Maundy Thursday

 Maundy Thursday – April 17, 2025

Psalm 67; Exodus 12:1-14; 1 Corinthians 11:20-32

St. John 13:1-15, 34-35

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

St. Paul writes of the Sacrament of the Altar, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you.”[1] The Sacrament we celebrate this evening is the same Sacrament St. Paul delivered to the Corinthians. More importantly, it is the same Sacrament Christ gave to His gathered disciples on the night on which He was betrayed. We participate in that same Supper, namely the very Body and Blood of Christ, given for you for the forgiveness of sins.

What you receive is the same Body and Blood of Christ that hung on the cross and rose from the grave three days later. So much is it the same, that it is not my reciting the Words of Christ that makes it the Sacrament. Rather, the speaking of the Verba marks these elements, this bread and wine, as participating in the very Words Christ spoke that first Maundy Thursday. These elements participate in the miracle of Christ Supper and thus are the Body and Blood of Christ, made so by His very words.

This Sacrament was given for us to “do this” often, namely eat and drink His Body and Blood, in remembrance of Him. The words, “in remembrance” mean to call to mind not only what the Sacrament is and what benefits it bestows, and those are chiefly what it refers to, but also the sacrifice made by Christ, through which we are saved. To receive the Sacrament in remembrance of Him is to remember Christ’s perfect life and death and to know that you are receiving the fruits of His righteousness in this very supper. You receive the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. None of these belong to you by right. They are not rewards for your work, knowledge, or personal righteousness. The Supper belongs to Christ and He has graciously called you to His table to receive everything that rightly belongs to Him. It is His forgiveness, life, and salvation that you receive.

And as this Supper rightly belongs to Him, it is the great gathering of the Body of Christ around His Holy Supper. It is a divine family meal, shared by those of the same faith, in a shared confession of Christ’s holy name.

Who, then, should receive the Sacrament? Simply, one who is worthy and well prepared. To be worthy to receive the Sacrament is to have faith in these words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

As for preparation, St. Paul says, “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” To be prepared to receive the Sacrament requires examination. This examination is best done according to the Small Catechism, under the section called, “Christian Questions with Their Answers.” In summary, this examination has four chief parts. First, it requires that you know that you are a sinner. This is necessary since the Sacrament offers the forgiveness of sins. If you have no sin, then you have no need of the Sacrament. If you think you have no sin, you deceive yourself, and again, you have no need of the Sacrament. Knowledge and awareness of your sin also makes you aware of your need for salvation, your need for a Savior.

The second part of this examination is to see if you are sorry for your sins. This is called “contrition.” One can be aware of his sin but not sorry, not sorrowful, over it. Such pride has no place in the Christian, nor does such a prideful man have a share in Christ’s Body. Rather, to know your sin and be sorry for it is to desire to be free from it, to be turned away from it, to be relieved of it.

The third part of this examination concerns faith. If sorrow over sin is the first part of repentance, the second part is faith, trust that Christ has and will forgive your sin. Trusting that Christ can, does, and will forgive your sins is nothing more than trusting that the words of Christ are true. “Given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” Christ has said it, and this I believe.

The final part of examination is the intention, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to resist the devil and walk in newness of life. This is the fruit of repentance. A Christian who receives the forgiveness of sins has received a new heart, and sincerely intends to strive against the temptations of the devil and walk in the light of Christ.

Such preparation requires at lease some intellectual ability. It requires the ability to speak or communicate an awareness of what is happening in the Sacrament. This is especially important for the relationship between the communicant and the Celebrant, the Pastor who is distributing the Lord’s Supper. He, as the steward of the mysteries of God, is responsible for distributing the Holy Communion according to Christ’s institution and command. And since St. Paul warns against receiving the Sacrament unworthily, it is necessary that the Pastor do everything he can to assure that those who receive it from him, receive it to their benefit and not to their judgment.

This means the Pastor must be able to discern that the communicant can and has examined himself. It means the Pastor must have the sense that this person knows he is a sinner, is sorry for his sins, has faith that Christ has forgiven his sins, and intends to bear fruit according to this faith. That requires communication and examination on the part of the Pastor.

What about those whose faith is weak or who are struggling with their faith? Should they commune? By all means! The True Body and Blood of Christ strengthens you in body and soul to life everlasting. If a Christian’s faith is weak, if he has been assaulted by the cares of this world or the temptations of the devil, there is nothing he needs more than the assurance of the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation found in the Holy Supper. He needs to be fed on the medicine of immortality that he might go on in the strength of this holy food.

We each ought to be concerned with receiving the Sacrament worthily. The First Letter to the Corinthians makes it clear that to receive it unworthily and unprepared is to eat and drink to your own judgment. The Lord’s Supper is the medicine of immortality, but use any medicine incorrectly and it will harm you. Failure to consider the right use of the Sacrament runs the danger of receiving it to your temporal and eternal harm.

Who, then, should not receive the Sacrament of the Altar? First, those who are not Christians or are not baptized should not receive the Sacrament. They have no knowledge of sin according to the Word of God and do not trust in Christ for Salvation. If they are converts to Christianity who haven’t yet been baptized, they first need to receive the new birth of water and the Holy Spirit. Then, they may join in the glorious feast of Christ.

Second, those who cannot examine themselves should not receive the Sacrament. This includes infants, who have not yet obtained the intellectual ability to examine themselves. It also includes those with significantly progressed forms of dementia or alzheimer’s, who have lost the intellectual ability to examine themselves. Similarly, those who are unconscious should not commune. Finally, the uninstructed fit into this category. The uninstructed are not lacking in skill but are lacking in knowledge. They must first be shown from God’s Word what sin is, how to find sin within themselves, who Christ is, what He has done, and receive instruction in what it means to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Third, those who are openly unrepentant, living contrary to God’s Word, should not commune. These are those Christians who are aware of their sins but are not contrite over them or do not want to amend their life so as to flee from sin. This, by the way, includes sins against the Third Commandment. The one who was baptized and confirmed in a Lutheran Church but hasn’t come to the Divine Service since the Sunday after confirmation should not commune. He habitually lives contrary to God’s command to be in Church, to gather with the saints, to commune often, that is frequently.

In the preface to the Small Catechism, Dr. Luther says that someone who does not seek Holy Communion at least four times a year is not a Christian, and he is being generous. God commands frequent attendance to keep the Sabbath day holy. Attending once or twice a year, let alone a few times in a decade, does not mean you are a Christian. Such a one should not commune until he has received fresh instruction, examined himself and been examined such that he can make the bold confession, “I am a sinner for whom Christ died, and my soul needs the Sacrament that I might obtain the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.”

Fourth, Christians who are themselves unforgiving and refuse to be reconciled with their neighbors also ought not commune. Christ says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”[2] To withhold forgiveness and refuse reconciliation is to slap Christ in the face. It is to say that your judgment is greater than God’s. He gave His life for you, to forgive your sins, yet you would refuse to forgive someone for their slight against you. Like the servant who begged for forgiveness from his master but refused to forgive the debt of another servant and was thrown into prison, the outcome for refusing to forgive is the same.

Finally, those of a different confession are not to commune together. Holy Communion is not just an individual act between you and God. It is a public expression of unity with those who kneel at the rail with you. It is a statement that you share the doctrine that is preached from this pulpit and distributed from this altar. It is a meal shared by a family, it is not for strangers off the street, foreigners to the family.

There are real distinctions between denominations. Any church body that ordains women does not believe the Scriptures to be without error. Any church who believes the Sacrament of the Altar is a symbol of Christ’s Body has a false understanding of who Christ is. A Church who gives any man other than Christ the authority to determine what sin is or who receives salvation does not believe what the Bible says concerning the forgiveness of sins and our justification before God. These are real, core differences that we should not overlook. There are certainly Christians in all Christian denominations but there is no unity. To commune together would be to confess a lie, a unity that doesn’t exist.

To a lesser degree, it is also important to remember that even within the Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod, a visitor to a church does not have an inherent right to commune. When you visit another congregation, you are a guest in their house. It is your responsibility to contact the Pastor ahead of time so that he knows to expect you. On the morning of, it is your responsibility to arrive early, introduce yourself, and ask permission to commune. It is fitting and proper for a guest to ask to participate in the family meal. And if the pastor, for whatever reason, asks you not to commune that day, you should not take offense. Your soul will not be harmed by not receiving the sacrament for that one day. You will still participate in the service. You will hear the Word of God by which man is saved. Your sins will be forgiven.

Regarding those who should not commune, the goal is always to move toward being able to commune. For the unbeliever, that they would be brought to faith in Christ, moved by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God to receive Christ as the only way to salvation. For the unrepentant and the unforgiving, that they would be shown the depth of their sin, moved by the Holy Spirit to confess that sin for what it is and return to the sheepfold of faith, sincerely fleeing from sin and clinging to Christ. For the uninstructed, that they would be instructed in the faith, taught the Word of God so that they might examine themselves and be found worthy and prepared to receive the Holy Communion. And finally, for those of a different confession, that they would see the errors taught in their denomination and brought to a right understanding of the Word of God, made to see the pure truth of God’s Word. The Church regularly prays for an end to all schisms. Christ has one Body and it is the sincere desire of all Christians that the Body of Christ would be united in a true confession of His Word.

The meal we share this evening is the Lord’s Supper. It is His meal where He is both host and food. We dine together, being united in one confession of Christ’s Holy Word. In this divine meal, we receive the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation because in this meal, we receive Christ, Himself. He gives His Body and Blood that we would be united with Him in body and soul.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] 1 Corinthians 11:23.

[2] St. Matthew 6:14-15.

Jubilate

Jubilate – April 21, 2024

Psalm 66; Isaiah 40:25-31; 1 Peter 2:11-20

St. John 16:16-22

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

From the very beginning, sin has been a rejection of God’s order; a questioning of His authority, and an assertion that we know better than He does. Satan’s temptation of Eve centered on the question, “Did God really say?” Sometimes we use that phrase as shorthand for the tendency of the sinful mind to subvert God’s wisdom, authority, and knowledge. God set all of creation in order and since that first bite of the forbidden fruit, man has gone about setting the world into disorder.

The twentieth century and on to today has fully embraced this type of thinking. Whether you agree with the statement or not, the idea that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” has dominated all western thought for over a hundred years now. It suggests that my taste is more important than something objective, something that exists outside of myself. This applies to the visual arts – paintings, sculptures, architecture – as well as music, dance, hymnody, and the worship of the Triune God. If something is pleasing to the eye, then it is valid. If you like it, then it must be beneficial, if not true.

This is the foolishness of the world, and it is sin. It is sinful to think that you know better than God. If God has said that the Body and Blood of Christ are bodily present in the Lord’s Supper, who are you to deny Him? As the Bride of Christ, we are often the object of such ridicule. The world laughs at our worship, our faith, and our suffering because it is not pleasing to the eye. At the same time, the world rejoices in sinfulness. The world rejoices because there is nothing else. There is nothing to look forward to. The world says, “Eat, drink, and make merry, for tonight we die!”

It is always amazing when we insist on something because it is the only thing we know. According to God, the only thing we know is sin. Faith is a radical departure from what we know of our own experience and the desires born in our hearts. The entire Christian life must be one of seeking the wisdom, authority, and knowledge of God while putting our own inbred thoughts to death.

The desire to seek God is born within you in Holy Baptism. It is born in you by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. But this desire does not spontaneously give you holy thoughts and liver shivers, provable only because it is something you like. Holy thoughts are born by the indoctrination of the Word of God, being steeped in the eternal truths given to Abraham, Moses, Peter, and Paul, then carried forth by Augustine, Luther, Chemnitz, Walther and more.

Such wisdom of the saints is recorded in our text as weeping and lament. How is that wisdom? It is wisdom in weeping and lamenting our sins. We cannot escape sinful desires. The Old Adam was drowned in Holy Baptism but he is a strong swimmer. We must continually put him to death by lamenting our sins. 

What does that look like? It looks like confessing. It looks like confessing before God Almighty, “I, a poor miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities…” And then trusting in the Word of the Almighty God that the absolution spoken by your Pastor is the very same as though God were speaking it directly from heaven.

It also looks like taking the things of God seriously. When was the last time that you obeyed the words of Saint Paul, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup,”[1] by coming to confession before receiving the Lord’s Supper, reviewing the Christian Questions and their Answers in your catechism, or simply reciting the Ten Commandments and determining where you have fallen short and where you need the shed Blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of those sins?

These are not laws in the sense that you must dot your Is and cross your Ts before you may commune. They are an admonition of God to take His gifts seriously. This is wisdom. This is the lamentation of the Christian in this time.

And this lamentation leads to joy. It leads to joy here in time and there in eternity. It leads to joy here as your sins are forgiven and you are unburdened. If you take the forgiveness of sins lightly, then your burden will only be lightly relieved. Given great weight, the forgiveness of sins will move the mountain of sins that weigh you down.

This joy, this true joy, will then lead to the enjoyment of the right ordering of God’s creation. Weighed down by sexual sin, you cannot enjoy the bliss of the marital union. Weighed down by the sin of wrath, you cannot enjoy the bliss of company, activity, or competition. Weighed down by the sin of anxiety, you cannot enjoy the bliss of determination, purpose, and direction.

That doesn’t mean that coming to hear private absolution will make everything joyful for you. It will relieve the burden of sin, but it may not “fix” your life. That is the sorrow of a world bent out of order by sin. The whole world fell in Adam’s fall and you still live in the world. You are still effected by this disordered world.

So long as you live on this side of glory, in one way or another, you are still the woman in labor. You will have moments of joy, when you see beyond the sorrow of this world and glimpse the glory of heaven, but the labor persists. Still, the promise of Christ stands, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.”[2]

The labor will come to completion and then you will have such joy that the danger, pain, and sorrow of labor will be forgotten. It will be forgotten in the joy that you now behold the Son of Man in your arms. You will see the face of Christ and rejoice. You will forget the sorrow and weeping that marks this life. Your lamentation of sin will come to an end. You will no longer seek the absolution because your absolution will be made complete, made whole, in the direct presence of Christ, now enjoyed by all the faithful.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] 1 Corinthians 11:28.

[2] St. Luke 6:21.

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday – March 28, 2024

Psalm 67; Exodus 24:3-11; 1 Corinthians 11:20-32

St. John 13:1-15, 34-35

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples and said, “Take, eat; This is My Body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also, He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them saying, “Drink of it, all of you; This Cup is the New Testament in My Blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

With these sacred words, Jesus Christ instituted the Sacrament of the Altar. Everything we need to know about the Sacrament is found in these Words of our Lord, namely, what the Sacrament is, what its benefits are, and who is to receive it.

What is the Sacrament of the Altar? “It is the true body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, in and under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself.”[1]This simple answer is entirely derived from the Word of our Lord when He instituted the Supper. Plain, physical elements are combined with God’s Word and become a Sacrament, a gift of God to man. It is the Word of God which elevates these physical elements to become a Sacrament. Without the Word of God, they are nothing more than bread or wine that you might enjoy with a meal at home. With the Word of God, they become the true body and blood of Jesus Christ.

However, in this Sacramental Union, the physical elements of bread and wine are not lost. Christ joins His Holy Body and Precious Blood to the physical elements of bread and wine through His Word. The result is His Body in, with, and under the bread; His Blood in, with, and under the wine. In the Holy Supper, you therefore receive four things: Body, bread, Blood, and wine.

Since it is God’s Word which effects this Sacramental Union, you can be certain that what you receive at this altar is the Body and Blood of Jesus. His presence in the Sacrament does not depend upon your faith or the faith of the man administering the Sacrament. “The Word by which it was constituted a Sacrament is not rendered false because of an individual’s unworthiness or unbelief. Christ does not say, ‘If you believe or if you are worthy, you have my body and blood,’ but rather, ‘Take, eat and drink, this is my body and blood.’”[2]

Our Lord also commands that we “do this.” In the first place, He is referring to “take, eat and drink.” This is what we are to do with His Supper. The command to “do this” also refers to the administration of His Supper. We are to administer the Supper in the same way that Christ did. We are to take bread, give thanks for it, break it, and give it to His people to eat. We are to take wine in a cup, give thanks, and give it to His people to drink.

This is why pastors recite the Word of Institution, the Verba, at every celebration of the Lord’s Supper. It is not a magical formula that changes the substance of the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood. If that were the case, then a single misspoken syllable would give reason for doubt. Rather, pastors recite the Verba according to Christ’s own words, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Reciting the Verba is how the elements are blessed and it marks them as partaking of the very blessing Christ gave on the night when He was betrayed. It is as though I am saying, “These elements gathered here are what Jesus was referring to on the night when He was betrayed. Christ, who is not bound by time, has marked this very bread and this very cup to be His Body and Blood, as His own words and promises declare.”

What, then, is the benefit of the Lord’s Supper? “In the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given” to you.[3] We go to the Sacrament to receive the forgiveness of sins and where the forgiveness of sins is found, there also is life and salvation. The whole council of God, the entirety of the Scriptures could be used to point to this truth, that life is in the blood, that by the Wounds of Jesus’ own body you are set free, etc., but for this evening, you need only to trust in the Words of Jesus. He has said, “Take, eat and drink, for the forgiveness of sins.” That is enough to be confident of what benefit you receive in the Lord’s Supper.

Put in another light, if the Sacrament gives the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, then it is also the weapon against sin, death, and the devil. In the Large Catechism, Dr. Luther says it this way,

Therefore, it is appropriately called food of the soul, for it nourishes and strengthens the new creature. For in the first instance, we are born anew through baptism. However, our human flesh and blood, as I have said, have not lost their old skin. There are so many hindrances and attacks of the devil and the world that we often grow weary and faint and at times even stumble. Therefore the Lord’s Supper is give as a daily food and sustenance so that our faith may be refreshed and strengthened and that it may not succumb in the struggle but become stronger and stronger. For the new life should be one that continually develops and progresses. But it has to suffer a great deal of opposition. The devil is a furious enemy; when he sees that we resist him and attack the old creature, and when he cannot rout us by force, he sneaks and skulks about at every turn, trying all kinds of tricks, and does not stop until he has finally worn us out so that we either renounce our faith or lose heart and become indifferent or impatient. For times like these, when our heart feels too sorely pressed, this comfort of the Lord’s Supper is given to bring us new strength and refreshment.[4]

Knowing what the Sacrament is and when benefit it provides, we must necessarily ask, who is to receive it. “He is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words, ‘Given and shed for you for the remission of sins.’”[5] The fundamental requirement for receiving the Sacrament, according to Jesus, is faith.

Now, we need to expand our understanding a little, also according to the Words of Jesus. This faith must be in Jesus and in what He has given and shed for you, that is, this faith must be in the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. That also means that you must believe that you are a sinner. Believing you are a sinner means that you believe there is nothing you can do to save yourself. You are a sinner who is in need of a Savior. Who is that Savior? Jesus Christ. What did He do for you? He died for your sins. Where do you receive that forgiveness? In His Word and Sacraments, which are His Word combined with physical elements—water, bread, and wine. This is what it is to have faith in these words, ‘Given and shed for you, for the remission of sins.’

This ought to be enough for our entire understanding of the Sacrament of the Altar—what it is, what benefits it gives, and who should receive it—but the Old Adam clinging to our flesh is an expert at deceiving us. He and his father the devil, would either have us fling the Sacrament to all open mouths, knowing them all to be sinners, or restrict the Sacrament according to manmade laws, ceremonies, or customs, until no one receives it. For this reason, we will need to turn to another passage of Scripture.

St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”[6]

 One must examine himself in order to receive Holy Communion. Since ancient times, this examination has involved knowing the fundamental texts of the Christian faith as a way of expressing the faith within. These fundamental texts are the 10 Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. They summarize the content of Holy Scripture while fulfilling the words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

In the shorter preface to his Large Catechism, Martin Luther says, “For the common people we are satisfied if they know the three ‘parts’…These are the most necessary parts of Christian teaching that one should first learn to repeat word for word…Now, when these three parts are understood, a person must also know what to say about our Sacraments, which Christ Himself instituted: Baptism and the holy body and blood of Christ.”^[7]

All Christians, no matter how long since you first received the Sacrament of the Altar or if you have yet to receive it for the first time, must examine himself before communing. The standard of knowing the primary texts of the catechism and being able to define the Sacraments and what you receive applies to all Christians.

Unfortunately, somewhere in history, admission to the Lord’s Supper became tied exclusively to the rite of confirmation, a rite that has no basis in the Scriptures and is itself strictly a man-made ceremony. The rite of confirmation then became associated with “graduating” from something. It was a sign you had accomplished learning a certain amount of information and then, sadly for many, you no longer needed to study God’s Word, the Catechism, or even attend the Divine Service.

One reason for this is that the examination which typically follows catechetical instruction has sometimes been understood as a one-time event. If someone can pass this test, then they are prepared to receive the Sacrament on a continual basis. Another reason is that the rite of confirmation became associated with a particular age, a transition into High School; almost a rite of passage into adulthood.

Scripture knows of no such singular examination, just as it knows nothing of confirmation. Every Christian is to examine himself each time he desires to receive the Sacrament. Again, Luther says, “It is the duty of every father of a family to question and examine his children and servants at least once a week and see what they know or are learning from the catechism.”^[8] Luther’s “Christian Questions and Their Answers,” found at the back of the small catechism, are a guide for all Christians to use in preparation to receive the Sacrament.

To this end, we ought to evaluate what it means to examine oneself before receiving Holy Communion. Should the youth be held to a higher standard than the rest of the congregation? That is, should a baptized child who can recite the basic texts, express a basic understanding of the Sacraments, and has been examined accordingly, be prevented from receiving the Sacrament of the Altar based on age? Or, should all members of the congregation be required to recite the entire catechism from memory, or at least undergo the thorough examination found at the end of most catechetical instruction each time they desire to commune?

The witness of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions answer both questions negatively. St. Paul admonishes us to examine ourselves before receiving the Lord’s Supper. To examine oneself is to know the primary texts of the faith, to know what the Sacraments are, and to know what you receive in the Sacraments. Then, to him who is given much, much is expected.[9] That is, an adult ought to be able to show a more thorough understanding than a youth. “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”[10]

Should a Christian find himself believing false doctrine or living in manifest sin, when he examines himself, he will find himself unworthy to receive the Sacrament. This Christian should repent and seek the counsel of his Pastor, who can help guide him back into the way of truth. Then, when such a one has a right understanding of the faith and can examine himself according to these texts of Scripture, he is truly worthy and prepared to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

Is faith an expression of academic knowledge? Is faith a physical ability, perhaps to speak something word-for-word? Neither, since the former excludes children, and the latter excludes the mentally and physically infirm. Faith is trust in Christ, trust in things unseen. The reason to require catechumens to recite memory work is that the servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries—that is to say, pastors—cannot peer into their hearts. It is necessary that catechumens of any age make a confession of their faith such that the pastor can, according to his office, admit them to the Supper without danger to their bodies and souls. This admission is according to faith in these words, “Given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.”

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Small Catechism VI 1; Large Catechism V 8.

[2] LC V 17-18.

[3] SC VI 2.

[4] LC V 23-27.

[5] SC VI 4.

[6] 1 Corinthians 11:27-32.

[7] “Short Preface of Dr. Martin Luther,” Large Catechism, 6, 15, 20.

[8] “Short Preface,” 4.

[9] St. Luke 12:48.

[10] Hebrews 5:13-14.