“YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN”
Saint Matthew 9. 1-8
The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity: 14 October Anno Domini 2007
Fr Watson
The Word of The Lord:
What more could I have done for you Oh My people? I gave you paradise and you rejected it for the exile of self-fulfillment. I made you my children and my brothers and sisters, my bride, and you committed adultery with world. I gave you perfect bodies and food from a garden of perfection yet you lusted after the flesh of forbidden fruit and the gaudy garments of ego. Oh my lambs; I gave you good grass to eat and pure water to drink yet you strayed. You were born dead but I gave you life in the + Sacrament. I came to you in the boat of My One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I crossed the divide between heaven and earth in My boat. I came across the waters of that font to your own city which is My own city. My Church is Jerusalem the Golden.
I came for you that day and I come for you this day. That day long ago when you were dead with the paralysis of sin and rebellion, I had you carried to Me and My Water of life. You were brought to Me on the bed of your parents loving arms; you were delivered to Me on the pallet of your Sponsors' caring arms. I saw the faith of your family and friends. It was the belief that I had already kindled in their hearts by the Holy Ghost and My Word. My Good News had been placed in the ears and on the tongues of your ancestors and your own parents. I saw your own faith as My Holy and Purifying and Liberating Word was placed on and in your own soul. I said to you "I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Spirit." I saw your infant faith, the faith that I had pre-destined would be given to you from before eternity. I elected you because I love you. I said to you that day "be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee."
You saw me and heard me the same way Cain and Abel did when I spoke to them through the mouth of my first pastor Adam. You experienced my presence the way my people Israel did when I tabernacle with them through the Words and Actions of my pastor Moses. Your trespasses were remitted the way my dear David's were when I forgave Him by the mouth and hand of Pastor Nathan.
Do not rebel against my actual presence for you in the way I have now chosen. Do not blaspheme against My selection of concrete Grace and appointed means.
As I was not with the Children of Israel in their hearts or memories, but was really with them in Smoking Fire and Billowing Cloud; as it was not representational blood painted on their door frames or symbolic liquid sprinkled on their heads so too it was not feelings or memories that were slaughtered on the brazen brass altars. No, I was there hovering over the Ark and the animals were real flesh and blood silent beasts that shed their blood in rivers of imputed righteousness for my wayward sons and daughters.
Repent of your rebellion against the men placed into your midst to do my janitorial clean up as well as my banquet stewardship and mouth-proclaiming. Do not think in your hearts "that man up there blasphemes; who does he think he is to forgive sins?" Do not let your neighbor or your relative shame you because you cannot give the proper answer I had Saint John record for you in Chapter 20 of His evangel.
Is your shepherd obnoxious at times and is he hypocritical? So were Peter and James. Is he guilty of sloth, lust and condescending attitudes? That sounds like Matthew, John and the others.
I sent Judas Iscariot out into Judea to exorcise demons, heal the palsied, preach My acceptable year of Jubilee; Release; forgiveness of sins, and Judas did so! Even if fallible, broken men such as Judas can forgive sins in My Name and in My stead, then so too today.
There is no blasphemy from them so long as they do what they have been placed here to do.
There is no blasphemy from you that is unforgiveable as long as My Word of Remission goes forth boldly and clearly.
I died for you on the tree. My body was placed there upon wood so that today it might be placed upon your tongue, loosing it from silence to declare My praise. By blood was spilled by whip, nail, thorn and spear back then, so that today it might be supped with willing and thirty lips for faith and fortitude.
I have given such power to men; not for their benefit or aggrandizement, but for your comfort and peace. The Son of Man has power this day to forgive sins. The Word is wielded as My two-edged sword by the sent ones in your midst. I am there in the middle of you.
AUGSBURGERS BE OF GOOD CHEER; YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN YOU. The Word of The Lord.
In the Name of Jesus.