Gospel of the Sacrament of the Altar

Since we have been talking about the Sacrament of the Altar lately, I’d like to say more here. I would like to address the Gospel benefits of this blessed Sacrament, for it is truly a blessing that the devil wants you NOT to receive and will do anything to stop you.

In talking of closed communion with other denominations, and sometimes with each other, there is some confusion between being cautious about who we commune because of the harm it may cause, and therefore thinking the benefits are not given to those who are admitted to the table. This too, I think the devil has had his way with us and so I would like to clarify.

First let’s consider that all precautions have been made, and you are a disciple of Christ approaching the table. That is, that you have been Baptized, and properly catechized, before communion. This is in accordance with Matthew 28’s command to make disciples by Baptizing and teaching. This is closed communion; simply making sure the communicant is a disciple of Christ. We often use the “shortcut” of determining the catechesis given by asking the quick question; Are you a member of a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in good standing? If yes, we can be quite reasonably assured that you have been properly taught. Sometimes this is not the case, but thankfully I think it is still rare. If the answer is no to that question, then we need to determine what you have been taught and who you are in communion with (denomination) to determine the issues which may need to be discussed.

But then, with the assurance that you are in fact, a disciple of Christ (and in this case, a LCMS member in good standing), then there is the “worthiness” language. This is not closed communion, but the warnings of 1 Corinthians 11:17-33 to disciples of Christ. This is simply what a Baptized and Catechized disciple of Christ does. In the hymnal on LSB page 329 is Christian Questions and Their Answers. These are a series of self-examination questions, for you, as a disciple of Christ to determine if you are coming to receive the blessed Sacrament of the Altar in a worthy manner In a nutshell, it means; Do you believe that you are a sinner, have no hope to redeem yourself, but trust in Christ as your true Savior alone, and He truly gives Himself to you in His body and blood for your benefit? If so, then come and receive that benefit! Do not let the devil convince you otherwise!

 

Yet still, the devil’s assaults are numerous to convince you to NOT partake. Things like.

Pastor, I know someone that has done me harm, and I just can’t seem to forgive them for what they did. Shouldn’t I abstain? No! Come to the Sacrament and receive His forgiveness (for your lack of forgiveness to your neighbor) and for Him to give you the strength to forgive! You believe that you are a sinner, no?

But pastor, what if I am mad at the you, and I can’t forgive you! Same. Come, receive, be forgiven, and may it give you strength to come and sit down with me to discuss what the problem is.

But pastor, I have hatred in my heart towards someone. Isn’t that dangerous? Yes, having hatred in your heart can be dangerous to your faith, but that is handled with individual confession and absolution. Things like unrepentance, hatred, and a multitude of sins are covered under that seal to give forgiveness for specific issues. Take advantage of it, receive forgiveness from God Himself, then feed your faith with the Sacrament. Besides, how does NOT receiving forgiveness of sins by the body and blood of Christ, help with that hatred? Instead, confess your sin, and receive the full benefit of the blessed Sacrament.

Or the latest one; But pastor, I fear I may catch something and die. Which do you fear most? Eternal death, or temporal death? Or, as Jesus says in Matthew 10:28; And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. We take many precautions in the distribution of the Sacrament, but ultimately it is God’s will and timing when you shall be taken unto Him. And besides, Christ will raise you up again.

These are not the only reasons we have come up with to not take this blessed Gospel given to us, yet any reason we come up with for voluntarily going without the Sacrament for a long period of time, is detrimental to your faith. It is like going into battle naked because you no longer wear the armor of God to protect you against the assaults of the devil and world. Come, eat and drink, replace that battle torn armor with a new set.

            I highly recommend further reading, for this blessed Sacrament is THE greatest gift known to His Church. Please check out our Confessions. Specifically, section V of Luther’s Large Catechism. It is well worth the read.

 

Together in Christ,

Pastor Terry Makelin

Getting/giving/taking/having…Offense

As I noticed that my “weekly” blog has already faltered to an intermittent blog. I pray this has not offended you. I have not fully integrated blogging into my schedule, and for those who were expecting more from me, I ask your grace. Yet, in today’s understanding giving/getting/taking/having offense is the greatest sin I could ever commit! However, what is ‘offense’? And is ‘giving offense’ a sin? Armed with those two questions I began a deep dive into Scripture and want to share a few things with you.

Yet before I get into what Scripture says, I want to try to define what ‘offense’ is in today’s understanding, because the meaning of that word has changed greatly in the last few decades. The dictionary definition (off those wonderful muddy waters of the internet) defines “offense” as: The act of causing anger, resentment, displeasure, or affront. Or The state of being offended. By that definition, anything said can be offensive! With one word or slip of the tongue it can be offensive depending on how the words are received, not how the words were intended. This is scary. People have lost jobs, had their careers ruined, been cancelled, and many other things, not because they wanted to cause offense, but because their words were received as offensive.

So, what does Scripture have to say about it? A quick word search of the word 'offense' in the English Standard Version of the Bible reveals some interesting observations how the interpreters used this word to describe the usage of the word in the Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament). In the OT, it has primarily the meaning of “transgression”. You can cause offense (transgression) against individuals, transgression of nation, against nation, and then true sin, which is transgression against God (in general or against His Word). In the New Testament, the word “offense” has the root word, which is where the word 'scandalous' comes from. It is offensive (scandalous), to cause/ make someone to no longer believe, or they themselves give up believing. It is a transgression against God’s law when you sin against Him (or your neighbor) and it is a scandalous to cause/make/abandon faith. In summary, Scriptures define “offense” in two ways. Doing what is wrong or causing someone to do wrong or stumble (in the faith).

This is not quite the way in which today’s understanding of “offense” is! Is it? The key here is the intent of doing wrong. And of course, in the Bible, who decides what is right or wrong? God! So offense (sin) is not subjective (self-interpreting by how you feel about it), but objective (the offender had the intent of sinning against you). Therefore, in Scripture, 'true offense', IS sin because it is ultimately offensive to God. It is also truly offensive to someone else, if they intentionally sin against them. I emphasize the word intentionally, because sometimes someone can sin against someone unintentionally via the flesh, simply by impulse, misspeaking, or even stupidity. And while yes, this is sinful, the best construction should be applied and generous grace given while waiting to see what is their true intent. Is it to cause harm?

So, back to the beginning; Is giving/getting/taking/having offense a sin? Sometimes, but usually not. Maybe to the world’s definition it always is, but like many things, the world has turned things upside down from what God’s Word says. The question itself is backwards and should be; Is giving/getting/taking/having sin, offensive? Yes. Sin against each other is sin against God. When we are talking about sins against God, well, let's just say that maybe it is understandable to be a little angry, resentful, displeased, or affronted (the world’s definition of offense) about it. So,the next time you feel ‘offended’ with that internet bully, or when someone lets you down, or when someone says something that gets your ire up, ask yourself; What sin against God have they committed against me? Was it intentional? Ask them; What is the offense and what is my sin? This is what Jacob asked of Laban in Genesis 31:36 Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?

And if it is sin against you (and God)? Well…you know Jesus Christ and His forgiveness. When it comes to sin, always look to Jesus Christ, where true Peace is found and given through His Word and Sacraments, and we will get into what God’s Word says about what we can do when offensive sin is intentionally inflicted upon us in another blogspot. Pastor Terry Makelin 08-17-21