Grace to you, and peace, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Today we are going to look at what is perhaps one of the least understood part of the Small Catechism, “The Office of the Keys.” this subject is often not taught very well. I’ve decided to break this down to two basic questions: “What is the Office of the Keys?” and “What does it have to do with my life as a Christian?”

The Catechism answers the first question. It asks:

“What is the Office of the Keys?”
The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent.”

The Church has the authority to forgive and withhold forgiveness. That sounds like we’re judging right? Doesn’t the Bible say we are not to judge?¹ Well that is another part of the Bible that is profoundly misunderstood and misquoted. Usually by those who have sinned and don’t want to admit it.

To find the answer look at our Gospel reading for today from Matthew 18. It begins “If your brother sins against you…” Already we have made a judgment. A sin was committed. It might be a small sin. It might be a big sin, but we have already judged there is sin. So what do we do about it? Jesus explained that in John 20.

In John 20 it is the evening of the first Easter. The disciples were in a locked room, afraid of what might happen to them. It is there that the Jesus appears to them for the first time after the resurrection. They see for themselves He has indeed risen from the dead! Then what does He say to them? Listen again:

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”²

Jesus gives His Apostles, that first group of followers who will lead His Church, the authority to forgive and withhold forgiveness. This is not something new. He’s been telling them this all along. It is right in line with His instructions given for talking to a fellow believer who is wrapped up in sin back in Matthew 18, when at the end of giving His instructions for reconciling with an erring brother or sister in Christ the following:

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.³

This idea of binding and loosing is where we get the phrase “Office of the Keys.” There are two keys when it comes to forgiving and retaining sins, what we call the “binding key” and the “loosing key.”

The Church is called to declare to people the truth of God’s Word in both Law and Gospel. When we speak God’s Law we are not setting ourselves up as judge and jury. We are simply declaring the truth about sin and what God has to say about it. We are not judging, we are simply the messenger stating what God, not us, has to say about sin.

If someone is caught up sin in warning them of their sin we are simply sharing with them what God’s Word has to say for the protection and care of our neighbor’s soul. For example, if we are talking with someone about stealing their neighbor’s stuff, we might say “the Bible says ‘you shall not steal.’ You walked into your neighbor’s house and walked out with stuff that does not belong to you.

That person might says “I don’t care. I wanted it, so I took it.”

We would use the binding key, telling them “Because you do not want God’s forgiveness, you do not have it.”

Its not because we don’t want to forgive that person, or we think we are somehow better than they are, or we don’t commit the kinds of sin they do. We are simply telling them what God’s Word says to those who do not want to repent of their sin. Since they reject God’s forgiveness, they don’t have it because He does not force himself on anyone. However, because they reject God’s forgiveness they still live in God’s judgment, not ours. Their sin in the end, if they do not repent, does condemn them. It locks them out of Heaven.

The other key, the “loosing key” is the key that speaks God’s Word of Gospel to those who are confronted with the reality of their sin and regret it. In that case the person who stole their neighbor’s stuff might say, “You know what, you’re right. I took something that didn’t belong to me. That was wrong. That was sinful. I am sorry.”

Then we would give the Gospel to them. We could say, “Because of what Jesus has done through His life, death and resurrection, you are forgiven of all of your sins, including this one.”

In this case, we are using a loosing key to free that person, with Jesus’ forgiveness, from the penalty they, and we, deserved from God. It’s not a matter of us making that judgment. It’s speaking to them from God’s Word exactly what God says about it.

There are two ways we regularly see the Office of the Keys, this work of forgiving and retaining sins, played out in the life of the Church. One you see so often you probably take it for granted. Sunday morning when we begin our worship service we come together, confess our sins, and then hear the Pastor speak:

In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In saying that it is not me the Pastor who is forgiving you, I am simply speaking to you what God’s Word already says. I am speaking to you “in the stead and by the command of Jesus.” Meaning at that moment I am standing in Jesus’ shoes, Jesus’ place, and forgiving your sin. The Catechism teaches:

Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins; second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.

That is what we call public confession and absolution.

There is also what we call “private confession and absolution.” In this case, if there is a particular sin that troubles you, and you want to confess it and hear God’s Word said out loud to you, come to your Pastor. The Catechism tells us what sins to confess:

Before God we should plead guilty to all sins, even those we are not aware of, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer; but before the Pastor we should confess only those sins which we know and feel in our hearts.

In other words you don’t come to confession because you have to. You do it because you want and need assurance of forgiveness. Again, in this case one on one, you hear the Pastor say all your sins are forgiven. Just like public confession, it is not the Pastor’s forgiveness. It is Jesus’ forgiveness the Pastor speaks as His called and ordained servant of the Word.

There is another thing of which you can be certain when you come to your Pastor for private confession. In the ordination vows. Pastors are charged and promise before God and the Church never to disclose the sins that are confessed to them. You are assured what you confess stays there.

In the Rite of Ordination (Lutheran Service Book: Agenda), pastors publicly vow:

“Will you forgive the sins of those who repent, and will you promise never to divulge the sins confessed to you?”

And the pastor responds:

“I will, with the help of God.”

This vow is a solemn promise made before God and the congregation.

This idea of private confession doesn’t just apply only to pastors. The fact is individual Christians do this in their daily life, or at least should. Someone does something wrong and sins against you, they come to you and ask for your forgiveness, and you as a Christian forgive them. Why? Because Jesus first forgiven you all of your sins and set you free from the punishment sins deserve. So you share that good news of the Gospel with others.

… if they don’t…

The whole point of the Office of the Keys is: It is daily proclaiming in love the truth of God’s Word of Law, and God’s Word of Gospel, and specifically applying it to the daily life of the Christian. Because in the end sin matters. In the end any sin will condemn you. In the end any stain will bar you from heaven’s gates.

We should exercise these keys well and often. Remember the responsibility that goes with it. Rejoice in the fact that again this day, it is my privilege as God’s called and ordained servant, whom He has sent here to this church to tell you the repentant: whatever sins you bring with you, sins that might keep you up at night, wondering if God is angry with you, whatever you’ve done that would make others think less of you, whatever sins bring you to your knees before the throne of God this day in sorrow and contrition, know they are as far as the east is from the west.⁴ Jesus Christ has lived for you, died for you, and risen again for you. Because of that, in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I can say most certainly you are forgiven of all of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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