Lent 5 – Midweek
Lent 5 – Midweek
Matthew 16:13-28 & John 20:19-23
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Last week, we began discussing the Office of the Keys.
The Small Catechism asks, “What is the Office of the Keys?”
The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent.
We primarily focused on how the Office of Keys is an office of authority anchored and possessed by the Church.
This week, we move on to how pastors exercise the Office of the Keys in the Office of Holy Ministry.
The Small Catechism asks, What do you believe according to these words (The words read in our two readings this evening)?
I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.
In this way, the Pastor is not acting for himself, but in the stead and by the command of Jesus Christ. This is why, in the absolution at the beginning of the Divine Service, the pastor says, “As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins…”
The pastor announced the grace and forgiveness of Jesus, as one who has been properly called and by the authority of the Office that Jesus instituted.
None of this is of a pastor’s own accord, but of Jesus’.
But as we discussed last week, we struggle with the idea and concept of authority.
This struggle begins in childhood when a babysitter or teacher gives you instruction, and you respond or mutter under your breath, “You aren’t the boss of me.” But they were, and for some of you, they still are, because the parent delegated the authority of their office to the teacher or babysitter. The parent did this, so there would be someone to protect you from harm and danger, to help you learn, to lead you in the way of growing in knowledge and truth.
As time passes and you get older, you could make a living from the complaints and frustrations you have with a foreman or a manager you perceive as incompetent.
Still, they are the ones who have been placed in positions of authority. And whether we like it or not, their position is one to consider for the well-being of the people who serve and work under them.
Now, like the prophet Jonah, many pastors have actually tried to avoid God’s call to serve His Church. They may be like Jonah, disobedient souls who don’t want to deal with difficult people, like those of Nineveh, so they disobey God’s calling. Or they have fallen in love with the world and its glamor, unable to imagine leaving home with only God’s Word in their hand and heart. Yet, others (including myself) feel a deep sense of incapability, thinking, “How could I assume an office of such responsibility?”
But in times such as these, a pastor must remember, it is Jesus who sends them.
As the Apostle Paul wrote, “And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”
St. Paul is quoting the prophet Isaiah here, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.”
Pastors are called and sent, not of their own accord, but like the prophets and apostles, by God’s direction and Word.
Pastors are undershepherds of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. They receive their authority and instruction from Jesus and His Word alone.
And like all teachers, leaders, or anyone who has held a position of authority in your life, pastors are sent to provide guidance, so you don’t end up in trouble. They are there to help you avoid causing harm to others. They carry the shepherd’s crook of God’s Word to combat the forces of darkness that seek to lead you away from God. And they are sent to pursue you if you stray. But they also stand ready to announce the Gospel, the forgiveness of sins to all who confess their trespasses.
Still, there are sadly times when the sheep do not repent, when they permit themselves to be caught in the thicket of stubbornness and sin, and as the Small Catechism says, the openly unrepentant sinner [is excluded] from the Christian congregation.
These sheep are not permitted through the gate, to the rail of the Lord’s Supper, until they repent.
This is often referred to as excommunication.
This can be a difficult task because emotions, feelings, and relationships are involved. When a sinner refuses to repent and is often no longer among the congregation, there is sadness among the flock, because a sheep has wandered away from their home and is refusing to return to their brothers and sisters in Christ.
These instances hurt a pastor’s feelings and emotions, too. As an undershepherd of Christ, they have no desire to lose a sheep of the fold.
But they are charged as Jesus said this evening to St. Peter,
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Or as we heard in the Gospel of St. John,
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.
The pastoral office, the Office of Holy Ministry, is one of responsibility.
As St. Paul wrote in the book of Acts,
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
The Church and those sheep that fill its walls were bought with the blood of Christ Jesus upon His cross. For this reason, there’s no greater responsibility than to watch over and care for His flock.
And for this reason, when one of us strays into unrepentance, the Church is to pray for them and their conversion, their confession of sin, taking to heart the words of Jesus in the Gospel of St. Luke,
I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:7)
“There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents…”
And this is why God sends pastors among you: so that when someone repents, they may quickly hear the words of the Gospel, be restored to communion and fellowship with the flock, and then reach the place where the joys of heaven are present for them, where the angels, archangels, and the entire company of heaven are rejoicing—here where the flesh and blood of Jesus are present for the forgiveness of sins.
The forgiveness of your sins.
My friends, the Office of the Keys, the Holy Ministry, was established for you and your spiritual well-being. Your Father loved you, so He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you on the cross, and now His Son sends His undershepherds to care for you, to guide and protect you, and to lead you to repentance, so you will hear the Good News of His forgiveness. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
