Ash Wednesday
February 22, 2012
This Lenten season when we gather midweek we will be exploring the
blessing of Confession and Absolution. Confession and Absolution is a big thing
with Lutherans. We know well that we all are in need of confessing our sins. We
know even better that the purpose of that is to receive Absolution, the
forgiveness of our sins. What we Lutherans may be losing, though, is the
treasuring of Confession and Absolution. Somewhere along the line it fell out
of use as a regular part of the lives of Christians. The Confession and
Absolution spoken of as the Fifth Chief part of the Small Catechism is
something in addition to the general confession of sins and the general
statement of Absolution that we do at the beginning of the worship service on
Sunday mornings.
It’s what’s usually referred to as private or individual Confession and
Absolution. Many people think of this as a Roman Catholic ritual. But it never
has been that. It has always been at the heart of Christian life and the life
of the Christian Church. If it’s been a while since you’ve looked at that
section of the Catechism I would encourage you to look at it again. When it
comes to the need for it, some people are unnerved by the thought of going to
their pastor privately to confess their sins. This is understandable. For as
much public awareness as there is of people’s lives on the internet Facebook
and YouTube as well as the tabloids at the grocery counter, we live in a very
private society. We don’t want anyone else to know our deepest darkest faults
and thoughts. There’s also the fear that the pastor being a human will blab
their sins to his fellow pastors, or worse, the other members of the
congregation. Then there is simply the question of why it’s necessary. We get forgiven
in the Absolution on Sunday. We get forgiven in the proclamation of the Gospel
and in the Lord’s Supper. Not only that, we have direct access to God and are
granted forgiveness daily. Why do we also need to do it in a private setting to
the pastor?
These are real and understandable concerns and questions. The answers might
best be seen in the context of why we’re here. We’re here because we’re
starting the Lenten season. We’re here because it’s Ash Wednesday. We’re
certainly here because of our need, our sinfulness, and in order to receive
forgiveness. We’re here because it’s valuable to take time out of the normal
schedule of our lives to hear and receive the Word of God; to hear the
proclamation of the forgiveness of our sins. All of these reasons why we’re
here tonight match up nicely with the value of private Confession and
Absolution.
Even as the Lenten season is a season of repentance and meditating on
the passion of Christ, our lives need to be lives of repentance. Throughout our
lives we need to consider the suffering and death of our Lord and what that
means for our daily lives. Individual Confession and Absolution provides this. Even
as a setting of being here gives you opportunity for spiritual growth, a
setting in which you confess your personal sins to your pastor gives you an opportunity
to hear the words of the Gospel spoken to you in a manner that is personal,
spoken directly to your situation.
In the Gospel reading Jesus is not directly speaking to Confession and
Absolution. But He is talking about righteousness. If we may not see a major
need for private Confession and Absolution we certainly can see the need for
righteousness. Jesus talks in the Gospel reading about righteousness in a very
private way. Do not practice your righteousness in a way in which it is a show.
Do not live as a child of God in such a way that others notice it and your
focus begins to be on yourself just as theirs is on you. Certainly do not seek
to gain favor in the eyes of God by what you do, how you do it, how much you
do, how well you do it, and countless other ways you can think of to consider
yourself righteous. When Jesus speaks of the practicing of righteousness, as He
does here, it’s in the context of the righteousness that He first declares to
you.
And this is the treasure of Confession and Absolution. No one likes to
admit they’re wrong. No one likes to have to say they’re sorry. But what a
treasure this is. It’s a blessing to be able to get it out in the open instead
of it staying hidden in your mind and heart. Especially to be able to be before
God and confess your sin to Him is a treasure He has given us. If in the
recesses of your mind that one sin that keeps plaguing you is still hanging
around and you can’t shake the guilt then Confession and Absolution is medicine
for you. When you sin against someone and you apologize to them face to face
you get to receive forgiveness directly from them. You get to hear from their
mouth the words, “I forgive you.”
This is what is happening in private Confession and Absolution. When
you go to your pastor and confess your sins to him you are confessing them to
God. He’s a person just as you are, but he’s not there simply as another
person. He’s there in the stead of God. The vow he made was to hear confession
and never divulge it. The reason this is a treasure is because when you’re
talking with God all by yourself you can’t hear anything back. It’s true that
He speaks to you in His Word, the Bible. But with private Confession and
Absolution you get to hear the words spoken by God Himself through His called and
ordained servant the specific words of forgiveness to you, for your sin.
Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
What is it that you treasure? What do you hold most dear? God Himself is a
treasure. You ought to treasure Him above all else. You don’t, of course. But
that’s why you continue to go back to repentance, confessing your sins, asking
Him for His mercy. You do this because you know what kind of God you have. You
have the God who looks at you and sees the waters of Baptism flowing over you.
He sees you and sees you clothed in His Son Jesus Christ, in whom you were
clothed in Baptism. When He sees you He can’t wait to tell you these words, I
forgive you of all your sins. Now you can see what a treasure it is that God
gives when He dishes out His mercy, beginning in Baptism, often in the Lord’s
Supper, and with the open invitation to Confession and Absolution. Amen.
SDG
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