Good morning and a most blessed Thursday to you. Our confirmation students study the small catechism. One part of the small catechism is the Office of the Keys. Since we are in the season of Lent, I thought it would be a good time to dive into this section with you.  

So what is the Office of the Keys? The office of the keys is the office, or the authority of the church, handed to the church by Christ. He handed over the authority to the church to forgive the sins of those who repent, and declare to those who do not repent that their sins are not forgiven. This is directly out of scripture. In John the twentieth chapter our Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven if you retain the sins of any they are retained.” Also in Matthew chapter 18, where he says, “Truly I say to you whatever you bind on Earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on Earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

At the beginning of every church service, as a whole, we confess our sins. The pastor proclaims to us the forgiveness of our sins. It is not the pastor who is doing the forgiving, but it is Jesus Christ himself who forgives you your sins.  

Sometimes we are still burdened by some sins, even though we have heard those words of absolution from the pastor during that church service. Sometimes we're still burdened by the weight of our sin, and we carry the heaviness of guilt, and shame.   That is why we have the gift of private confessions; where one can come in to visit with the pastor for private confession, and once again hear the words of absolution. 

This is a wonderful gift from Christ to the church; to have the ability to forgive that repentant sinner. I want to stress to you the whole, and the complete, and the absolute forgiveness that those words impart.  During the worship service, when the pastor tells you that you are forgiven of all your sin in the name of Jesus Christ, that Jesus forgives you wholly and completely.  It is exactly that you are forgiven as if you come into your pastor's office and you confess the sin, and your pastor tells you that you are forgiven. It is done!  It is complete!  Your sins are no longer bound to you here on Earth, and your sins are no longer bound in heaven. You are freed wholly and completely. There is no need to carry around the burden of guilt and shame.  Shame.

During Lent we focus so much on our sinfulness, and on the deeds which we have done or left undone.  We need to do that.  But we cannot lose sight that Lent leads us to Easter; which is the glorious good news that Jesus rose from the grave. The tomb is empty. All of the sin that we contemplate and reflect on is all covered, and it is all taken away.  

So I want you to remember that God has given us the authority as the church, as his body, to forgive sins. So when you come to church this Sunday and you confess your sins in the corporate body of the congregation, know that when the pastor proclaims to you that God forgives you of all your sin in their entirety, it is true. It is complete, and it is done. Let us look forward to hearing that word this Sunday.

Let’s pray:  Lord we thank you so much for this time of intense reflection, and thinking about are sin, and about our sinful nature. We come to you with repentant hearts, Lord. We thank you that the promise that you have given to us is that you forgive us as we repent. When we repent we are promised the full forgiveness through your son, Jesus Christ.  When we hear those words spoken to us this Sunday, let us live in the freedom and the fullness that those words provide to us; the freedom of life in you, and you alone. Lord, we lift this to you in the freeing name of Jesus Christ.

Have an amazing rest of your week. I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday, and hearing the good news that we are forgiving. God bless!

Pastor Malinak

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