Saturday, March 3, 2012
Matthew 16:19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
CROSS AND CATECHISM: THE OFFICE OF THE KEYS AND CONFESSION
Some of the scariest moments in my life have happened right in my own home. I remember one time when I was probably 9 or 10 years old that I was home by myself and got locked out of the house at night. I had no way of getting in on my own until my parents or the neighbor came home. Another time one of my older children shut off the light and locked the door on the younger child. I still remember the blood-curdling cries that came from the darkness of that room -- not to mention a finger that was caught in the door.
Doors are meant to be opened and closed at different times and for different reasons. It's a simple truth. An open door is a welcoming door. A closed or locked door has a strong message behind it: you're not getting in! Jesus used that simple truth to explain the authority He was giving to His disciples and followers. We call it, "The Office of the Keys." "The Office of the Keys is the special power Christ gave to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of penitent sinners and to retain the sins of the impenitent as long as they do not repent" (Luther's Small Catechism).
Jesus gives us His keys for a purpose. Paul explains it well in Galatians 6:1, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." Jesus gives His Word to warn the sinner who isn't sorry for the sins they've committed. In fact, the punishment for impenitence is far worse than the blood-curdling cries of one locked in the dark by an older sibling. The punishment for impenitence is eternity in hell, where heaven's gates are locked from entering. Jesus said in Luke 10:16, "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."
I'm looking forward to going to church tomorrow, because I know that the doors will be open for me, a sinner, to go in. I know I will hear there what God's Word proclaims about Calvary's cross and the blood my Savior, Jesus Christ, shed to open the door for me to heaven. I'm looking forward to the Lord using His Word in me to speak His word of comfort to those still crying behind closed doors -- that Word which opens the door to eternal life!
