be circumvented. We cannot sidestep what He ordains.
So, when it comes to spiritual matters, we should never take detours and never look for short-cuts. It’s a big ask in a society that prizes convenience above almost everything else. Everything worth having resolved must be resolved through the crucified Jesus. That means we shouldn’t hide in the bushes like Adam and Eve for fear of being found spiritually naked before God. It means not trying to cover our sins with fig leaves- these are evasions.
It means owning our sins- not seeking to redefine sin on terms more favourable to us- and then taking them to God who absolves penitents through the power of the cross.
It means not trying to justify or down-play the hurt and pain we cause others- these too are attempts at circumnavigating the truth. Not detouring around the cross means making ourselves vulnerable to the contempt of the world for whom the message of the cross is foolishness.
The cross reveals the entire mission of God. There is no greater thing that God desires to do than to reconcile sinners. What does our Scripture say? “When we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son.”2 Think of how profound that truth is! Of course, that reconciliation includes an impressive retinue of encumbrances and consequences. The entire creation will be judged, destroyed, restored, and immortalized. Death, hell, sin, and Satan will be eternally incarcerated. The saints and the angels with the Trinity will enjoy celestial and everlasting communion, magnificent beyond comprehension. Yes, our God, the Maker of heaven and earth, who has designed a universe too immense to be measured, too inaccessible to be delineated, too magnificent to be truly appreciated; who has endowed just this one planet with living things fantastically marvelous in their array of beauty and complexity... Who could go on to create worlds and dimensions, wonders and mysteries to further boggle the mind... this God is concerned most of all, about YOU!
You, the sinner-made-saint by grace through faith. You are the object of His passion. You are the target of His mission. You are engraved on the palms of His hands. Jesus says you are worth more than many sparrows. The hairs of your head are all numbered. The days of your life are all measured. And these things are so not because it’s God’s duty to keep a forensic account of the limitations of all His creatures. It’s so because God has intimately planned the entirety of your existence and loves you beyond comprehension. You are His baptized. That’s why the apostle says, “Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”3
Brokenness can never be holistically addressed by bypassing the power of the crucified and risen Jesus. There will always be no end of therapies for this, programs for that, and self-help regimes for countless other things. Many will be pragmatic, insightful, and cathartic. But nothing that detours around the crucifixion of Jesus will bring meaningful healing from the consequences of sin. The cross is the crucible that purifies, the sieve that separates, the surgical device that removes the cancer. The cross is the settlement that pays the debt, the key that unlocks the prison, the black hole that swallows the darkness.
The cross does not do this abstractly, the cross is not magical. It does it because the Son of God was hung there. The purposes of God are not found behind or beyond the death of Jesus. (To try and see God beyond the cross is to be like the not-quite-yet-healed blind man of Bethsaida who said, "I see people, but they look like trees, walking.") In this life we can’t see beyond the God of the cross. That is, we see only Jesus who died that we might live and lives that death may have no power over us. “God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”4
So, what does it mean, practically, to not detour around the message of the cross? It has nothing to do with trying to ‘step back in time’ and imagine what it was like at Calvary in hopes of sourcing some reverence from the experience. That would be a naive effort at accessing God’s blessing through historical re-enactment. We cannot draw near to God through a mere meditation on the past.
It means taking Christ at His word when He says your sins are forgiven and that there is much rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. It means receiving the bread and wine in humble acceptance that Christ is present there with His body and blood. Doubting Christ’s genuineness undercuts the promise of forgiveness. Not bypassing the crucified Jesus means seeing things as they are not as we imagine them to be. Not detouring the cross means seeking the Spirit’s help in loving others humbly and allowing ourselves to be loved by others graciously. It means seeking always to be transformed and renewed with the mind and will of the Saviour.
Not deviating from the message of the sacrificial Lamb does not mean we should’t eagerly anticipate the glory of the future kingdom- as if we knew only the suffering Jesus and had forgotten about the resurrection. But it does mean believing that the crucifixion is the definitive expression of God’s love, His will, His purpose. The crucifixion was not arbitrary. It was indispensable. God could not authentically redeem humanity in any other way.
Dear friends, the blessings of prosperity, whether they be good health, longevity, a good reputation, financial or vocational stability, meaningful and godly relationships or anything else we could name; they are not proof that God loves us unconditionally. God could take some or all of these things away and He would love us no less. Note that carefully: Blessings (as we typically define them) or the lack thereof are not the definitive proof of God’s love. His love is only certain through the forgiveness of sins earned at the cross. So, not detouring the cross means accepting that our sufferings are not evidence of God’s absence or apathy but of His sanctifying work within us. That is, the cross (and this includes the resurrection) does not catapult us to glory- as if all the consequences of sin suddenly disappeared from our lives once we believe that this Jesus died and rose for us- but immerses us in the struggle and contentment of faith.
“God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”5
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday in Lent
15 March 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 5:8 2 Romans 5:10
3 Romans 5:5 4 Romans 5:8
5 Romans 5:8
Monday, March 16, 2020
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Second Sunday in Lent (A) 2020
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Romans 4:5
Theme: Gospel Magnificence
Dear followers of the Saviour,
The gospel is magnificent beyond comprehension and there is no single way to express it. The gospel, properly understood, speaks only to those who come to understand there is an irresolvable deficit between the human being, the sinner, and God. The hearts, minds, and ears of those who are satiated with self-righteousness remain closed. God’s word of indictment must do its work before the Good News can be received for what it is. Lent is as good a time as any to sharpen our focus on this core truth of Christianity.
The letter of saint Paul to the Christians in Rome is one of the most brilliant and resolute expressions of the gospel in the biblical witness. He says today in chapter four, “When a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”1 The historical reference is to Abraham who is upheld as the primary example of a man of faith. In this regard, the Bible considers every true believer, including you and me, to be children of Abraham.
How do we come to acquire this righteousness of God- the righteousness credited to Abraham? Well, it’s not of human origin. Philanthropy is not the gospel. Altruism is not the gospel. Optimism is not the gospel. Being charitable to everyone in every circumstance is not the gospel. The gospel is not a philosophical perspective on human virtue. The collective accomplishments of humanity’s best efforts do not qualify as the good news that prevents the demise of the human race.
The gospel is the divine declaration that through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ the condemnation due us for our sins has been abolished. Note that there is condemnation due us for our sins. At the beginning of every Divine Service it’s proper to reflect specifically on what some of those sins are for us: Lust, greed, dishonesty, disobedience, laziness, selfishness, over-indulgence? Generic repentance is not likely to lead to a conviction of guilt or the reception of grace. In other words, if our confession is nonspecific, we’re not likely to be led to true contrition or rejoice in forgiveness. The Holy Spirit works concretely.
The ways and means of the Spirit cannot be curbed by us, but His means are self-limited. In regard to divine truth, we can say no more than what God has said. To venture further is to engage in speculation. Writing to the believers in Corinth, St. Paul warned them “not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favour of one against another.”2 Ultimately, to explore spirituality beyond the limits of what Scripture records is to wander past seemingly harmless speculation into the dark domain of Satan. His is a labyrinth with illusory exits. He lures many not through the temptations of the flesh, but through the appeal of spiritual self-definition and of wanting to define our own terms of righteousness. Such risky indulgences are more commonplace than we may think.
So, we can say no more than God has said, but we are obligated to say no less than the Spirit has said either. To do so is to deprive others of the full counsel of God. There are many things God hasn’t told us, but the things He has revealed have been disclosed for a purpose. It’s only through His written word that we know the saving acts of God. Nature can reveal His omnipotence and providence, but not His intention to redeem sinners. The gospel is not imprinted in nature. The gospel is not intuitive to the human mind. We could never deduce the gospel with our ability to reason. It cannot be derived from a philosophical system.
Only the Holy Spirit can teach the gospel. Only through faith can we receive it. Without that Spirit-given faith, the historical events that constitute the gospel- from the incarnation of Jesus through to His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension- remain only information. Luther calls this historical faith, not saving faith. Saving faith is the preeminent miracle of the Holy Spirit. It’s “second nature” to God, after all, everything He does is aimed at creating and sustaining life. His punishment of sin and crucifying of the Old Adam3 within us is to prepare us for resurrection to new spiritual life. Sin cannot be reformed or remodeled. It must be destroyed. This work goes on in baptism. It goes on whenever we receive Holy Communion.
Dear friends, whenever you’re tempted to doubt the genuineness or efficacy of forgiveness you can be assured the devil is agitating. The Holy Spirit always brings certainty. The presence of the Holy Spirit is never marked by doubt over the favour of God. The Scriptures call the Spirit a Comforter, a Counselor, an Advocate. And what kind of Comforter do you think He is? Does He coddle us like a doting mother does a spoiled child? Does He indulge us like an over-protective father does a bratty kid? Does He pander to our selfishness or stroke our egos? Would the Holy Spirit ever minimalize or marginalize the consequences of our sin? Would He foster self-righteousness within us? Not for a moment in any measure!
But, without exception, the Spirit embraces the repentant heart with the sweet, sweet assurance that gospel is not a generic message for imaginary sinners. It is a personal pledge of emancipation for the cherished child of God. You are His baptized. You have been reconciled to the Father through the blood of Christ. The Scripture says, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”4
You are pardoned, you are forgiven, you are freed to start anew from the moment the words of absolution strike your ears. That divine forgiveness is not contingent upon any conditions that remain to be met. It is not invalidated by any of your sins of the past. The Spirit does not drag out an historical record of your transgressions (Satan does that of course). The Holy Spirit points you to the cross and reminds you why the Son of God hung there. In fact, He hangs your sins on the body that hung there for you. He drapes your transgressions over the sacrificial Lamb who leaves all of the eternal punishment you deserve for those sins in the grave.
The penalty- a penalty meriting eternal separation from God- has been remitted. Rescue from Satan’s jurisdiction is achieved through Christ’s triumph. So all wrangling about the worthiness of sinners to be received into the eternal presence of God is resolved. Every accusation of unworthiness is silenced. The sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient. This good news has no parallel and cannot be duplicated or supplanted. It will never become obsolete. It is magnificent beyond compare.
And it is our privilege to own it and to promote it. The necessity of publishing the eternal gospel is a divine mandate. The mission of the church is not to attract clients who become convinced their lives can be improved by some spiritual self-help strategies. Neither is it the primary mission of the church to alleviate suffering and misery in people’s lives. The church is the assembly of the redeemed, the body of Christ on earth. Our God is not only living, He has already been through death. May we, through the Spirit, in this season of Lent come to a renewed appreciation of our Saviour, of Whom the prophet says, “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.”5 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday in Lent
8 March 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 4:4 2 1 Corinthians 4:6
3 See Luther’s Small Catechism 4 Romans 5:1
5 Isaiah 53:5
Text: Romans 4:5
Theme: Gospel Magnificence
Dear followers of the Saviour,
The gospel is magnificent beyond comprehension and there is no single way to express it. The gospel, properly understood, speaks only to those who come to understand there is an irresolvable deficit between the human being, the sinner, and God. The hearts, minds, and ears of those who are satiated with self-righteousness remain closed. God’s word of indictment must do its work before the Good News can be received for what it is. Lent is as good a time as any to sharpen our focus on this core truth of Christianity.
The letter of saint Paul to the Christians in Rome is one of the most brilliant and resolute expressions of the gospel in the biblical witness. He says today in chapter four, “When a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”1 The historical reference is to Abraham who is upheld as the primary example of a man of faith. In this regard, the Bible considers every true believer, including you and me, to be children of Abraham.
How do we come to acquire this righteousness of God- the righteousness credited to Abraham? Well, it’s not of human origin. Philanthropy is not the gospel. Altruism is not the gospel. Optimism is not the gospel. Being charitable to everyone in every circumstance is not the gospel. The gospel is not a philosophical perspective on human virtue. The collective accomplishments of humanity’s best efforts do not qualify as the good news that prevents the demise of the human race.
The gospel is the divine declaration that through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ the condemnation due us for our sins has been abolished. Note that there is condemnation due us for our sins. At the beginning of every Divine Service it’s proper to reflect specifically on what some of those sins are for us: Lust, greed, dishonesty, disobedience, laziness, selfishness, over-indulgence? Generic repentance is not likely to lead to a conviction of guilt or the reception of grace. In other words, if our confession is nonspecific, we’re not likely to be led to true contrition or rejoice in forgiveness. The Holy Spirit works concretely.
The ways and means of the Spirit cannot be curbed by us, but His means are self-limited. In regard to divine truth, we can say no more than what God has said. To venture further is to engage in speculation. Writing to the believers in Corinth, St. Paul warned them “not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favour of one against another.”2 Ultimately, to explore spirituality beyond the limits of what Scripture records is to wander past seemingly harmless speculation into the dark domain of Satan. His is a labyrinth with illusory exits. He lures many not through the temptations of the flesh, but through the appeal of spiritual self-definition and of wanting to define our own terms of righteousness. Such risky indulgences are more commonplace than we may think.
So, we can say no more than God has said, but we are obligated to say no less than the Spirit has said either. To do so is to deprive others of the full counsel of God. There are many things God hasn’t told us, but the things He has revealed have been disclosed for a purpose. It’s only through His written word that we know the saving acts of God. Nature can reveal His omnipotence and providence, but not His intention to redeem sinners. The gospel is not imprinted in nature. The gospel is not intuitive to the human mind. We could never deduce the gospel with our ability to reason. It cannot be derived from a philosophical system.
Only the Holy Spirit can teach the gospel. Only through faith can we receive it. Without that Spirit-given faith, the historical events that constitute the gospel- from the incarnation of Jesus through to His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension- remain only information. Luther calls this historical faith, not saving faith. Saving faith is the preeminent miracle of the Holy Spirit. It’s “second nature” to God, after all, everything He does is aimed at creating and sustaining life. His punishment of sin and crucifying of the Old Adam3 within us is to prepare us for resurrection to new spiritual life. Sin cannot be reformed or remodeled. It must be destroyed. This work goes on in baptism. It goes on whenever we receive Holy Communion.
Dear friends, whenever you’re tempted to doubt the genuineness or efficacy of forgiveness you can be assured the devil is agitating. The Holy Spirit always brings certainty. The presence of the Holy Spirit is never marked by doubt over the favour of God. The Scriptures call the Spirit a Comforter, a Counselor, an Advocate. And what kind of Comforter do you think He is? Does He coddle us like a doting mother does a spoiled child? Does He indulge us like an over-protective father does a bratty kid? Does He pander to our selfishness or stroke our egos? Would the Holy Spirit ever minimalize or marginalize the consequences of our sin? Would He foster self-righteousness within us? Not for a moment in any measure!
But, without exception, the Spirit embraces the repentant heart with the sweet, sweet assurance that gospel is not a generic message for imaginary sinners. It is a personal pledge of emancipation for the cherished child of God. You are His baptized. You have been reconciled to the Father through the blood of Christ. The Scripture says, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”4
You are pardoned, you are forgiven, you are freed to start anew from the moment the words of absolution strike your ears. That divine forgiveness is not contingent upon any conditions that remain to be met. It is not invalidated by any of your sins of the past. The Spirit does not drag out an historical record of your transgressions (Satan does that of course). The Holy Spirit points you to the cross and reminds you why the Son of God hung there. In fact, He hangs your sins on the body that hung there for you. He drapes your transgressions over the sacrificial Lamb who leaves all of the eternal punishment you deserve for those sins in the grave.
The penalty- a penalty meriting eternal separation from God- has been remitted. Rescue from Satan’s jurisdiction is achieved through Christ’s triumph. So all wrangling about the worthiness of sinners to be received into the eternal presence of God is resolved. Every accusation of unworthiness is silenced. The sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient. This good news has no parallel and cannot be duplicated or supplanted. It will never become obsolete. It is magnificent beyond compare.
And it is our privilege to own it and to promote it. The necessity of publishing the eternal gospel is a divine mandate. The mission of the church is not to attract clients who become convinced their lives can be improved by some spiritual self-help strategies. Neither is it the primary mission of the church to alleviate suffering and misery in people’s lives. The church is the assembly of the redeemed, the body of Christ on earth. Our God is not only living, He has already been through death. May we, through the Spirit, in this season of Lent come to a renewed appreciation of our Saviour, of Whom the prophet says, “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.”5 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday in Lent
8 March 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 4:4 2 1 Corinthians 4:6
3 See Luther’s Small Catechism 4 Romans 5:1
5 Isaiah 53:5
Dulcie Westbrook Funeral (4 March 2020)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Revelation 21:4
Theme: The End of Pain and Grief
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Dulcie; and especially you Lew and Aileen, her children,
The end of all pain, suffering, and death is not a childish fantasy. It is the eternal reality of those who have crossed into the presence of God. This is the promise we have just heard from God’s holy word. When we reflect on the gravity of mortality no words of comfort really matter except those of Him who has defeated death and thrown open the gates of heaven. So, we gather with solemnity but also with joy, knowing that Dulcie has reached her final rest. Her journey is over. Her struggles are ended. Thanks be to God for His merciful love!
A Christian funeral necessarily has a confronting element because we can’t make light of serious realities. Consideration of mortality often evokes a guttural reaction. Death is menacing. It is dark and consuming. It has an inevitability that we cannot overcome. Death is not the natural way of things that some claim. It’s not part of some grand cosmic cycle that was intended from the beginning. Death is the mature consequence of sin. It is punishment leveled against the sinner for offending God’s holiness. Death severs all of our relationships and if left unresolved separates us from God’s goodness eternally.
Jesus Christ is the only One with the authority to offer resolution and reconciliation. Everything stands or falls on His sacrificial work for sinners. Our salvation is only by grace, only through faith. If grace in Christ is a fantasy, then hope is finally lost. If divine love is a fallacy, then ultimate meaning is shattered. If God’s promises are hollow, then existence itself comes unhinged. If the resurrection of Christ was only pious legend, then eternal death prevails. But, dear friends, Jesus Christ is indeed risen from the dead. The grave could not hold Him. Death could not bind Him. Hell could not subdue Him. Satan could not silence Him.
He says to us, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”1 And the Scripture says, “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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”2 It sounds so simple and in one sense that’s true. But in another sense, it’s the most difficult thing in the world. There are many challenges to faith and the Holy Spirit is required for it to be maintained.
God, of course, knew what struggles Dulcie would endure and what blessings she would enjoy. From the moment of her baptism He reclaimed her as His unique creation and promised her an eternal inheritance. Dulcie understood the challenges of farm life, of family, and of relationships. Farming in the Mallee demands an astute gage of one’s capacities. If you don’t learn to adjust it can quickly break you. Dulcie learned to adapt even under trying circumstances. She knew she was a fallible human being- a sinner like all of us. She would have had her share of regrets, disappointments, and sorrows in life. But she also knew she was God’s child. She knew God had greater things in store for her.
The Scriptures encourage us to eagerly anticipate being released from all the consequences of sin. Consider these words of promise, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”3 Again, “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”4 And again from Revelation 21, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5 Dulcie is now freed from all the burdens of this life.
Of course, we still remain in the old order of things and we must carry on. What do we learn from those who have gone before? We do we learn about the value of things temporal and things eternal? We have memories of the beloved. These memories are important. Inevitably such memories involve a mixture of joy and sorrow. People tend to be glorified at death, but we know that every life is fraught with fallibility. Every person needs forgiveness. And isn’t that all that matters in the end: Forgiven relationships? Our relationship with God and others?
The Scriptures tell us not to leave overtures of reconciliation too late. The Bible says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”6 This isn’t meaningless ‘religious’ advice. Relationships that remain fractured at the point of death are the cause of much regret and heartache. Dear friends, Christ forgives the eternal offence of our sins. Any sins of others that we pardon pale in comparison. That doesn’t mean we are to discount the seriousness of the transgressions others have committed against us. Forgiveness is not about downplaying. Forgiveness is about valuing the sinner over the sin. Life is not only too short to bear grudges; our own sanctity is too limited to allow us to be self-righteous. The Scripture says, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”7 If the subject is too difficult to broach, seek outside assistance.
Lew, Aileen, the emptiness left by the death of your mother cannot be filled by any means that we possess. The poignancy of grief is a recognition of the irreplaceability of the loved one. The blessing that she was to you and to others is her legacy. But know that for the believer the end is always a blessed end. From human perspective dying may seem downright cruel. Physical pain and psychological trauma are suffered by many in the twilight of life. Frailties of body and mind rob life of even the smallest pleasures. Dulcie endured a long battle with dementia. While others can sympathize and even empathize, no two people trod the same path. Yet, at that point when the threshold is crossed, the believer is released from every burden of this fallen existence. The Psalmist says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”8
Dulcie was a baptized child of God. What she knew at the end is not nearly as important as the fact that she was known. God knew her. Christians believe “in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Dulcie now awaits the resurrection of the body on the Last Day. But her heart is already at peace. Her mind has already been grated full clarity. Dulcie’s confirmation verse was from John 8. “Jesus said, ‘If you hold to My teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”9 Dulcie has truly been set free. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Dulcie Norma Westbrook
4 March 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 11:25-25
2 Romans 10:9-10
3 Philippians 3:20-21
4 1 John 3:2
5 Revelation 21:4
6 Romans 12:18
7 Colossians 3:13
8 Psalm 116:15
9 John 8:31-32
Text: Revelation 21:4
Theme: The End of Pain and Grief
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Dulcie; and especially you Lew and Aileen, her children,
The end of all pain, suffering, and death is not a childish fantasy. It is the eternal reality of those who have crossed into the presence of God. This is the promise we have just heard from God’s holy word. When we reflect on the gravity of mortality no words of comfort really matter except those of Him who has defeated death and thrown open the gates of heaven. So, we gather with solemnity but also with joy, knowing that Dulcie has reached her final rest. Her journey is over. Her struggles are ended. Thanks be to God for His merciful love!
A Christian funeral necessarily has a confronting element because we can’t make light of serious realities. Consideration of mortality often evokes a guttural reaction. Death is menacing. It is dark and consuming. It has an inevitability that we cannot overcome. Death is not the natural way of things that some claim. It’s not part of some grand cosmic cycle that was intended from the beginning. Death is the mature consequence of sin. It is punishment leveled against the sinner for offending God’s holiness. Death severs all of our relationships and if left unresolved separates us from God’s goodness eternally.
Jesus Christ is the only One with the authority to offer resolution and reconciliation. Everything stands or falls on His sacrificial work for sinners. Our salvation is only by grace, only through faith. If grace in Christ is a fantasy, then hope is finally lost. If divine love is a fallacy, then ultimate meaning is shattered. If God’s promises are hollow, then existence itself comes unhinged. If the resurrection of Christ was only pious legend, then eternal death prevails. But, dear friends, Jesus Christ is indeed risen from the dead. The grave could not hold Him. Death could not bind Him. Hell could not subdue Him. Satan could not silence Him.
He says to us, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”1 And the Scripture says, “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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”2 It sounds so simple and in one sense that’s true. But in another sense, it’s the most difficult thing in the world. There are many challenges to faith and the Holy Spirit is required for it to be maintained.
God, of course, knew what struggles Dulcie would endure and what blessings she would enjoy. From the moment of her baptism He reclaimed her as His unique creation and promised her an eternal inheritance. Dulcie understood the challenges of farm life, of family, and of relationships. Farming in the Mallee demands an astute gage of one’s capacities. If you don’t learn to adjust it can quickly break you. Dulcie learned to adapt even under trying circumstances. She knew she was a fallible human being- a sinner like all of us. She would have had her share of regrets, disappointments, and sorrows in life. But she also knew she was God’s child. She knew God had greater things in store for her.
The Scriptures encourage us to eagerly anticipate being released from all the consequences of sin. Consider these words of promise, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”3 Again, “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”4 And again from Revelation 21, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5 Dulcie is now freed from all the burdens of this life.
Of course, we still remain in the old order of things and we must carry on. What do we learn from those who have gone before? We do we learn about the value of things temporal and things eternal? We have memories of the beloved. These memories are important. Inevitably such memories involve a mixture of joy and sorrow. People tend to be glorified at death, but we know that every life is fraught with fallibility. Every person needs forgiveness. And isn’t that all that matters in the end: Forgiven relationships? Our relationship with God and others?
The Scriptures tell us not to leave overtures of reconciliation too late. The Bible says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”6 This isn’t meaningless ‘religious’ advice. Relationships that remain fractured at the point of death are the cause of much regret and heartache. Dear friends, Christ forgives the eternal offence of our sins. Any sins of others that we pardon pale in comparison. That doesn’t mean we are to discount the seriousness of the transgressions others have committed against us. Forgiveness is not about downplaying. Forgiveness is about valuing the sinner over the sin. Life is not only too short to bear grudges; our own sanctity is too limited to allow us to be self-righteous. The Scripture says, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”7 If the subject is too difficult to broach, seek outside assistance.
Lew, Aileen, the emptiness left by the death of your mother cannot be filled by any means that we possess. The poignancy of grief is a recognition of the irreplaceability of the loved one. The blessing that she was to you and to others is her legacy. But know that for the believer the end is always a blessed end. From human perspective dying may seem downright cruel. Physical pain and psychological trauma are suffered by many in the twilight of life. Frailties of body and mind rob life of even the smallest pleasures. Dulcie endured a long battle with dementia. While others can sympathize and even empathize, no two people trod the same path. Yet, at that point when the threshold is crossed, the believer is released from every burden of this fallen existence. The Psalmist says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”8
Dulcie was a baptized child of God. What she knew at the end is not nearly as important as the fact that she was known. God knew her. Christians believe “in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Dulcie now awaits the resurrection of the body on the Last Day. But her heart is already at peace. Her mind has already been grated full clarity. Dulcie’s confirmation verse was from John 8. “Jesus said, ‘If you hold to My teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”9 Dulcie has truly been set free. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Dulcie Norma Westbrook
4 March 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 11:25-25
2 Romans 10:9-10
3 Philippians 3:20-21
4 1 John 3:2
5 Revelation 21:4
6 Romans 12:18
7 Colossians 3:13
8 Psalm 116:15
9 John 8:31-32
Monday, February 24, 2020
June Vasey Funeral (17 February 2020)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Psalm 91:2
Theme: Refuge and Fortress
Dear friends, loved ones, and family of June, and especially you, Michael and Wendy, her children,
June Vasey was a child of God. She put her trust in His promises. The words of Psalm 91 rang true for her, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.”1 Her faith was not misplaced. She has not been forsaken. The One who has traversed death and opened heaven, even Jesus Christ, our Lord, said, “In My Father’ house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you…I will come back and take you to be with Me,”2 This He has done for June Vasey. She is in His presence. Freed from all sin, released from all struggle, the profundity of her peace is beyond our knowing. She is at rest. Thanks be to God for His immeasurable love!
Dear friends, gathering to reflect on the death of a loved one is sobering business. It rightly draws our attention to critical truths. Mortality is not an imaginary threat. Death reveals the ultimate vulnerability of the human condition. The Bible says when sin matures it leads to death. To ignore the consequences of sin is the greatest foolishness. Our false sense of security will soon come to grief if the final implication of lacking the righteousness God requires- a problem shared by all people- is not resolved before we take our last breath.
Then we are like children building castles in the sand while ignorant of the rising tide. Children may pick up their gear and in turn be lifted by their parents to safety. The fun is over. The game is finished. No harm is done. But death allows no such childish indulgences. It is not make-believe. The quicksand of sin prevents our movement. We face the punishing surf unable to retreat. Rescue from mortality requires divine intervention. We cannot save ourselves. Christ rescues the believer from the horrifying prospect of eternal separation from God. This rescue is the only true foundation for joy.
And joy is the truth that prevails in our gathering today. June was God’s baptized child. To remember that June is baptized is to remember that God made an irrevocable promise to her. The Bible says, “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”3 June had that faith nourished in this congregation. She attended regularly, hearing the Scriptures proclaimed, receiving the body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion, and rejoicing in the forgiveness He secured for her on the cross.
June’s faith wasn’t a matter of lip service either. She had more than her share of challenges in life and through them learned to take refuge in the mercy of God. June understood hardship. Her early life was not a picture of stability. Moving frequently, she had to adjust to ever-changing circumstances. She endured the deaths of two husbands, and, more sadly, two children. That kind of heartache leaves scars that are carried to the grave. But there wasn’t really time to pause, she had to press on with the necessities of life. Yet, God was faithful to her and she trusted, even in the dark times, that He would not forsake her.
She understood this life is temporary. She didn’t cling to false hopes here because she knew a new creation awaits us there. What accompanies the believer across the threshold of death? What integral, essential part of us makes the transition? Not our accomplishments. Not our failures. Not our embarrassments or fears. Certainly not any material possessions we've accumulated. The only thing that does is the only thing that matters: Our identity in Christ. Baptism opens the door to heaven through which the believer passes at death and awaits the bodily resurrection. It all happens through His grace.
In the end every attempt to commend ourselves, to justify ourselves, to put forward even a lifetime of evidence; including our self-deprecations or false humilities is an offence to the irreproachable holiness of the Almighty God. In the end it's all about Christ, or all of our efforts are an exercise in futility. It's not Christ in addition to us. It's Christ alone. We are saved by grace, through faith, by Jesus' sacrifice for our sins. There is no other Saviour. There is no other way. In Him death is defeated, Satan is silenced, the gates of hell are barred shut.
Why did June, a faithful and considerate person suffer so much hardship, endure so much grief, undergo so much mistreatment? We limit our speculation and we look to the cross. In the death of Christ all injustices are righted, all brokenness is mended, and all alienation is reconciled. Jesus died and rose again that all who believe in Him might have life. We cling to the promise that says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."4
June’s journey of faith has ended. The most important evidence of faith is not the exceptional act of service, but the daily commitment to live in one’s vocation in a faithful and godly manner. To be a faithful wife and mother. To strive at loving God and neighbour, knowing that we fail, but believing that Christ succeeded. June persevered through many dark times and now she enjoys eternal light. The race of faith has ended for her.
Of course, we who remain still grieve. The primary venue for the grieving Christian is not the cemetery, but the church. The cemetery contains the material remains of the deceased. It is a place of remembrance; a place of focus. And I imagine, Wendy, that you’ll be making a few trips to Loxton for that reason. But the church is the assembly of the faithful, the cloud of witnesses. The church is a living reality transcending time and space. Here is where sorrow transitions to acceptance, then to hope, then to gratitude. In God’s house is where we have the continuity of God’s love across the generations.
June Vasey took refuge in the only One who could deliver, protect, and redeemer her. She is in His presence, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and all the hosts of heaven. In this we rejoice. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian burial of June Vasey
17 February, 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 91:2
2 John 14:2-3
3 1 Peter 1:5
4 Revelation 21:4
Text: Psalm 91:2
Theme: Refuge and Fortress
Dear friends, loved ones, and family of June, and especially you, Michael and Wendy, her children,
June Vasey was a child of God. She put her trust in His promises. The words of Psalm 91 rang true for her, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.”1 Her faith was not misplaced. She has not been forsaken. The One who has traversed death and opened heaven, even Jesus Christ, our Lord, said, “In My Father’ house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you…I will come back and take you to be with Me,”2 This He has done for June Vasey. She is in His presence. Freed from all sin, released from all struggle, the profundity of her peace is beyond our knowing. She is at rest. Thanks be to God for His immeasurable love!
Dear friends, gathering to reflect on the death of a loved one is sobering business. It rightly draws our attention to critical truths. Mortality is not an imaginary threat. Death reveals the ultimate vulnerability of the human condition. The Bible says when sin matures it leads to death. To ignore the consequences of sin is the greatest foolishness. Our false sense of security will soon come to grief if the final implication of lacking the righteousness God requires- a problem shared by all people- is not resolved before we take our last breath.
Then we are like children building castles in the sand while ignorant of the rising tide. Children may pick up their gear and in turn be lifted by their parents to safety. The fun is over. The game is finished. No harm is done. But death allows no such childish indulgences. It is not make-believe. The quicksand of sin prevents our movement. We face the punishing surf unable to retreat. Rescue from mortality requires divine intervention. We cannot save ourselves. Christ rescues the believer from the horrifying prospect of eternal separation from God. This rescue is the only true foundation for joy.
And joy is the truth that prevails in our gathering today. June was God’s baptized child. To remember that June is baptized is to remember that God made an irrevocable promise to her. The Bible says, “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”3 June had that faith nourished in this congregation. She attended regularly, hearing the Scriptures proclaimed, receiving the body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion, and rejoicing in the forgiveness He secured for her on the cross.
June’s faith wasn’t a matter of lip service either. She had more than her share of challenges in life and through them learned to take refuge in the mercy of God. June understood hardship. Her early life was not a picture of stability. Moving frequently, she had to adjust to ever-changing circumstances. She endured the deaths of two husbands, and, more sadly, two children. That kind of heartache leaves scars that are carried to the grave. But there wasn’t really time to pause, she had to press on with the necessities of life. Yet, God was faithful to her and she trusted, even in the dark times, that He would not forsake her.
She understood this life is temporary. She didn’t cling to false hopes here because she knew a new creation awaits us there. What accompanies the believer across the threshold of death? What integral, essential part of us makes the transition? Not our accomplishments. Not our failures. Not our embarrassments or fears. Certainly not any material possessions we've accumulated. The only thing that does is the only thing that matters: Our identity in Christ. Baptism opens the door to heaven through which the believer passes at death and awaits the bodily resurrection. It all happens through His grace.
In the end every attempt to commend ourselves, to justify ourselves, to put forward even a lifetime of evidence; including our self-deprecations or false humilities is an offence to the irreproachable holiness of the Almighty God. In the end it's all about Christ, or all of our efforts are an exercise in futility. It's not Christ in addition to us. It's Christ alone. We are saved by grace, through faith, by Jesus' sacrifice for our sins. There is no other Saviour. There is no other way. In Him death is defeated, Satan is silenced, the gates of hell are barred shut.
Why did June, a faithful and considerate person suffer so much hardship, endure so much grief, undergo so much mistreatment? We limit our speculation and we look to the cross. In the death of Christ all injustices are righted, all brokenness is mended, and all alienation is reconciled. Jesus died and rose again that all who believe in Him might have life. We cling to the promise that says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."4
June’s journey of faith has ended. The most important evidence of faith is not the exceptional act of service, but the daily commitment to live in one’s vocation in a faithful and godly manner. To be a faithful wife and mother. To strive at loving God and neighbour, knowing that we fail, but believing that Christ succeeded. June persevered through many dark times and now she enjoys eternal light. The race of faith has ended for her.
Of course, we who remain still grieve. The primary venue for the grieving Christian is not the cemetery, but the church. The cemetery contains the material remains of the deceased. It is a place of remembrance; a place of focus. And I imagine, Wendy, that you’ll be making a few trips to Loxton for that reason. But the church is the assembly of the faithful, the cloud of witnesses. The church is a living reality transcending time and space. Here is where sorrow transitions to acceptance, then to hope, then to gratitude. In God’s house is where we have the continuity of God’s love across the generations.
June Vasey took refuge in the only One who could deliver, protect, and redeemer her. She is in His presence, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and all the hosts of heaven. In this we rejoice. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian burial of June Vasey
17 February, 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 91:2
2 John 14:2-3
3 1 Peter 1:5
4 Revelation 21:4
Sixth Sunday After Epiphany (A) 2020
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 5:21-37
Theme: Mistake-Prone Love, Perfected Love
Dear followers of the Saviour,
We are permitted to love others with mistake-prone love, because we are loved with perfected love. People are full of complexities and contradictions. Maintaining meaningful relationships involves recognizing and managing them. Sometimes our internal ‘contradictions’ are blatantly sinful, other times only subtly so. The same is true at the level of community. Our society, for example, prides itself on equality. Scarcely can there be even a questioning of what that means without being shouted down. And yet, we’re very near to making it permissible to end the life of the unborn right up to the moment of birth. The contradiction screams of hypocrisy. Thankfully, Jesus brings clarity to our complexities, reconciliation to our contradictions, and forgiveness to our hypocrisies.
Today Jesus continues His interpretation of God’s law, so that we might better understand His grace. “You have heard that it was said… ‘Do not murder,’…but I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”1 And again, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”2 Here Christ robs us of the possibility sinless obedience. Visible action (or lack thereof) is not sufficient evidence for compliance with His commands. Wayward thoughts and yearnings are also transgressions of His will. Anger is part and parcel with murder, sexual desire of one piece with adultery.
Actions offer measurability. We can observe people’s deeds. We can also note their inaction. Murder is an overtly tangible offence. But we don’t know how many are slain in the angry thoughts of others. God, however, sees infallibly and identifies both as murder. God does not suffer the concealment of sins. All of our attempts at pretense are vain. So here Jesus demands the spirit of the law without sacrificing the letter of the law. The law remains valid even though its requirements aren’t met. The Scripture says, “If a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.”3 All attempts at minimizing the parameters of the law are misguided. So, that which is demanded must be given. In the existence and activity of faith perfect obedience is rendered and the law is fulfilled- vicariously in Jesus.
God’s law tells us what to do, but it doesn’t empower us to do it. The gospel, however, tells us what God has done, and in so doing, transforms the attitude of our hearts. The law demands obedience but cannot enable one to achieve what it demands. The gospel motivates by declaring the demands have already been met. The struggle of obedience is then no longer a burden. Yes, it may be taxing, and testing, but it is not driven by fear. And it is not driven by false hope. Believer’s are freed to fail- not intentionally, of course, but through weakness and ignorance- because Christ has already succeeded. We can love others with mistake-prone love, because we are loved with perfected love.
When querying what God’s will is have you ever had someone say to you, “Just follow your heart.”? “Just listen to that inner voice and go with it?” “Do what feels right to you.” “Please yourself.” “Follow your heart” is the worst advice you could ever heed unless it is qualified by one important reality; that on the topic in question your heart is already completely aligned to God’s will. Never assume that’s the case! To be clear, we’re not talking here about people pursuing dreams and ambitions that are allowed within the parameters of gospel-freedom. God doesn’t restrict pursuing our passions insofar as they’re not expressions of idolatry or clearly harmful to ourselves or others. If it’s always been your dream to get your pilot’s license, learn a foreign language, travel abroad, or retire next to the sea, then you have God’s blessing to do so.
But if you’re looking for validation, confirmation, or authorization, for some belief, or some pursuit that directly relates to the content or the living of your faith, introspection is not the answer. It never is. It’s like asking the fox to guard the hen house. “If it feels good, do it” is one of the mantras of our age. But it is hardly a mark of Christian maturity. Nowhere in the Bible will you find the advice to follow your heart. Everywhere in every way we are told to follow Christ. Today St. Paul again chastises the Corinthians for their misguided following of Apollos, Peter or Paul instead of Jesus. Earlier he had used rhetorical vigor in asking, “Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?”4 No, dear friends, Christ alone is your crucified and risen Saviour.
Taking God at His word is the first step in following. People don’t follow those they don’t trust except out of fear or self-interest. But the Holy Spirit frees our movement. We follow because our faith it not static, it is never immobile. Faith steps out in the direction the Spirit leads. Our compass doesn’t go off-line when GPS satellites are down or when the winds of culture swirl around with confused and conflicted philosophies. Our True North is not aligned to the magnetism of the planet, but to the decree of the Creator. We follow the Good Shepherd because we hear His voice. We follow wherever He leads, not out of naivety, but out of conviction. Our True North is calibrated to the cross. Not without reason does the apostle say, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”5
Everyone follows someone or something even if they don’t acknowledge it. Christ has His opponents. They move in the opposite direction to where Jesus leads. They always seek to hinder the progress of His kingdom. The Lord also has His curiosity-seekers. They sit on the fence and observe from a distance. Like Pilate, they try to remain neutral. And He has admirers. Like Peter, before his denial, admirers creep into the outer courtyard being careful to not be identified too closely with the Lord. None of these are disciples. None have entered into the holy of holies.
Jesus Himself was a follower of the divine will. His incarnation, His passion, His resurrection and ascension are all in congruence with the Father’s plan of redemption. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a vindication of His perfect obedience, not just a display of His omnipotence. That is, the bodily resurrection of Jesus is proof that the Father in heaven accepted His sacrifice as being sufficient to atone for the sins of humanity.
The substitutionary work of Jesus is the foundation upon which salvation is built. Without the Father’s acceptance the promise that we are justified by grace through faith would be hollow. The crucified Jesus absorbs the guilt of all of our adulteries, our angry-thoughts-counted-as-murder, our deceits, our rebellions, our disobediences, our observable and hidden pride, our apathies, hard-heartednesses, and our concealed and paraded idolatries. All of it, everything, expunged through the power of the cross. It’s a power we have clearly defined access to.
Is this baptismal font just sitting here in hope that one day a baptism will take place here again? No, it is a visible reminder that we gather for worship as the baptised people of God in the name of the Holy Trinity. It is a reminder that the Holy Spirit continues to work repentance and faith in us through the promise first given in baptism. In baptism we emerge from the other side of the crucifixion every time our sins are forgiven. On the ‘Easter side’ of repentance we already participate in a spiritual resurrection. His word of pardon, of grace, of mercy, of peace bestows exactly what it promises. God created the world through the spoken word. Satan corrupted the world through the falsified word. God redeemed the world through the incarnate Word. And God continues to sustain us through the life-giving word until such time, in heaven, when faith gives way to sight and anticipation gives way to fulfillment.
In ten days, the season of Lent will begin with Ash Wednesday. The journey will be meaningful only insofar as you believe you are freed to stumble along the way. We are freed to love others with mistake-prone love, because that spectacle on Golgotha- twisted, mocked, and repugnant in human perspective- is the divine definition of perfected love. Come, now, to this altar and taste that perfected love. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
16 February 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 5:221-22 2 Matthew 5:27-28
3 Galatians 3:21 4 1 Corinthians 1:13
5 Galatians 6:14
Text: Matthew 5:21-37
Theme: Mistake-Prone Love, Perfected Love
Dear followers of the Saviour,
We are permitted to love others with mistake-prone love, because we are loved with perfected love. People are full of complexities and contradictions. Maintaining meaningful relationships involves recognizing and managing them. Sometimes our internal ‘contradictions’ are blatantly sinful, other times only subtly so. The same is true at the level of community. Our society, for example, prides itself on equality. Scarcely can there be even a questioning of what that means without being shouted down. And yet, we’re very near to making it permissible to end the life of the unborn right up to the moment of birth. The contradiction screams of hypocrisy. Thankfully, Jesus brings clarity to our complexities, reconciliation to our contradictions, and forgiveness to our hypocrisies.
Today Jesus continues His interpretation of God’s law, so that we might better understand His grace. “You have heard that it was said… ‘Do not murder,’…but I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”1 And again, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”2 Here Christ robs us of the possibility sinless obedience. Visible action (or lack thereof) is not sufficient evidence for compliance with His commands. Wayward thoughts and yearnings are also transgressions of His will. Anger is part and parcel with murder, sexual desire of one piece with adultery.
Actions offer measurability. We can observe people’s deeds. We can also note their inaction. Murder is an overtly tangible offence. But we don’t know how many are slain in the angry thoughts of others. God, however, sees infallibly and identifies both as murder. God does not suffer the concealment of sins. All of our attempts at pretense are vain. So here Jesus demands the spirit of the law without sacrificing the letter of the law. The law remains valid even though its requirements aren’t met. The Scripture says, “If a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.”3 All attempts at minimizing the parameters of the law are misguided. So, that which is demanded must be given. In the existence and activity of faith perfect obedience is rendered and the law is fulfilled- vicariously in Jesus.
God’s law tells us what to do, but it doesn’t empower us to do it. The gospel, however, tells us what God has done, and in so doing, transforms the attitude of our hearts. The law demands obedience but cannot enable one to achieve what it demands. The gospel motivates by declaring the demands have already been met. The struggle of obedience is then no longer a burden. Yes, it may be taxing, and testing, but it is not driven by fear. And it is not driven by false hope. Believer’s are freed to fail- not intentionally, of course, but through weakness and ignorance- because Christ has already succeeded. We can love others with mistake-prone love, because we are loved with perfected love.
When querying what God’s will is have you ever had someone say to you, “Just follow your heart.”? “Just listen to that inner voice and go with it?” “Do what feels right to you.” “Please yourself.” “Follow your heart” is the worst advice you could ever heed unless it is qualified by one important reality; that on the topic in question your heart is already completely aligned to God’s will. Never assume that’s the case! To be clear, we’re not talking here about people pursuing dreams and ambitions that are allowed within the parameters of gospel-freedom. God doesn’t restrict pursuing our passions insofar as they’re not expressions of idolatry or clearly harmful to ourselves or others. If it’s always been your dream to get your pilot’s license, learn a foreign language, travel abroad, or retire next to the sea, then you have God’s blessing to do so.
But if you’re looking for validation, confirmation, or authorization, for some belief, or some pursuit that directly relates to the content or the living of your faith, introspection is not the answer. It never is. It’s like asking the fox to guard the hen house. “If it feels good, do it” is one of the mantras of our age. But it is hardly a mark of Christian maturity. Nowhere in the Bible will you find the advice to follow your heart. Everywhere in every way we are told to follow Christ. Today St. Paul again chastises the Corinthians for their misguided following of Apollos, Peter or Paul instead of Jesus. Earlier he had used rhetorical vigor in asking, “Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?”4 No, dear friends, Christ alone is your crucified and risen Saviour.
Taking God at His word is the first step in following. People don’t follow those they don’t trust except out of fear or self-interest. But the Holy Spirit frees our movement. We follow because our faith it not static, it is never immobile. Faith steps out in the direction the Spirit leads. Our compass doesn’t go off-line when GPS satellites are down or when the winds of culture swirl around with confused and conflicted philosophies. Our True North is not aligned to the magnetism of the planet, but to the decree of the Creator. We follow the Good Shepherd because we hear His voice. We follow wherever He leads, not out of naivety, but out of conviction. Our True North is calibrated to the cross. Not without reason does the apostle say, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”5
Everyone follows someone or something even if they don’t acknowledge it. Christ has His opponents. They move in the opposite direction to where Jesus leads. They always seek to hinder the progress of His kingdom. The Lord also has His curiosity-seekers. They sit on the fence and observe from a distance. Like Pilate, they try to remain neutral. And He has admirers. Like Peter, before his denial, admirers creep into the outer courtyard being careful to not be identified too closely with the Lord. None of these are disciples. None have entered into the holy of holies.
Jesus Himself was a follower of the divine will. His incarnation, His passion, His resurrection and ascension are all in congruence with the Father’s plan of redemption. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a vindication of His perfect obedience, not just a display of His omnipotence. That is, the bodily resurrection of Jesus is proof that the Father in heaven accepted His sacrifice as being sufficient to atone for the sins of humanity.
The substitutionary work of Jesus is the foundation upon which salvation is built. Without the Father’s acceptance the promise that we are justified by grace through faith would be hollow. The crucified Jesus absorbs the guilt of all of our adulteries, our angry-thoughts-counted-as-murder, our deceits, our rebellions, our disobediences, our observable and hidden pride, our apathies, hard-heartednesses, and our concealed and paraded idolatries. All of it, everything, expunged through the power of the cross. It’s a power we have clearly defined access to.
Is this baptismal font just sitting here in hope that one day a baptism will take place here again? No, it is a visible reminder that we gather for worship as the baptised people of God in the name of the Holy Trinity. It is a reminder that the Holy Spirit continues to work repentance and faith in us through the promise first given in baptism. In baptism we emerge from the other side of the crucifixion every time our sins are forgiven. On the ‘Easter side’ of repentance we already participate in a spiritual resurrection. His word of pardon, of grace, of mercy, of peace bestows exactly what it promises. God created the world through the spoken word. Satan corrupted the world through the falsified word. God redeemed the world through the incarnate Word. And God continues to sustain us through the life-giving word until such time, in heaven, when faith gives way to sight and anticipation gives way to fulfillment.
In ten days, the season of Lent will begin with Ash Wednesday. The journey will be meaningful only insofar as you believe you are freed to stumble along the way. We are freed to love others with mistake-prone love, because that spectacle on Golgotha- twisted, mocked, and repugnant in human perspective- is the divine definition of perfected love. Come, now, to this altar and taste that perfected love. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
16 February 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 5:221-22 2 Matthew 5:27-28
3 Galatians 3:21 4 1 Corinthians 1:13
5 Galatians 6:14
Monday, February 10, 2020
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany (A) 2020
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 5:17-20
Theme: Righteousness Fulfilled
Dear followers of the Saviour,
The entire Bible is about Jesus. Today He says He came to fulfill, not abolish, the Law and the prophets. The Law and the Prophets is essentially shorthand for the entire Old Testament. Jesus didn’t spring on the scene unannounced. Centuries of clear and careful testimony predicted His coming. God has His prohibitions, and He has His promises; declarations of forgiveness and salvation. All of God’s covenants come to clarity and completion in Christ.
Of course, His decrees are immediately contentious to sinners. And it can be no other way. Remember though, the laws of God are not arbitrary. They are summed up in the Ten Commandments. These are boundaries of love for our safety and well-being. We are finite creatures that need fixed parameters. We cannot thrive outside of our limitations. Just as we’re not naturally equipped to breathe underwater or float safely in outer space, so too, we’re not designed to live outside the bounds of God’s holy will.
And yet, we do. The primary reason people don’t follow God’s will is because of sin. But what does that mean? Is sin just some generic force that makes people ignorant of, or adverse to the truth of God? No, sin is the reality of being in violation God’s will. Both cause and affect are part of the equation. On the surface of it, the violation of God’s will is easily expressed. People may think His commands are simply wrong, saying for instance, - “I don’t believe being faithful in marriage is in my best interest”, or, “I shouldn’t have to obey authority”, or, “I don’t think a few ‘white lies’ ever hurt anyone.” The unbelieving person, of course, can only be expected to follow God’s commands insofar as they coincide with civil law. Some of the most important ones do. Yet other civil laws that coincide with God’s law are in dispute, and some have been repudiated or completely ignored.
Still, it’s against the law in most societies to murder or physically injure someone, to steal, and to commit perjury. Therefore, obedience to authority is also enforced by many civil laws. So, the motivation to follow civil law (for unbelievers) is fear of punishment or hope of reward. Behavior, in this situation, is ultimately driven by self-interest. The unbeliever may experience guilt for transgressing God’s will but not be self-aware the Holy Spirit is convicting the conscience.
Apart from faith, apart from the Holy Spirit, no one can obey God’s law from a proper motive, let alone a pure one. The motivation of the heart is not changed by coercion, it is changed by the Spirit. That happens when, and only when, we receive the gospel, as we do in the spoken word (particularly absolution), in holy baptism, and in receiving the Lord’s Supper. Through these means God changes people’s hearts, minds, and wills.
Believer’s, then, are given the desire to follow God’s will. Faith necessarily initiates new motivations. It doesn’t mean self-serving impulses are eradicated, far from it, but it does mean a genuine struggle now exists. We are living in that struggle all the time. It’s a struggle that involves more than human effort or initiative. The agenda of Satan clashes with the presence of the Spirit. Remember, the devil’s schemes are not abstract. They are not impersonal. We don’t have the luxury of sitting back thinking the devil is only interested in some cosmic, but disconnected plan to wrest power away from God.
Satan’s focused sphere of activity is the life of each individual believer. His war with the kingdom of light is lost, but he still seeks to win the conflict with individual warriors. His efforts are focused on creating deserters. He dangles the carrot of instant gratification while trying to shield our eyes from God’s eternal reward. And Satan will coddle you. Don’t think he won’t. He’ll happily emerge you in a world of self-absorption.
The primary reason Christians fail to follow God’s will is that they are overcome in the struggle. Temptation is too powerful. In times of pressure we might give in. Remember, faith doesn’t mean the motives of believers are always pure, they certainly are not. There’s no end to the way we try to rationalize our actions and justify ourselves. When we’re giving into temptation, often our first inclination is to minimize or excuse it. We’re typically more saintly in our own eyes than we are in reality. And we like to extend the idea of minimalization to the law itself. We try to lower the bar. But as Jesus said, that’s not the solution to our failure.
Jesus truly was (and is) saintly. He didn’t lower the standard, He met it. Only He could do it. Apart from Christ the law is only an intolerable burden. Jesus said, “I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”1 What is this righteousness? It sounds pretty important!
Jesus didn’t mean that the scribes and Pharisees didn’t make genuine and even heroic efforts to be pious and godly. He meant that they were pursing righteousness apart from Him and that could only end in failure. They thought they were pursuing holiness according to the Law and the Prophets, but remember, Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. He had freed them, just as He has freed us from the burden of currying the favour of God. But they couldn’t see it.
Jesus Christ did not come to bind consciences, but to liberate them. He didn’t come to burden us with regulations, but to free us for service. He didn’t come to control or micromanage us; He came to equip us. Most importantly, He didn’t come to string us along with threats of punishments for failing to reach perfection while still prodding us toward that possibility. He is the favour of God for us. He is the perfect image of the Father. He is the sacrifice. Our true righteousness is Jesus. He declares believers to be innocent by grace, through faith. The Scripture says, “In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'”2 This is true not in name, but in reality. The death and resurrection of Jesus reconciles believers to the Father in heaven.
(It might seem like a stretch to tie in this righteousness with our celebration of Harvest Thanksgiving. But the Scriptures themselves use such language to describe God’s blessings.
“You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the Lord, have created it.”3 And again, “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you.”4)
Dear friends, regardless of what challenges are before you at this moment; whether you’re fearful about your health, at wits end regarding a certain relationship, struggling just to get through an average day, or even on the very brink of collapse, pause and let this truth sink into your ears: God declares you righteous in Christ. His verdict cannot be nullified. Its legitimacy cannot be overturned. Jesus hung on the tree until He breathed His last so that the divine decree would not be a matter of words, but of power.
His resurrection from death was the proof of His triumph. And we celebrate that victory every Sunday, yes, even every day. You weren’t baptised as a symbolic gesture to add a sense of religious decorum to your history. Baptism is not an act of hollow piety. You were baptised into the life of Him whose power created and subdued the cosmos. You’re baptized into the name of Him who has the authority to forgive your sins and lead you through the gates of heaven. Jesus doesn’t leave anything unfinished. Your worries, cares, anxieties and concerns may all be very real, but they are temporary. The Scripture says we can be “confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”5 Jesus doesn’t abolish any biblical decrees. He abolishes the power of sin. He’s done that for you. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
9 February 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 5:20 2 Jeremiah 23:6
3 Isaiah 45:8 4 Hosea 10:12
5 Philippians 1:6
Text: Matthew 5:17-20
Theme: Righteousness Fulfilled
Dear followers of the Saviour,
The entire Bible is about Jesus. Today He says He came to fulfill, not abolish, the Law and the prophets. The Law and the Prophets is essentially shorthand for the entire Old Testament. Jesus didn’t spring on the scene unannounced. Centuries of clear and careful testimony predicted His coming. God has His prohibitions, and He has His promises; declarations of forgiveness and salvation. All of God’s covenants come to clarity and completion in Christ.
Of course, His decrees are immediately contentious to sinners. And it can be no other way. Remember though, the laws of God are not arbitrary. They are summed up in the Ten Commandments. These are boundaries of love for our safety and well-being. We are finite creatures that need fixed parameters. We cannot thrive outside of our limitations. Just as we’re not naturally equipped to breathe underwater or float safely in outer space, so too, we’re not designed to live outside the bounds of God’s holy will.
And yet, we do. The primary reason people don’t follow God’s will is because of sin. But what does that mean? Is sin just some generic force that makes people ignorant of, or adverse to the truth of God? No, sin is the reality of being in violation God’s will. Both cause and affect are part of the equation. On the surface of it, the violation of God’s will is easily expressed. People may think His commands are simply wrong, saying for instance, - “I don’t believe being faithful in marriage is in my best interest”, or, “I shouldn’t have to obey authority”, or, “I don’t think a few ‘white lies’ ever hurt anyone.” The unbelieving person, of course, can only be expected to follow God’s commands insofar as they coincide with civil law. Some of the most important ones do. Yet other civil laws that coincide with God’s law are in dispute, and some have been repudiated or completely ignored.
Still, it’s against the law in most societies to murder or physically injure someone, to steal, and to commit perjury. Therefore, obedience to authority is also enforced by many civil laws. So, the motivation to follow civil law (for unbelievers) is fear of punishment or hope of reward. Behavior, in this situation, is ultimately driven by self-interest. The unbeliever may experience guilt for transgressing God’s will but not be self-aware the Holy Spirit is convicting the conscience.
Apart from faith, apart from the Holy Spirit, no one can obey God’s law from a proper motive, let alone a pure one. The motivation of the heart is not changed by coercion, it is changed by the Spirit. That happens when, and only when, we receive the gospel, as we do in the spoken word (particularly absolution), in holy baptism, and in receiving the Lord’s Supper. Through these means God changes people’s hearts, minds, and wills.
Believer’s, then, are given the desire to follow God’s will. Faith necessarily initiates new motivations. It doesn’t mean self-serving impulses are eradicated, far from it, but it does mean a genuine struggle now exists. We are living in that struggle all the time. It’s a struggle that involves more than human effort or initiative. The agenda of Satan clashes with the presence of the Spirit. Remember, the devil’s schemes are not abstract. They are not impersonal. We don’t have the luxury of sitting back thinking the devil is only interested in some cosmic, but disconnected plan to wrest power away from God.
Satan’s focused sphere of activity is the life of each individual believer. His war with the kingdom of light is lost, but he still seeks to win the conflict with individual warriors. His efforts are focused on creating deserters. He dangles the carrot of instant gratification while trying to shield our eyes from God’s eternal reward. And Satan will coddle you. Don’t think he won’t. He’ll happily emerge you in a world of self-absorption.
The primary reason Christians fail to follow God’s will is that they are overcome in the struggle. Temptation is too powerful. In times of pressure we might give in. Remember, faith doesn’t mean the motives of believers are always pure, they certainly are not. There’s no end to the way we try to rationalize our actions and justify ourselves. When we’re giving into temptation, often our first inclination is to minimize or excuse it. We’re typically more saintly in our own eyes than we are in reality. And we like to extend the idea of minimalization to the law itself. We try to lower the bar. But as Jesus said, that’s not the solution to our failure.
Jesus truly was (and is) saintly. He didn’t lower the standard, He met it. Only He could do it. Apart from Christ the law is only an intolerable burden. Jesus said, “I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”1 What is this righteousness? It sounds pretty important!
Jesus didn’t mean that the scribes and Pharisees didn’t make genuine and even heroic efforts to be pious and godly. He meant that they were pursing righteousness apart from Him and that could only end in failure. They thought they were pursuing holiness according to the Law and the Prophets, but remember, Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. He had freed them, just as He has freed us from the burden of currying the favour of God. But they couldn’t see it.
Jesus Christ did not come to bind consciences, but to liberate them. He didn’t come to burden us with regulations, but to free us for service. He didn’t come to control or micromanage us; He came to equip us. Most importantly, He didn’t come to string us along with threats of punishments for failing to reach perfection while still prodding us toward that possibility. He is the favour of God for us. He is the perfect image of the Father. He is the sacrifice. Our true righteousness is Jesus. He declares believers to be innocent by grace, through faith. The Scripture says, “In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'”2 This is true not in name, but in reality. The death and resurrection of Jesus reconciles believers to the Father in heaven.
(It might seem like a stretch to tie in this righteousness with our celebration of Harvest Thanksgiving. But the Scriptures themselves use such language to describe God’s blessings.
“You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the Lord, have created it.”3 And again, “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you.”4)
Dear friends, regardless of what challenges are before you at this moment; whether you’re fearful about your health, at wits end regarding a certain relationship, struggling just to get through an average day, or even on the very brink of collapse, pause and let this truth sink into your ears: God declares you righteous in Christ. His verdict cannot be nullified. Its legitimacy cannot be overturned. Jesus hung on the tree until He breathed His last so that the divine decree would not be a matter of words, but of power.
His resurrection from death was the proof of His triumph. And we celebrate that victory every Sunday, yes, even every day. You weren’t baptised as a symbolic gesture to add a sense of religious decorum to your history. Baptism is not an act of hollow piety. You were baptised into the life of Him whose power created and subdued the cosmos. You’re baptized into the name of Him who has the authority to forgive your sins and lead you through the gates of heaven. Jesus doesn’t leave anything unfinished. Your worries, cares, anxieties and concerns may all be very real, but they are temporary. The Scripture says we can be “confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”5 Jesus doesn’t abolish any biblical decrees. He abolishes the power of sin. He’s done that for you. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
9 February 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 5:20 2 Jeremiah 23:6
3 Isaiah 45:8 4 Hosea 10:12
5 Philippians 1:6
Ruby Gutsche Funeral (31 January 2020)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 11:25
Theme: Resurrection and Life
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Ruby, and especially you; Greg, her son,
Ruby (Lorna) Gutsche has been released from all the constrictions and complications of sin. Her soul now rests in the care of the immortal God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. She is at peace. Ruby needs nothing from us now; not even our prayers. She has been relieved of every worry, anxiety, and care. She experiences no pain and faces no fear or distress. She now knows what it is to go beyond death. Thanks be to the Saviour who has secured the victory over sin and brought life and immortality to our fallen existence. Ruby has been freed from our fallenness.
But for us who remain, death is still a towering black shadow. God’s promises are for the living, having become fulfilled for the deceased. No one can outrun the specter of mortality. It overtakes us all. It brings us face to face with the big questions of existence. What considerations could be more serious than death and eternal destinies? Death is the universal nightmare of humanity. To believe otherwise is foolish. Therefore, reflection on mortality is not a time for conjecture, but for conviction. It’s not a time for ‘trying our luck’ or ‘throwing caution to the wind’. That’s why attention to the only One with complete credibility on the issue is essential. Who else can say, “I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever!”1 and that it was accomplished under one’s own power? Jesus alone!
You see, dear friends, the difficult part of Christianity is not the doing, but the believing. Christ has done the work. He has paid the price. He has served the sentence. He has borne the guilt. He has appeased the divine wrath. The difficult part for us is the believing. So completely incapable are we at taking God at His word, the Holy Spirit must do all the heavy lifting. He must first breathe life into our dead souls. He must grant us the faith we cannot muster for ourselves. Then the eyes of faith begin to see God for who He is. That was the case for Ruby from the moment of her baptism. The essentials of everyone’s faith journey are similar.
The ‘doing’, the following of God’s will, the striving to be obedient -even until death (a promise Ruby would have made at her confirmation)- then flows seamlessly from the believing. There are analogies. The infatuated groom doesn’t have to be told to desire his wife. The panicked child doesn’t have to be told to run to her mother’s arms. So, it is with the believer who desires to do God’s will. And this is true even though the selfish nature tries to reassert itself. One thing is for sure, God cannot be deceived. Do you think the Almighty God will be fooled by one single person who puts on the pretense of following God when there really is no faith in the heart? I wouldn’t count on those odds. The Scripture says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”2 We can only repent of trying to fool God and others into thinking we’re not really poor, helpless sinners.
But we are, right to our last breath, Ruby not excluded. Ruby grew up on the farm and life on the farm in the first half of last century wasn’t for the faint of heart. Those years formed Ruby into the kind of person she would later need to be. The perseverance she developed carried her through many challenging circumstances. Herb’s death, nearly 30 years ago already, meant that Ruby faced a long widowhood. By God’s grace she carried on. Ruby lived during a time of tremendous change. She witnessed the transition from horses, to cars, to computers. She adjusted and made her way in the world. The world changed. The times changed. But her Saviour did not change. His love was an immutable constant in her life.
Ruby believed in a God who made good on His promises. Actions speak louder than words! Christ wasn’t a man of hollow words. He didn’t make speeches for the purpose of impressing audiences. He wasn’t running for public office or satisfying constituents. He spoke His intentions truthfully and He fulfilled those intentions to the point of death. He rose again from the grave and lives eternally. Not one promise is left unmet. Not one pledge is proven to be false. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.”3
Similarly, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”4 Ruby has fully made that transition. She awaits, with every believer from every time and place, the resurrection of the body on that great and glorious day, and its reunion with the soul. But her waiting is not characterized by boredom or drudgery. She dwells in the awesome majesty of God, experiences perfect peace, and is filled with inexpressible joy. Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”5
This fantastic truth tempers grief. The Scriptures say believers do not grieve like those who have no hope. Christians still mourn the loss of loved ones to be sure. Grief can be incapacitating. A vacancy takes place in family and community life. Adjustments must be made. Routines are altered. Emotions are strained. Memories are recalled to the frontal cortex again, and again, and again. And through that process we come to terms with the loss; but also, and more so over time, we offer up gratitude for the life that was. Greg, your mother will never be replaced.
But…..!!!! The grief of Christians does not end in despair. Greg, your mum has moved up to an even higher calling. The truth that is most audacious, most nonsensical, most ridiculous to the world is the only truth that matters in the end: Again, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.”6 No one else could bear the sins of the world. No one else could silence Satan. No one else could conquer death. Ruby understood that.
In the last phase of her life Ruby’s frailty restricted her participation in many of the things she loved. Ageing brought with it many health challenges. She soldiered on, but with limited capacity. Still, God granted her a long and active life. No one reaches the end of this journey without regrets, reservations, doubts or sadnesses. Ruby would have been no different. We don’t make light of them. We just entrust the weight of our mortality- with its darknesses, doubts, and disappointments- to Him who beams with resurrection light; remembering this, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”7 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Lorna (Ruby) Gutsche
31 January 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Revelation 1:18
2 Hebrews 4:13
3 John 11:25
4 John 5:24
5 Luke 23:43
6 John 11:25
7 Revelation 21:4
Text: John 11:25
Theme: Resurrection and Life
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Ruby, and especially you; Greg, her son,
Ruby (Lorna) Gutsche has been released from all the constrictions and complications of sin. Her soul now rests in the care of the immortal God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. She is at peace. Ruby needs nothing from us now; not even our prayers. She has been relieved of every worry, anxiety, and care. She experiences no pain and faces no fear or distress. She now knows what it is to go beyond death. Thanks be to the Saviour who has secured the victory over sin and brought life and immortality to our fallen existence. Ruby has been freed from our fallenness.
But for us who remain, death is still a towering black shadow. God’s promises are for the living, having become fulfilled for the deceased. No one can outrun the specter of mortality. It overtakes us all. It brings us face to face with the big questions of existence. What considerations could be more serious than death and eternal destinies? Death is the universal nightmare of humanity. To believe otherwise is foolish. Therefore, reflection on mortality is not a time for conjecture, but for conviction. It’s not a time for ‘trying our luck’ or ‘throwing caution to the wind’. That’s why attention to the only One with complete credibility on the issue is essential. Who else can say, “I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever!”1 and that it was accomplished under one’s own power? Jesus alone!
You see, dear friends, the difficult part of Christianity is not the doing, but the believing. Christ has done the work. He has paid the price. He has served the sentence. He has borne the guilt. He has appeased the divine wrath. The difficult part for us is the believing. So completely incapable are we at taking God at His word, the Holy Spirit must do all the heavy lifting. He must first breathe life into our dead souls. He must grant us the faith we cannot muster for ourselves. Then the eyes of faith begin to see God for who He is. That was the case for Ruby from the moment of her baptism. The essentials of everyone’s faith journey are similar.
The ‘doing’, the following of God’s will, the striving to be obedient -even until death (a promise Ruby would have made at her confirmation)- then flows seamlessly from the believing. There are analogies. The infatuated groom doesn’t have to be told to desire his wife. The panicked child doesn’t have to be told to run to her mother’s arms. So, it is with the believer who desires to do God’s will. And this is true even though the selfish nature tries to reassert itself. One thing is for sure, God cannot be deceived. Do you think the Almighty God will be fooled by one single person who puts on the pretense of following God when there really is no faith in the heart? I wouldn’t count on those odds. The Scripture says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”2 We can only repent of trying to fool God and others into thinking we’re not really poor, helpless sinners.
But we are, right to our last breath, Ruby not excluded. Ruby grew up on the farm and life on the farm in the first half of last century wasn’t for the faint of heart. Those years formed Ruby into the kind of person she would later need to be. The perseverance she developed carried her through many challenging circumstances. Herb’s death, nearly 30 years ago already, meant that Ruby faced a long widowhood. By God’s grace she carried on. Ruby lived during a time of tremendous change. She witnessed the transition from horses, to cars, to computers. She adjusted and made her way in the world. The world changed. The times changed. But her Saviour did not change. His love was an immutable constant in her life.
Ruby believed in a God who made good on His promises. Actions speak louder than words! Christ wasn’t a man of hollow words. He didn’t make speeches for the purpose of impressing audiences. He wasn’t running for public office or satisfying constituents. He spoke His intentions truthfully and He fulfilled those intentions to the point of death. He rose again from the grave and lives eternally. Not one promise is left unmet. Not one pledge is proven to be false. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.”3
Similarly, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”4 Ruby has fully made that transition. She awaits, with every believer from every time and place, the resurrection of the body on that great and glorious day, and its reunion with the soul. But her waiting is not characterized by boredom or drudgery. She dwells in the awesome majesty of God, experiences perfect peace, and is filled with inexpressible joy. Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”5
This fantastic truth tempers grief. The Scriptures say believers do not grieve like those who have no hope. Christians still mourn the loss of loved ones to be sure. Grief can be incapacitating. A vacancy takes place in family and community life. Adjustments must be made. Routines are altered. Emotions are strained. Memories are recalled to the frontal cortex again, and again, and again. And through that process we come to terms with the loss; but also, and more so over time, we offer up gratitude for the life that was. Greg, your mother will never be replaced.
But…..!!!! The grief of Christians does not end in despair. Greg, your mum has moved up to an even higher calling. The truth that is most audacious, most nonsensical, most ridiculous to the world is the only truth that matters in the end: Again, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.”6 No one else could bear the sins of the world. No one else could silence Satan. No one else could conquer death. Ruby understood that.
In the last phase of her life Ruby’s frailty restricted her participation in many of the things she loved. Ageing brought with it many health challenges. She soldiered on, but with limited capacity. Still, God granted her a long and active life. No one reaches the end of this journey without regrets, reservations, doubts or sadnesses. Ruby would have been no different. We don’t make light of them. We just entrust the weight of our mortality- with its darknesses, doubts, and disappointments- to Him who beams with resurrection light; remembering this, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”7 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Lorna (Ruby) Gutsche
31 January 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Revelation 1:18
2 Hebrews 4:13
3 John 11:25
4 John 5:24
5 Luke 23:43
6 John 11:25
7 Revelation 21:4
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