Luther for the Busy Man

THE THIRD WEEK IN ADVENT - WEDNESDAYLESSON: ROMANS 1:16,17The gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24The Gospel is neither Law nor command; it makes no demands on us. If wretched distress and misery in the heart have come about through the first word of the Law, the Gospel comes as a loving and living word; it promises and assures us, undertaking to give us grace and help so that we may get out of such distress. It not only forgives us our sins but actually destroys them and, in addition, gives us love and the desire to fulfill the Law. This divine assurance of God’s grace and the forgiveness of sins is what the Gospel really is.I say once more that one should not understand the Gospel as anything else but God’s promise of grace and the forgiveness of sins.The reason why Paul’s epistles have for so long been misunderstood and, indeed, cannot be understood, is that men do not really know what is Law and what is Gospel. They regard Christ as a lawgiver and the Gospel as nothing but the proclamation of a new law. This is nothing else but locking up the Gospel and hiding everything.SL.XI.83,24-25AE 75,145PRAYER: Enlighten us, O Lord, in such a way by your Holy Spirit, that we really understand that your sole purpose and aim in the revelation of your Gospel is to lead us to salvation as a completely free gift of your wonderful grace in Christ. Amen.

THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT - TUESDAYLESSON: 1 Timothy 1:8-11The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good . . . but I am carnal, sold under sin. Romans 7:12,14The law is the word by which God teaches us and instructs us in what we are to do and not to do, as He does in the Ten Commandments. Where nature stands alone, without God’s grace, it is impossible to keep God’s Law for the reason that man, after Adam’s fall in Paradise, is corrupt and has nothing but evil lust leading him into sin. It is impossible for him to be well-disposed to the Law from the depths of his heart.We all experience this. There is no one who would not prefer to be without any Law at all. Every one of us realizes and feels in himself that it is very hard to be pious and to do good, and very easy to be wicked and to do evil.Such shortcomings and unwillingness to do what is good force us into transgressions of God’s Law. What is done reluctantly, poorly, and unwillingly is of no avail at all before God. God’s Law overcomes us. We learn this from our own experience as we are by nature wicked, disobedient, lovers of sin, and enemies of God’s Law.SL.XI.81,19AE 75,143PRAYER: Lord God, our heavenly Father, guard against all spiritual pride and self-righteousness so that when we look into the mirror of your Law we may see ourselves as we really are, lost and condemned sinners, whose only hope rests in our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE THIRD WEEK IN ADVENT - MONDAYLESSON: PSALM 85The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.Isaiah 61:1,2What does Jesus mean when He says, “The poor have good news preaches to them”? Is not the good news also proclaimed to the rich and the whole world? How can the Gospel be regarded as something so important and as a great blessing when there are so many who are hostile to it?Here we must know what the Gospel is, or we cannot understand this passage. We must diligently observe that from the beginning God has sent two words or forms of proclamation to the world – the Law and the Gospel. These two forms of proclamation you must recognize and separate. I tell you that hitherto, with the exception of the Scriptures, no book has ever been written, not even by a saint, in which these two forms of proclamation have been correctly divided. And yet this is such a basic issue.SL. XI.80,18AE 75,140PRAYER: Grant us your Holy Spirit, O Lord, the Spirit of truth and understanding, that we may correctly understand your Word, correctly separating Law from Gospel, and never being confused in our faith. Amen.

THE THIRD WEEK IN ADVENT - SUNDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 11:2-10The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted. Isaiah 61:1Kings and priests are normally anointed to a kingdom and priesthood respectively. But this anointed King and Priest, Isaiah says here, is to be anointed by God Himself, not with any temporal oil but with the Holy Spirit who rests upon Him as He says: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me.”And so He preaches the Gospel, restores sight to the blind, heals all manner of sickness, and preaches the acceptable year, the time of grace. “Behold, your God will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.” Isaiah 35:4-6.If we compare the Scripture with Christ’s works and Christ’s works with the Scripture, it becomes evident that in Christ we have the right man. Luke declares that at the time when the disciples of John the Baptist came to question Him, “he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight.” Luke 7:21.Here we must take Christ’s example to heart. He takes up His stand on His works and tells us to form our ideas about the tree from its fruits.SL.XI.77,10AE 75,137PRAYER: Thanks be to you, O King of grace and salvation, for the fullness of your works of grace and salvation encouraging us at all times to place our full faith and reliance in you alone. Amen.

THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT - SATURDAYLESSON: ROMANS 15:4-13And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees; as soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” Luke 21:29-31These are words of sheer joy! Jesus does not give a parable for autumn or winter when the trees are bare and it is a gloomy time of the year. He gives us a parable for spring and summer which is a joyful, happy time, when all creatures revive and are joyful. Hereby it is very clearly taught that we should look forward to the last day and console ourselves with the gladness and eager longing with which all creatures joyfully await the spring and the summer.What else could this parable suggest to us if that is not what the Lord is teaching here? Here He is telling us, “It will not mean hell and condemnation for you, but the kingdom of God”.Therefore, look to your life and search your heart to determine how you are minded as far as the last day is concerned. Do not rely on your good life, for it can soon put you to shame! Strengthen your faith so that this day does not overtake you unawares with those who are damned and perverse. May you eagerly wait for it, and when you hear it mentioned, or think of it, may your heart leap for joy.SL.XI.66,51-53AE 75,107PRAYER: Lead us at all times by your grace, O Lord, that we eagerly await your coming as the consummation of all our hopes and joy. Amen.

THE SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT - FRIDAYLESSON: ISAIAH 11:1-10Thy kingdom come. Matthew 6:10Even though the Lord’s Prayer is prayed on all sides throughout the world by countless numbers of people, there are really only very few who pray it correctly. For all but a very few would much prefer that there should never be any day of the Lord’s coming. What else is this but to wish that God’s kingdom should never come? In this way their heart prays against their mouth, and God judges according to the heart whereas they judge by the mouth.So men devise and engage in many prayers, babble all the churches full in all the world, and all this goes by the name of prayer. But basically all this amounts to saying, “May Thy kingdom not come!” or, “May it not come yet!” Tell me, is not such prayer real blasphemy, of which the psalmist declares, “Let his prayer be counted as sin!” Psalm 109:7?A tremendous amount of money and worldly goods is wasted in cramming every nook and corner with such blasphemy which men call the worship of God. Because there is such abuse in the use of prayer is no reason why the true children of God should not continue to pray earnestly to their heavenly Father for the coming of His kingdom and the full realization of all their hopes and joys.SL.XI.65,48-49AE 75,102PRAYER: Enlighten and guide us by your grace, O Lord, that we always look forward to your coming in confidence and with our heads raised in joy. Amen.

THE SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT - THURSDAYLESSON: PSALM 50:1-6May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16How could our Lord Jesus Christ admonish, comfort, and strengthen you more lovingly? First, He says: “You will hear of wars, but do not be afraid!” (Luke 21:9). When He tells you not to be afraid, what else is it but bidding you to be confident, and to recognize such signs with joy? Secondly, He tells you to look up joyfully. Thirdly, you are to raise your heads; and fourthly, He mentions your redemption.What is going to comfort and strengthen you if these words fail to do so? Could you believe that He is lying to you and wants to deceive you with a false confidence? Do not be one to whom these words are addressed in vain! Thank God and confidently rely on these words!There is no other help or comfort if these words are consigned to the winds. It is not a matter of condemnation but of your redemption, Christ says for your consolation and comfort. Will you turn these words about and say it is not your redemption but your damnation as you flee from your own salvation?Will you not greet God when He meets you, and will you withhold your thanks to Him when He greets you? Without a doubt these words so well spoken are also especially intended to help those who are inclined to be somewhat despondent and even fearful in regard to the things Christ sets forth as heralds of His coming.SL.XI.63,44-45AE 75,97PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, fill our hearts with such confidence that we may recognize the signs which you have given us as heralds of your coming, and receive such signs with joy. Amen.

THE SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT - WEDNESDAYLESSON: PSALM 80You are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.1 Corinthians 1:7No one is better prepared for the advent of the last day than the one who earnestly desires to be without sin. If you have such a longing, why are you afraid? Thereby you are in full accord with all that this day betokens. Jesus comes to save from sins all who long for His redemption, and this is also what you are longing for. Give thanks to God and remain in this frame of mind! Christ says that His coming means redemption.But see to it that you are not deceiving yourself when you say that you would be very glad to be free from sin, and that you do not fear the advent of that day. You do not really want to be free of sins but in His presence you cannot sin freely and securely.See to it that your light is not darkness! For a heart that truly wants to be free of sin rejoices in confidence at the thoughts of that day which will fulfill all longings. If this joy is lacking, there is no real longing to be free of sin.SL.XI.63,42AE 75,95PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, fill our hearts with such joy and confidence in connection with your Day, that we really raise our heads as those who await you, knowing that your coming betokens our final entrance into the blessed abode which you have prepared for those who love you, for your name’s sake. Amen.

THE SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT - TUESDAYLESSON: LUKE 17:20-30When these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads. Luke 21:28If we are to pray fervently that God’s kingdom may come, then it is certainly necessary that we should look forward to these signs, horrible as they may be, with joy and eager longing, as Christ admonishes us when He tells us to raise our heads. He means to say, “Do not be afraid or lower your heads, for the object of our earnest prayers is coming.”If, then, we are really in earnest about getting rid of our sins, death, and hell, we must look forward to this coming with eager and loving longing. In anticipation of this day, St. Paul declares: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on the Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8.If He gives the crown to all who have loved this appearing, what will He give to those who have hated it and been afraid of it? Without a doubt He must assign them to hell as His enemies!Likewise, in the Epistle to Titus, Paul says that we await “our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:3. In Luke’s Gospel we read that we should “be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast.” Luke 12:36. SL.XI.61,38AE 75,93PRAYER: Thanks be to you, dear Savior, for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation which you have procured for us by your suffering and death for us, and by which we also await your coming in joy and confidence, for your mercy’s sake. Amen.

THE SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT - MONDAYLESSON: 2 PETER 3:1-11When these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:28You might feel inclined to say in this context, “Who could possibly raise his head in the face of such wrath and judgement? Will not the whole world rather lower its head in terror and look downwards in fear and dismay? How are we in such a situation to look up and raise our heads?” The latter without a doubt signifies joy and eager longing.The answer to this is: All this is spoken to Christians alone – to real Christians, not to the heathen or the Jews. Real Christians are involved in great temptations and persecutions from sins and all kinds of evil, so that this life often becomes distasteful and quite ugly for them. And so they wait with eager longing and pray to be delivered from sins and all evil, as is also said in the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy kingdom come,” and “deliver us from evil.”If we are real Christians, we will also pray this earnestly from the depths of our heart. If we do not pray this earnestly from our hearts, we are not yet real Christians.SL.XI.61,37AE 75,92PRAYER: O Lord, you have so often promised in your Word to deliver us from all the trials and tribulations which we experience in a world of sin and sadness. Receive us into your heavenly kingdom, for your truth’s sake. Amen.

THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT - SUNDAYLESSON: LUKE 21:25-33Then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:27Here you can interpret “power” as referring to the host of angels, saints, and all creatures who will accompany Christ on His coming to judgement. This I consider to be the correct interpretation. The evangelist does not just say, “He will come,” but “they will see the Son of man coming.”He also came into the world by bodily birth, but that coming was seen by no one. He also comes daily into the hearts of believers in a spiritual manner by means of the Gospel. This coming is also seen by no one.But his second coming will take place in a public manner in which all men will see Him, as is declared in the book of Revelation: “every eye will see him” [1:7]. They will see that He is none other than the human being Jesus Christ in bodily form, as He was born of Mary and recognized here on earth. He could have merely said, “they will see Me,” without any obvious reference to His human form. But He says here that they will see the Son of man. By this He clearly states that He is referring to a bodily seeing of Himself in human form.This will take place in great power, with a great host of angels and in great glory. He will sit on a bright cloud and with Him He will bring all the saints. Of His coming, Scripture speaks quite often. It is something of very great importance.SL.XI.60,36AE 75,91PRAYER: Lord, keep us ever mindful of your second glorious coming to judgement so that we, with all your saints, may ever dwell with you in the blessed kingdom you have prepared for us, for your love’s sake. Amen.

THE FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT - SATURDAYLESSON: PSALM 25:11-22Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15The daughter of Zion receives twofold gifts from Christ. The first is faith and the Spirit in the heart, whereby she is cleansed and freed from sins. The second is Christ himself. And she can glory in the blessings received from Christ just as though all that Christ is and has is her very own, so that she may rely on Christ as her inheritance. Of this Paul speaks when he reminds us that Christ is our Mediator before God (Romans 8:34). If He is our Mediator, He accepts us as His own and we, for our part, accept Him as our own.In Corinthians, Paul also states that Christ in us is made by God to be our righteousness, wisdom, holiness, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). Isaiah says concerning the two-fold gifts, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:1,2.Here, “He comes to you” means, “for your good, as your very own.” Inasmuch as He is your King, you receive grace from Him in your heart. He keeps you from sin and death, and also becomes your King with you as His subject. But inasmuch as He comes to you, He becomes your sin so that you gain command also of His blessings.This is a delightful and comforting Word! Who is going to despair or become fearful of death and hell if he believes these words and wins Christ as His very own?SL.XI.10,27AE 75,35PRAYER: Thanks and praise be to you, loving heavenly Father, for the wonderful gifts of grace which you have so richly bestowed on us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT – FRIDAYLESSON: 1 PETER 2:21-25To you. Matthew 21:5“Your king is coming to you.” You do not seek Him, you do not find Him, He finds you; for the preachers come from Him, not from you; their preaching come from Him, not from you; your faith comes from Him, not from you; and all that faith works in you comes from Him, not from you. So you see quite well that if He did not come to you, you would remain on the outside where there is no Gospel and no God, only sin and corruption.Therefore, do not ask for a beginning of a godly life. There is no beginning of such a life except where this King comes and is proclaimed.He comes “to you.” “To you” – what is this? Is it not enough that He is “your king”? If He is yours, why does the text say, He comes “to you”?All that is set forth here by the prophet to depict Christ in the most loving manner and to urge us to faith. It is not enough for Christ to save us from the tyranny and dominion of sin, death, and hell and to become our King. He must give Himself as our very own so that all that He is and has becomes ours. St. Paul speaks of this when he says, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?” Romans 8:32.SL.XI.9,25-26AE 75,35PRAYER: Lord Jesus, our King, rule supreme and alone in our hearts and souls so that all the treasures of your truth and salvation may be ours personally now and forever. Amen.

THE FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT - THURSDAY LESSON: PSALM 25:1-10 Your king is coming to you. Matthew 21:5 Learn from this Gospel what happens when God begins to make us godly, and what is the beginning of becoming godly. There is no other beginning but the fact that your King comes to you and begins to work in you. This comes to pass as follows. The Gospel must be the very first thing in this context; it must be preached and heard. In this you hear and learn how your work is nothing before God and that all you do or attempt is sin. But your King must be in you beforehand and rule you. That is the beginning of your salvation. You then give up your own work, and despair of self, because you hear and see that your own work is nothing, as the Gospel tells you. You begin to receive your King through faith, you cling to Him, invoke His grace, and entrust yourself solely to His goodness. That you hear and accept this is also not of your own strength but of God’s grace, which has made the Gospel fruitful in you, so that you believe Him when He declares that your own work is nothing. You see how few there are who accept His grace. Jesus also wept over Jerusalem. The papists not only reject this doctrine but actually condemn it. They do not want their own work to be sin and nothing. They want to lay the first stone and they rage and storm against the Gospel. SL.XI.8,23AE 75,35 PRAYER: O Lord, take from our hearts all self-pride and trust in our own works and efforts, and grant us grace to trust solely and wholly in your mercy and grace, granted us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

THE FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT - WEDNESDAYLESSON: PSALM 24Your king. Matthew 21:5Here this King is separated from all other kings. He is “your king,” the one promised to you and whose own you are. He is the one who rules you and no one else. But His rule is a spiritual, not a secular, rule.This is a comforting word for the believing heart, for apart from Christ, man is subjected to many raging tyrants who are not kings but murderers. Under these he endures great misery and terror.Such tyrants include the devil, the flesh, the world, and sin, as well as the law, death, and hell. At the hands of all these the wretched conscience is oppressed, suffers heavy imprisonment, and lives a bitter, uneasy life. For where sins are, there is no conscience; where there is no good conscience, everything is quite uncertain and there is unending fear of death and hell before which there can be no firm joy or delight in the heart. As Moses declares, such a heart is terrified at the rustling of a leaf (Leviticus 26:36).Wherever a heart receives this King in firm faith, it becomes established and does not fear sin, death, hell, or any misfortune. It knows and does not doubt that this King is the Lord over life and death, sin and grace, hell and heaven, and that all things are in His hands.PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, my King, establish your rule in my heart in such a way that my heart becomes your throne, and peace and joy may reign therein for evermore. Amen.

THE FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT – TUESDAYLESSON: HEBREWS 10:19-25Behold! Matthew 21:5“Behold!” Mark this word well. With this word the Holy Spirit wakens us from sleep and unbelief as one who wants to set forth something important, strange, and noteworthy which one has long desired and should receive with joy. And we really need such an awakening, because our reason and nature despises all that concerns faith and finds it most unsuitable.How can it possibly be that this man who rides along in such poverty and humility should be the King of Jerusalem and that He is riding only a strange, hired ass? How can nature and reason possibly grasp this? How can such an entrance be squared with that of a great King?Faith is of such a kind that it does not judge and follow according to what it sees and feels but according to what it hears. It clings to the Word alone. Appearance and outward looks count for nothing at all. Therefore the only ones here who really accepted Christ as a King were those who followed the word of the prophet. They believed in Christ and His kingdom not with their eyes, but accept Him with the spirit.These are also the true “daughter of Zion.” For the man who wants to follow Christ according to outward appearance and feeling cannot avoid becoming offended at Him. One must cling firmly to the pure Word alone.SL.XI.4,14AE 75,29PRAYER: Enable us at all times, O Lord, to cling with all our faith to your pure Word alone, so that we behold you as you really are and thus ever cling to you in love and obedience, for your truth’s sake. Amen.

LESSON: LUKE 1:68-79Faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26Faith is of two sorts. The first is that you believe that Christ is a man like the Christ described and proclaimed in the whole Gospel, but you do not actually believe that He is such a man for you. You have your doubts that all He achieved is for you. It may be for St. Peter, Paul, and the holy saints, but you are not at all sure that it is for you. Such a faith is really nothing. It never really receives Christ or tastes of the things that really count in Him. Even the devils have this faith. The one faith which is entitled to be called real, true Christian faith is to believe without any wavering that Christ is not only such a man for St. Peter and the saints, but also for you, indeed, for you more than for all others. Your salvation does not consist in believing that Christ is a Christ for the pious, but that He is a Christ for you and is yours. This faith brings it to pass that He pleases you in a most delightful manner. Then love and good works follow without any compulsion. If works do not follow, it is quite certain that faith is really absent. Where faith exists, the Holy Spirit is also present working love and what is good in us. SL.XI.2,8-9AE 75,28PRAYER: Bestow your Holy Spirit upon us, O Lord, to lead us into true faith, active in love and producing the works pleasing to you, for the welfare of your kingdom and our neighbor. Amen.

THE FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT – SUNDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 21:1-9Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass. Matthew 21.5This Gospel in a special manner arouses and demands faith. It portrays Christ in His coming grace. No one can really receive and accept Him unless he believes that He is the man in the sense portrayed in this Gospel. All that is set forth here in Christ is pure grace, gentleness and goodness. He who believes this regarding Christ is saved.Look at Him! He rides no stallion, an animal mostly associated with war. He does not come in splendor and animal, accustomed to burdens and toil in the service of men. In this way He shows that He comes not to tempt men, nor to come down upon them with force and suppress them, but to them, to bear their burden and to take it upon Himself.Although it was the time-honoured custom of the country to ride on asses and to use horses for war, as often recorded in Scripture, all that is narrated here is intended ot make known how this King rides in gently, with nothing but good intent.To demonstrate this point, a prophetic statement is introduced here (Zechariah 9.9) to draw us to faith and the acceptance of Christ in a very friendly manner. For the sake of this statement, the events of this Gospel took place and were set down in writing as the evangelist also declares. Let us pay careful attention to this statement and the chief point of this Gospel, for herein Christ is highlighted for us in regard to what we are to hold and believe concerning Him, what we are to expect from Him, what we are to seek in Him, and how we are to avail ourselves of His help and make use of Him.PRAYER: Lord Jesus, fill us at all times with your saving grace. Lead us to true faith and preserve us therein, for your love’s sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXIII - SATURDAYLESSON: 1 JOHN 5:6‒12Let God be true, but every man a liar. Romans 3:4Someone may ask: What will happen if we cannot trust anyone? We must have some involvement and dealings with others; how otherwise could human society continue? We must buy and sell and distribute our wares among others. If no one believed or trusted anyone else, all human transactions would come to an end.It is true, of course, that we must have dealings with each other, and one needs the other’s help. But the point I am trying to make is this: your dealings with any man, whether it be buying or selling, must be regarded as a matter of uncertainty on which you cannot rest your faith or build anything with absolute certainty.This much is sure: If you trust anyone, you are already deceived. Human nature, to the best of its ability, can do nothing but lie and deceive. Everything, accordingly, which depends on man must always retain an element of uncertainty; man’s works and words are subject to constant change and instability. Be quite sure of that!We must trust God alone and say, “O Lord, You are my life, my soul and body, my property and goods, and all that is mine: direct and order it all in accordance with Your will. You I believe. You I trust. You will never forsake me in any dangerous situation with this man or that man. I cannot trust man. If you know that it will be good for me, bring it to pass that he keeps faith with me. If you know that it will not benefit me, let him break faith with me. I am well content to let Your will be done.Sl.XI.1810,17PRAYER: O God, we pray that Your good and gracious will should always prevail in all our relationships with You and our fellowmen, for Christ’s sake. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXIII - FRIDAYLESSON: PSALM 40:1‒5Thus says the Lord; “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:5The less a man is trained in the ways of the world, the less he is opposed to God. Those who have made progress and gained recognition before the world, deceive and lie more than the others. They think that in the deceitfulness and cunning procedures of their actions, their deceit and vice are covered up. It is true, that they are masters at covering up and hiding their activities! But the Holy Spirit is very keen-sighted, and He knows them very well. Holy Scripture calls such fellows lions, wolves, bears, swine, and wild animals. They are always raging, and they devour and consume everything with their treachery.In the Old Testament, the Jews were forbidden to eat certain animals because they were to regard them as unclean. They included those we have just mentioned, as well as others. A possible reason for this was that they were a figure and indication of certain people who are strong, powerful, rich, gifted, learned, prudent, and wise, who are to be strictly avoided as something unclean, namely, as people who mislead and deceive others with their outward brilliance, power, and cleverness. They are people of such a kind, that one would never suspect them of any evil intentions. Hence, we must never put any confidence and trust in any man as such.Do not believe anyone. If a man can do so, he will surely mislead you. If you trust him, you will find yourself in opposition to God so that you do not trust God. This is what Jeremiah wants to teach us in the passage cited above.SL.XI.1809,16PRAYER: As Your children, heavenly Father, we owe all our faith and trust to You alone and not to men, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXIII - THURSDAYLESSON: PSALM 106:6‒8For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:26‒29In this week’s Gospel (Matthew 22:15‒22), we have a very good portrayal of the cunning and perversity of human nature. There is nothing in men by nature but evil, lies, deceit, cunning, and all that is vicious. By nature man is nothing else but a liar, as the psalmist declares. You cannot trust a single person. Don’t think for a moment that you will ever hear a word of truth from anyone; man is a liar whenever he opens his mouth. How so? The spring is evil, that is, the heart is no good. Therefore the streams are no good either.This is why the Lord at times described men as a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 12:34) and “serpents” (Matthew 23:33). Is not this an apt title for these people? Let anyone come forward here to boast about his piety and the powers of his own free will! Before the world it is possible to put on a fine exterior, and to be pious and holy, with much outward glitter. But there is really nothing else there than a brood of vipers and serpents, especially in the most valued, excellent, wise, and clever men. When you read the histories of the Greeks, Romans, and Jews, you will find that the best and cleverest princes, those who ruled well by human standards, were not conscious of receiving anything from God but relied on themselves alone, ascribing nothing at all to the power of God.SL.XI.1809,15PRAYER: Dear Lord, heavenly Father, in Your mercy and grace You bestow upon us everything in our lives that deserves to be called good. May we ever cling to You in firm faith, the giver of all good gifts, in Christ our Lord. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXIII - WEDNESDAYLESSON: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:18‒23Jesus did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for He Himself knew what was in man. John 2:24‒25Whenever we are assailed by the enemies of our faith, we always have the strong consolation that Christ is in us and will carry off the victory through us. Christ is so close to us that we always conquer through Him because we are in Christ. When we are not beset by any adversity, we do not feel the need of His presence. But when we are under attack and are being crushed, He makes His presence felt and puts our enemies to shame.Here, too, we should note that those who are a cut above others, cleverer, more powerful, with special gifts of understanding, nature, and fortune; those who are more artistic, more learned, and wiser than their fellows, who can speak well and who are equipped to exercise leadership over others, who can rule and regulate everything in the best possible manner, these people, for the greater part, are opposed to God and faith, and tend to rely more on the powers of their own reason than on God. Poisoned nature prevents them from being prepared to employ their gifts to the best advantage, for the use and benefit of their neighbor. Relying on their own gifts, they simply set their minds on this or that and hold the view that they do not need help or strength in any way.They resemble the Pharisees of the Gospel (Matthew 22:15‒22). They were quite confident that they would get the upper hand over Jesus by setting Him a trick question. They felt that He could not possibly escape from their clutches because He would be in serious trouble if He answered either “Yes” or “No.”SL.XI.1808,13PRAYER: The wisdom of this world is folly with You, O God, and Your wisdom is foolishness with the world. Be pleased to open our hearts to receive the foolishness of the Gospel, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXIII - TUESDAYLESSON: 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7‒10We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way; through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 2 Corinthians 6:3‒10Nothing better can happen for the Gospel than for the world to oppose it with might and cunning. The more that sin and the devil assail my conscience, the stronger becomes the justice of my cause. For the sins that press upon me hurt me; this makes me all the more persistent in my prayer and cries to God; hence my faith and confidence in my cause become stronger and stronger continually. This is also what St. Paul means when he states, “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).Inasmuch, then, as we have a treasure which becomes stronger through temptation and adversity, we should never become afraid, but be of good courage and even rejoice in tribulation as Paul also observes.If the devil were clever enough to keep quiet and simply allow the Gospel to be preached without trying to hinder it, he would certainly have less trouble on his hands. For if the Gospel is not attacked, it grows rusty and has no particular reason for manifesting its power and might.SL.XI.1807,11PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, we are by nature weak and beggarly, having nothing in us with which to oppose our enemies—the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. Make us strong, especially in the blessings of the Gospel available to us in rich measure, in and through Christ our beloved Savior. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXIII - MONDAYLESSON: PSALM 118:1‒9If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also give us all things with Him? Romans 8:31‒32All who set themselves against the divine wisdom and Word of God must bring discredit on themselves or suffer disgrace. Let no one therefore be afraid, even if all the cleverness and might of the world range themselves against the Gospel, and even if efforts are made to subdue it with bloodshed. The more blood that is shed, the more Christians will increase. Tertullian well observed that the blood of the Christians is the seed from which Christians grow. The devil is drowned in Christian blood. Hence it is not a very smart thing to try to suppress the Gospel by force.In a certain respect, the Gospel resembles the palm tree. It is the nature and character of this tree to lie on top, no matter how much loading one puts onto it. If a beam is made of it, it does not yield to any load but actually raises itself against the load. That is also how the Gospel is. The more opposition it encounters, the greater pressure it exerts, and the more men try to quench it, the more and more it grows.We should never be afraid of might and force; what we should really fear is success and good days. These are quite likely to do us more harm than anxiety and persecution.We should also not be afraid of the wisdom and cleverness of the world. This can do us no harm. The more the wisdom of the world opposes the truth of the Gospel, the purer and clearer the truth becomes.SL.XI.1807,10‒11PRAYER: Be the defender and protector of Your Word and Gospel, O God, in all attacks made on it by its enemies. May Your Word and Gospel continue to go from strength to strength, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXIII - SUNDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 22:15‒22When they heard it, they marveled; and they left Him and went away. Matthew 22:22This is written for our consolation, so that those of us who believe in Christ should know that we Christians are in possession of a wisdom that outranks all other wisdom, and that we have a strength and righteousness with which no human strength or righteousness can stand comparison. Against the Holy Spirit no human counsel is of any avail. Through Christ we have the power to tread sin underfoot and to trample upon death, and a wisdom that exceeds the wisdom of the whole world. If Christ dwells in us by faith, He is ours and will attend to all this in us. But in the hour of trial and temptation, we do not always feel this. Therefore, when I need it, He comes to me and enables me to make my way through my difficulties with renewed strength.We should never be apprehensive that our doctrine will go under and be disgraced. No matter whether all the learned and wise men of this world rise up against God’s Word and make a merry sport of their opposition to the Word, they are doomed to ultimate failure. It can happen that they bark against the Word and bite it to such an extent that people think that the Gospel will be overwhelmed. But when they set themselves to overthrow the Gospel, it is quite certain that they will fail in a disgraceful manner, and they themselves will be caught in the trap by which they hoped to overthrow the Gospel. This is what happened here in this Gospel to the men who tried to trip up Jesus. They thought themselves smart enough to outwit Christ in every way, but their wisdom and smartness let them down.SL.XI.1806,8‒9PRAYER: Grant us a full measure of Your Holy Spirit, O God, the Spirit of truth and understanding, that we may always cling in firm faith to the teaching of Your Word, for Christ’s sake. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXII - SATURDAYLESSON: PSALM 119:57‒64God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8When we believe that we have a gracious God and that we need nothing further, it would, presumably, be time for us to die as soon as possible. But if we are to continue our life here on earth, it must not be directed towards gaining God’s favor by our works.Anyone who holds such a view makes a mockery of God and blasphemes God. Yet this is what was taught for such a long time in the Church. We were informed that we must keep on pestering God with our good works, prayers, fasts, and the like, until we obtained His grace. We did obtain grace, not by our works, but from God’s mercy.In your life of faith, you certainly have to get busy and do something, but, as Christ informs us, everything we do must be done for the interests of our neighbor. The servant in the parable, we are told, “went out.” He “went out” in love. Faith leads men from people to God. Love leads them out to people. Our faith must break out and prove itself in action before our fellowmen. God does not need your works; He has enough in your faith. But He wants you to do works as fruits of faith, to demonstrate the reality of your faith before the whole world in works.This servant (Matthew 18:23‒35) is an example or a picture of all who should serve their neighbor in faith. But what does he do? He does what most of us do. We imagine that we have faith, and in part this is true. We rejoice at having heard the Gospel, and we may even be able to talk a great deal about it. But only too few really live in accordance with the Gospel. There are even those in our midst who seem to become worse after hearing the Gospel.SL.XI.1796,21‒24AE. 79:255-265PRAYER: Heavenly Father, give us at all times a true and genuine faith, which proves itself in works of love to our neighbor and becomes ever stronger and more willing to walk the paths of your choosing, in and through Christ our Savior. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXII - FRIDAYLESSON: PSALM 119:33‒40With the Lord on my side, I do not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:6‒8Because this servant (Matthew 18:23‒35) is humbled by the knowledge of his sins, the Word becomes a source of mighty consolation to him. The lord absolves him and forgives him his debt and punishment. Hereby we should note that the Gospel does not touch profligate hearts, nor those who are openly insolent in their wickedness, but only those whose conscience is terrified, whose sins oppress them, who would gladly get rid of them if they could. On such God has mercy. He grants them full remission.In accepting the Word, this servant became God’s friend. If he had not accepted the Word, it would not have helped him; there would have been no remission. Hence, it is not enough for God to offer us the forgiveness of sins and to proclaim a jubilee year of grace; the Word must be accepted and believed.If you believe the Word, you are free from your sins and all is simple. This is the first part of a Christian life which this Gospel and all others teach us. It consists basically in faith, by which alone we have dealings with God. In addition, however, we are shown here that the Gospel cannot be grasped unless conscience has been previously afflicted and is in distress.SL.XI.1794,17AE. 79:255-265PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Your assurance to us is that we have the full forgiveness of all our sins by Your grace alone through faith alone. Keep from us all trust in our own works and merits as we cling to Your grace alone, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXII - THURSDAYLESSON: ROMANS 4:9‒12If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. Romans 11:6In his mercy, the lord in the parable of Matthew 18:23‒35 pities the wretched situation of the servant before him. He sets aside and gives up his rights and says no more about selling his servant “with his wife and children and all that he had.” He could certainly have insisted on his rights, declaring, “You have to pay up; I have my rights and have no intention of giving them up for your sake.” No one could have found fault with him on this score.But he does not want to deal with his servant on the basis of rights. He exchanges rights for grace and has pity on his servant. He sets him free, together with his wife and children and all that he has, and forgives him his whole debt. This is also what God proclaims through the Gospel, saying to us, “He who believes shall not only have his debt forgiven but also the punishment he has merited.”Works must never come into consideration here. Anyone who suggests that one can get rid of the guilt and punishment for sin through works has denied the Gospel. That God should have pity on you and that you should earn or merit His favor cannot be harmonized in any way. Paul’s argument is unanswerable, “If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6). If you pay what you owe, there is no need for His mercy. If you are the recipient of His mercy, you are not paying for it. Hence we must allow Him to initiate His dealings with us and to act quite alone; we must receive from Him and believe in Him. That is what the Gospel is all about, as we see also from this parable.SL.XI.1794,16AE. 79:255-265PRAYER: As lost and condemned sinners, without any righteousness or merits of our own, O God, we have no other recourse but to throw ourselves on Your mercy and love. It is the glory of Your Gospel that it assures us that Your grace alone is our effective means of salvation, in and through Christ our Savior. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXII - WEDNESDAYLESSON: HEBREWS 9:11‒14“Out of pity for him, the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.” Matthew 18:27The lord has pity on this servant in his wretched condition. The servant is securely caught and entangled in his sins and foolish enough to suppose that he can help himself out of his hopeless plight. He does not look for mercy. He knows nothing about grace. He feels nothing but his sins which oppress him sorely. There is no one to whom he can turn for help. Even while he is in this wretched plight, the lord turned to him in pity and released him.In this action of the lord, there is portrayed to us what the Gospel in its nature really is, and how God deals with us. If you are entangled in your sins and are afraid that you can find no help to rescue you from your sad plight, the Gospel comes to you and says, “No, not so, my dear friend, it does not help you to martyr yourself to the point of distraction and to become alarmed. It is not your works but God’s mercy alone which moves Him to have pity on you in your wretched situation. He sees that you are in the grip of fear, that you are throttling yourself in the mire of your sins, that you cannot extricate yourself from your plight. He can see that you cannot pay your debt. In pity and mercy, He forgives you your whole debt. Therefore, it is a case of pure mercy. He forgives you your debt, not because of your works or any merits. He has pity on your cries, entreaties, and the requests you have made on your knees.”This means that God regards a humble heart, as David declares, “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17). A heart that is broken, he says, and contrite, that cannot help itself and is quite content to have God reach out a helping hand to it, is the most acceptable sacrifice before God and the right way to heaven.SL.XI.1793,14‒15AE. 79:255-265PRAYER: Eternal praise and thanks be Yours, heavenly Father, for Your mercy and grace and the rescue from all sins available to us in Your Gospel of salvation, as revealed to us in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXII - TUESDAYLESSON: 1 JOHN 2:1‒6“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’” Matthew 18:23‒26The message which this servant heard from his lord and master was anything but joyful. In all seriousness and deadly earnest, the master delivered a most startling and shocking judgment. The servant becomes so distressed that he falls down and begs for patience. He makes a promise exceeding all his power of fulfillment, saying, “Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” Here we have a picture, a portrait of those for whom the Gospel really has a message.This is also how matters stand between us and God. When God wants to settle accounts, He sees to it that His Law is preached through which we learn to know our indebtedness. For example, He tells our conscience, “You shall have no other god but regard Me alone as your God, love Me with your whole heart, and place all your trust and reliance on Me alone.” This is the account, the register, in which what we owe Him is written down.What does the servant do? He makes an offer, fool that he is, to pay his debt. He falls down and asks his lord to have patience with him. Nothing can save this man but the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness.SL.XI.1791,8‒11AE. 79:255-265PRAYER: Lord God, when we look at our lives in light of Your holy Law, we see nothing but sin and condemnation. Our sins are truly many and great. Our one and only consolation is that as our loving heavenly Father You do not look at our sins according to Your Law, but that You regard us in accordance with the righteousness offered us in Your Gospel, in and through Christ our Savior. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXII - MONDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 18:18‒22“Out of pity for him, the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.” Matthew 18:27“Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’” Matthew 18:32‒33In the Gospel, there is nothing but sheer forgiveness. The lord of the servant forgave him his whole debt, and the lord expected that servant to forgive his fellow servant and release him from his debt. This is how God wants matters to stand in His kingdom. No one should ever be so displeased with his neighbor or angry with him that he cannot forgive his neighbor. As Christ points out in the context immediately preceding, even if your neighbor incurs your anger not just seven times “but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22), that is, as often as it would be possible to do so, you should drop your rights and feel remit him everything. Why? Because Christ has also done this for you. He has initiated and set up a kingdom in which there is nothing but pure grace, a kingdom which will never end, in which everything will be forgiven you as often as you have sinned. He has sent out His Gospel which proclaims not punishment but pure grace alone. As long as this regime stands, you can always rise again, no matter how deeply and how often you have fallen away from it. One thing Christ expects of you, that you forgive your neighbor the sins he has committed against you. Otherwise you cannot hold your place in His kingdom of grace or enjoy the good news that your sins are forgiven you. This, in brief, is the gist and meaning of this Gospel.SL.XI.1789,6 AE: 79:255-265PRAYER: We thank You from the bottom of our hearts, O God, for the full and often repeated forgiveness of our sins which we enjoy in Your kingdom of grace. May we always be found ready, in the enjoyment of Your forgiveness, to forgive our neighbor his sins, through Jesus Christ our Savior.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXII - SUNDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 18:23‒35Rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Romans 13:3The Gospel, or the kingdom of God, is nothing else but the estate or regime in which there is nothing but the forgiveness of sins. Where there is a regime in which sins are not forgiven, there is no Gospel or kingdom of God. Therefore, the two kingdoms must be kept clearly apart: the one in which sin is punished, the other in which sin is forgiven; the one in which rights are demanded, the other in which rights are given up. In God’s kingdom where He rules through the Gospel, no rights are demanded, nor does one operate with rights. In God’s kingdom there is nothing but forgiveness, remitting, and donating, no wrath or punishment, nothing but brotherly service and benevolence.This does not, however, abolish secular law and justice. This parable teaches us nothing about the secular realm; it teaches us only about the kingdom of God. When a secular prince rules his people in such a way that he allows no one to perpetrate an injustice and punishes evildoers, he does well and deserves praise.We need such a regime, but we cannot get into heaven thereby. The world cannot be saved by its secular government. But secular government is necessary to prevent the world from becoming worse than it is, and to ward off and hinder evil. If there were no secular government, one man would simply swallow up the other man, and no one in the end would be able to retain life, property, wife, or child. To prevent universal destruction and ruin, God has set up the authority of the sword so that evil might be in part restrained, and that the secular authority might establish peace and prevent men from doing each other injustice and wrong. This order of things the Christian must also accept.SL.XI.1788,4 79:255-265 PRAYER: We thank and praise You, heavenly Father, for all the blessings which we have been privileged to enjoy in our earthly lives through good government and good rulers. Keep us ever mindful of our duties in the secular realm, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXI - SATURDAYLESSON: PSALM 103:13‒22We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. Romans 5:3‒5Faith exercises itself in trials and temptations, and every day brings new trials. Experience does not repeat itself so often, as we see also in this Gospel (John 4:47‒54). The way in which this official set his faith working is past. These particular circumstances will not crop up again, but there will be other trials. If the same temptations present themselves, it should, of course, be easier to cope with them. The more victories one has, the more firmly one takes hold of Christ and becomes skilled in bearing everything that Christ chooses to lay upon one.In this Gospel, you have received an example of an increasing faith. It is clear enough; take it to heart! Each Christian will always be given opportunities to practice his faith. He can also trust that God will always help him. In this way, he will have the experience of God’s help to lead him on to greater faith.There is always something new cropping up so that we may see and grasp that our Lord God is true. If we have the trust and confidence that He will nourish and preserve our body, we can also believe that He will save our souls.SL.XI.1770,20‒22AE. 79:225-232PRAYER: You are our loving heavenly Father, O God. As such, you can never forget the needs of Your children. Grant us ever stronger faith, tested and proved in trials and temptations, for the sake of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXI - FRIDAYLESSON: COLOSSIANS 1:9‒14The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. . . . He himself believed and all his household. John 4:50, 53We must always keep ourselves in trim so that we do not just remain at the one fixed level but continually increase. Hence there must be a cross, temptation, and tribulation in which faith can grow and become strong. Even as clarity of faith increases, so also there is progress in the disciplining of the body. The stronger faith becomes, the weaker the flesh becomes. The smaller our faith, the stronger our flesh becomes, and the less success we have in putting it off.We are inclined to think, “If I am to be always helping my neighbor, what is going to become of me? I shall be going to him for something in the end.” If we had a correct faith, one which reflects Christ in us, we would not be doubtful about having enough, but would declare in all confidence, “God will provide for us in every need.” If we give up at every little puff, how shall we face up to something really big?Faith must be practiced to increase. Simply to go on and always remain every day what we were yesterday, and tomorrow what we are today, is not a Christian life. In this Gospel, John takes special care to point out how this royal official increased in faith.What did he believe after he came to his house? Not that his son had recovered and been restored to him. He could see his living son before his eyes. From the way in which he had experienced Christ’s help, he now also believed that Christ would help him in any other troubles that would cross his path.SL.XI.1768,17,19AE. 79:225-232PRAYER: Increase our faith, Lord Jesus, by removing all doubt and uncertainty from our hearts, filling them with the certainty and confidence of faith, for Your name’s sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXI - THURSDAYLESSON: LUKE 11:5‒13“Go; your son will live.” John 4:50In the matter of faith, one must let everything go and cling to the Word alone. When we have gripped that, let the world, death, sin, hell, and every misfortune storm and rage. But if you let go of the Word, you will be doomed.We can see this in people whose stability depends on their earthly livelihood. When there is enough in the house and the barns are full, they trust in God all right and even speak of having a gracious God. But when they have nothing left, they begin to doubt. Soon it is all over with their faith. They trust only what they actually see before their eyes. When they can see nothing there, they do not know where to look for succor. Worry and care about earthly, bodily needs drive out faith. If they had really taken hold of the Word in true faith, they would have declared, “My God lives. He has promised to care for me and nourish me. I will set to work and trust God to bring to pass what Christ has said: ‘Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well’” (Matthew 6:33).Clinging to the Word and dispelling worry about earthly needs is the Christian way. As long as you keep your eyes fixed on your poverty, you cannot believe. This royal official also had probably formed such a view of things that he may have thought, “He will not listen to me. He has given me a rather sour reply. He does not want to come along with me; He is putting me off.”Had he viewed the matter like this, his mission would have been an utter failure. But when he refuses to entertain such a view, he hears words of real consolation from Christ, “Go; your son will live.”SL.XI.1767,15AE. 79:225-232PRAYER: God our Father, You ask nothing of us but faith alone and give us the assurance that You will provide us with all our needs. Keep us always strong in an unwavering faith, fixed on Your mercy and grace in Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXI - WEDNESDAYLESSON: ROMANS 10:14‒17Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. John 4:50If Jesus had told this man previously that his son was living, he could not have believed it. But now he does believe it. The Word bursts into his heart and stirs up a different faith in him so that he becomes another man. To meet the greater shock which he received, the Lord gave him greater strength. Now he must cling to what he does not see. Previously, he did not believe that Christ had the power to help his son without seeing him or going to him.It requires quite a strong faith for a man to believe in his heart what he does not see or comprehend, something that is contrary to his understanding and reason, and to cling to the Word alone. Nothing shows its face here. He has recourse to nothing at all but to believe.In faith one must put everything out of one’s sight except the Word of God. Anyone who lets his eyes stray anywhere else is already lost. Faith clings alone to the pure and simple Word; it will not take its eyes off the Word. It sees nothing else but the Word and knows nothing at all of its own works and merits. If the heart is not bared to faith in this way, all is lost.Faith clings to the Word of God alone and so remains a living reality, for the Word is always a living reality. Hence, he who clings to the Word lives and abides forever, because the Word lives and abides forever.SL.XI.1766, 12‒13AE. 79:225-232PRAYER: Lord, You want our faith at all times to be simple and pure. Grant us Your Holy Spirit to bring us to such a pure and simple faith, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXI - TUESDAYLESSON: JOHN 20:26‒29Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” John 4:48We have mentioned the outstanding faith of this royal official and pointed out that Jesus was pleased with his faith. How does this agree with what we read here? If his faith and confidence brought this official to Jesus, why does Jesus now say to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe”? He wants to show this man that his faith is not yet strong enough; he still wants to see and experience the presence of Christ.Christ also reprimanded the disciples in the ship when the storm came upon them, saying, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26). It is as though He meant to say to them, “Where is your faith now?” Therefore, no matter how good and upright faith is, it is bound to fall short in a moment of crisis if it is not exercised and developed.You must never think that it is enough to begin to believe. You must always exercise a very watchful care to remain established in faith; otherwise, it will decline. You must take precautions to retain the treasure which you have obtained. The devil is always using his cunning and power to tear this treasure from your heart.The increase of faith is as strong as its beginning, and probably even stronger. But it is all God’s work. Like infant milk, faith at first is sweet and small. When some real blasts arise and assail faith, God must strengthen it; otherwise, it will not stand up to the blows. It is Christ’s intention here to strengthen this official’s faith with the remark. “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”SL.XI.1764,8‒9AE. 79:225-232PRAYER: Strengthen our faith, O Lord, so that with our whole hearts we trust in the promises and assurances of Your Word and saving Gospel, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXI - MONDAYLESSON: ROMANS 4:13‒25At Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. John 4:46‒47Scripture teaches that there must be increase and progress in faith. It is quite true that you have Christ by faith, even if your treasure is wrapped only in a poor piece of cloth. But you must still make an effort to retain it and not lose it.This royal official, whoever he was (I think he was a servant of King Herod), had advanced so far in his faith that he believed that if only he could persuade Jesus to come to his house, his son would certainly receive all the help he needed. He had heard the Gospel concerning Christ, namely, that he was ready to help everyone who was brought to Him and refused His goodness to no one. This good news his faith grasped; it compelled him to go to Jesus. If he had felt in his heart that no one could really be certain that Jesus would help him, he would not have come to Him. It is quite certain that prior to this he had made up his mind and firmly believed that Jesus would help him.It is the nature and character of faith to build up a picture in a man’s heart which reflects the goodness of Christ. The write of Hebrews says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1), that is, of good things hoped for from God. The faith of this man is of such a kind that if he had continued in it he would certainly have been saved thereby. The Lord was certainly pleased with this man’s faith.SL.XI.1764,6‒7AE. 79:225-232PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You have given us countless examples of the riches of Your goodness toward us in Your holy Word and especially in Your Gospel. Grant us at all times steadfastness of faith and trust, that we may always believe Your promises and assurances with our whole hearts, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXI - SUNDAYLESSON: JOHN 4:47‒54One Lord, one faith, one baptism. Ephesians 4:5You are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28This Gospel sets before us an example of faith. St. John reminds us in no less than three places that this official believed in Jesus. We can easily understand, therefore, how someone might feel inclined to ask what kind of faith this man had, seeing that the evangelist seems to make so much of it. We have said so much about faith and the Gospel in our sermons, that I think we should understand it very well. But because it tends to crop up again and again, we must look at it quite frequently.In the first place, as I have frequently stated, faith, through the Gospel, brings the whole of the Lord Jesus Christ to men with all His blessings. One Christian has just as much as any other Christian. A child baptized today has no less than St. Peter and all the saints in heaven. We are all alike in faith. One man has the treasure as fully and completely as another man.This Gospel also speaks of the increase of faith. This, it would seem, introduces differences in faith. Although faith enjoys Christ and all His blessings fully, it must always be cultivated and practiced so that a man becomes quite sure of it and holds fast to his treasure. Here there is a difference between two positions, between the man who has something and the man who takes a good hold of it, that is, between a strong faith and a weak faith.A treasure as great as the one offered to us in the Gospel must be grasped firmly and kept so that it is not lost carelessly or taken away from us. The treasure is certainly mine even if it is wrapped up in a poppy leaf, but it is not as well kept as when it is locked in an iron chest.SL.XI.1762,1‒3AE. 79:225-232PRAYER: We thank and praise You, heavenly Father, for the mercy and grace You have shown us in bestowing upon us all the blessings of Your kingdom. Keep us ever mindful of the treasures that we enjoy in Your kingdom, and grant that we ever cling to them with all our heart, in and through Christ our Savior. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XX - SATURDAYLESSON: ACTS 5:1‒11“Everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.” Matthew 22:4“Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment? Matthew 22:12In order to provide guests for the marriage feast, the king’s servants must never cease to continue with their proclamation, inviting all whom they meet to come to the marriage feast. The king wants a full table at this feast. The most important, holy, and mighty people who were invited first would not come. As Luke tells the parable, the king then sent out his servants to invite “the poor and maimed and blind and lame” (Luke 14:21). These are the heathen, who were not numbered among God’s chosen people, had nothing about which to become presumptuous, and were quite glad to accept the invitation extended to them.On inspecting the guests, the king found a scoundrel amongst the crowd, sitting at the table, whom he quickly recognized and condemned. He did not have a wedding garment. He had not come to this marriage out of any feeling of respect, but to disgrace the bridegroom and the king who had invited him. By this man is indicated those who are numbered among true Christians, who hear the Gospel and are to be found in the external fellowship of the Church but who merely make a pretense of accepting the Gospel in hypocrisy.Here we see that the Church on earth, considered according to its external fellowship, is a congregation of such as hear the true teaching of the Gospel of Christ, and believe and confess it. They also have the Holy Spirit who sanctifies them and works in them through the Word and Sacrament. Among these, however, there are still to be found some false Christians and hypocrites.SL.XI.1759,29‒30AE. 79:213-223PRAYER: Lord God, You have told us very clearly in Your Word that only the pure in heart will see You. Give us such singleness of heart and mind that we may always serve You in spirit and truth, without any hypocrisy, in and through Christ our Savior. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XX - FRIDAYLESSON: 1 CORINTHIANS 2:6‒13This is a great mystery, and I take it to mean Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:32It is always our own old Adam, the corrupted nature of man, which prevents our heart from fully recognizing the joy and consolation which should be ours as members of Christ’s kingdom. It is, and in some respects remains, a mystery, a secret, hidden, deep, concealed, and incomprehensible. That is also why Paul calls all this “a great mystery” (Ephesians 5:32). But it is nevertheless something great, excellent, and wonderful.It is something mysterious, not only to the blind, foolish world which never even thinks of these high spiritual matters and does not understand them, but also to the beloved apostles and outstanding Christians who find that there is quite enough to learn and to believe. No matter how long they concern themselves with these matters, preach about them, and search them out, they are compelled to confess that there is a mystery in these matters for them in this life. Even St. Paul speaks quite freely about the limitations imposed on his understanding by the weakness of his flesh. He says, “I am carnal, sold under sin. I do not understand my own actions” (Romans 7:14‒15). David, too, raises complaints in many of his psalms. But there will be no mysteries in the future life, where we shall see without any coverings or darkness, and live in eternal joy.In this present life, it can still remain in some respects a hidden, concealed spiritual marriage which one cannot see with one’s eyes or grasp with one’s reason. Only faith can grasp these matters, faith which clings to the Word alone which tells us about these things and which we may be able to grasp only weakly here because of the perversity of our flesh.SL.XI.1753,14AE. 79:213-223PRAYER: There are many things in Your Word, especially in Your Gospel of salvation, heavenly Father, which are mysteries and beyond our understanding. Give us at all times the faith to accept Your Word and to believe it with our whole heart, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XX - THURSDAYLESSON: PHILIPPIANS 4:4‒7“Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” John 16:22We must learn to accept and to believe the Word. Christ Himself proclaims this Word to us, and God has commanded us to believe it as the truth. To reject this Word is tantamount to calling Christ a liar. We must learn to believe and trust the Word despite what our feelings may be inclined to suggest to us.If you are to believe the Word, you cannot cling to what your own thoughts or feelings may suggest. You must cling to God’s Word, no matter how little you actually feel or experience it. If you are a person who realizes his need and wretchedness, and have a hearty desire to participate in the consolation and love of Christ, give your ears and heart to Christ. Take hold of the comforting picture presented in the Gospel (Matthew 22:1‒14), in which He shows that He wants you to acknowledge Him and believe in Him. You can be sure, He has an even deeper love and concern for you than any earthly bridegroom has for his beloved bride. On the other hand, He expects such a heartfelt confidence and joy from you towards Himself that it exceeds that of any bride for her bridegroom.We could all probably find any amount of cause here to reprehend our unbelief and declare, “If such warm, heartfelt confidence and joy can be found between a bride and bridegroom, after all a rather insignificant and transient matter, why do I not find greater joy in my godly and faithful Savior Christ, who gave Himself for me as my very own possession? What a wretched thing this unbelief is! It keeps my heart from being full of laughter and eternal joy.”SL.XI.1752,13AE. 79:213-223PRAYER: Lord, remove from us all diffidence, lukewarmness, and unbelief, and confirm us in the full joy of salvation, which is always ours in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XX - WEDNESDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 19:1‒6Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of His body. Ephesians 5:28‒30The love of a man and woman in marriage is a parable or a picture of the great, hidden, but wonderful union of Christ with His Church. All believers are members of that Church, and, as St. Paul says, they are members of Christ’s body (Ephesians 5:30), of His flesh and bones, as in the beginning, at the creation, the woman was taken from the man.What a great, unfathomable, and unspeakable love God must have for us for the divine nature thus to become united with us and merged with our flesh and blood, for God’s Son truly to become one flesh and one body with us and to receive us into such a lofty status! He is not merely content to become our brother; He also becomes our bridegroom, turns to us and gives us as our very own possession all His divine blessings, wisdom, righteousness, life, strength, and power. Yes, we are even destined to become “partakers of the divine nature,” as St. Peter declares (2 Peter 1:4). All this He wants us to believe.We have had this great honor and many blessings conferred upon us so that we should joyfully and in all confidence take comfort in this Lord like a bride in her bridegroom’s property and honor. Christ’s Christendom is, therefore, wife and queen in heaven and on earth; for she is called the bride of God who is Lord of all the creatures. In the highest manner possible, He gives authority and power over sin, death, the devil, and hell.SL.XI.1750,8AE. 79:213-223PRAYER: Thanks and praise be Yours, O Lord, for the wonderful love You have shown to us and bestowed upon us in the gift of Your Son. May we ever maintain the tie of love which unites us with Him, and experience all the joys of full and free salvation in His name. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XX - TUESDAYLESSON: 1 TIMOTHY 4:1‒15He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22Wherever the estate of marriage lives up to its name and you have what may be called a proper marriage with man and wife getting on well with each other, there is, first of all, true mutual trust and confidence on both sides.Among other praise which Solomon bestows on a pious wife, he notes it as something especially praiseworthy that “the heart of her husband trusts in her” (Proverbs 31:11). He can rely on her, entrust his body and life, property and honor to her.On the other hand, the wife’s heart is also attached to her husband; he is her greatest and most precious treasure on this earth. She knows that she can rely on him for honor, protection, and help in all her needs.Such a united, perfectly mutual and constant trust of the heart is not to be found among other persons and estates as between a master and servant, a woman and her maid, not even between parents and children. For in all these cases, love is not equal in strength, not as completely mutual, and does not remain such a constant bond as it does in the estate of marriage ordained by God.This has been God’s intention from the beginning, for He said after the creation of Eve, “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).SL.XI.1749,6AE. 79:213-223PRAYER: Heavenly Father, already at the creation of the world You ordained the estate of marriage for man as one of his choicest and richest blessings. May all who are Your children and members of Your kingdom always regard this estate as something very precious and experience in it the true joy that you intended men to find in it, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XX - MONDAYLESSON: ISAIAH 61:10‒11“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast.” Matthew 22:2‒3The Lord Jesus Christ portrays the kingdom of heaven for us in this parable in a most loving and comforting manner. He tells us that in some respects there is resemblance between what happens in the kingdom of heaven and at a royal marriage feast. At such a marriage feast, the king’s son is given a bride, and it is a scene of the highest joy and splendor with many being invited to share in the joy.Among all the parables by which God illustrates Christ’s kingdom for us, this is a choice and lovely picture. Christianity or the Christian estate is called a marriage, or a marriage union, in which God Himself chooses a Church here on earth for His Son which He, on His part, receives to Himself as His own bride.Here, by means of our own life and experience, God wants to explain and indicate, as in a mirror, what we Christians have in Christ. Through the most common estate on this earth, that estate in which we were begotten, brought up, and have lived ourselves, he preaches a daily sermon and exhorts us to remember and to think of this great mystery, as St. Paul calls it in Ephesians 5:32.St. Paul tells us that the union of a man and his wife in marriage, as ordained by God, should be for us an important, beautiful, and wonderful sign and a comprehensible, though spiritual, picture which demonstrates and indicates something special, outstanding, and important, something hidden and incomprehensible to human reason, namely, Christ and His Church.SL.XI.1748,5AE. 79:213-223PRAYER: Lord Jesus, our beloved Savior, You have assured us in so many ways of Your unceasing love for us, and have proved it in Your suffering and death on the cross. Abide with us with all Your love, now and forevermore. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XX - SUNDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 22:1‒14The kingdom of God does not mean food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17Christ forms the Christianity which He has brought into being in such a way that He calls it, and all that has reference to its sway here on earth, the kingdom of heaven. He does this to indicate that through the Gospel He has called a people for Himself on earth and separated them from the rest of the world. He does not call it a kingdom because He wants it to be fashioned and ordered just like any other external, secular regime, with worldly dominion, authority, goods, and the maintenance of external, secular righteousness, discipline, defense, and peace. There has been plenty of this set up from time immemorial, and this secular rule has been entrusted to man and left to the best of his abilities. Through sin, however, secular authority has been weakened and corrupted so that conditions are never quite as they should be, and a poor, wretched, and weak earthly regime is as weak and transient as this body of ours, this maggot-sack, and never continues any longer, even under the best of conditions, than bodily needs and conditions allow.Over and above all this, God has ordered and set up His own heavenly regime for Himself, after making Himself known in His unfathomable grace and giving us His Word in addition. In this way, He has prepared and gathered together a people for Himself and saved them from His wrath, eternal death, and sin. They had fallen into this wretched condition through sin and were altogether unable to help themselves out of their troubles by any human wisdom, counsel, or might. In His grace, however, God leads them to a true knowledge of Himself, whereby they praise and glorify Him forever.This is what Christ calls the kingdom of heavenSL. XI.1747,2‒3AE. 79:213-223PRAYER: Give us at all times a true and correct understanding of the nature and purpose of Your Church, heavenly Father, in which You bestow heavenly blessings upon us through Your Holy Spirit, given us in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XIX - SATURDAYLESSON: PSALM 32:1‒5“Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He then said to the paralytic—“Rise, take up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. Matthew 9:4‒8If there were no human being on earth who could forgive us our sins, and there were only laws and works, what a feeble, wretched thing our poor, afflicted conscience would be! But now that God has filled every mouth so that it can say to its neighbor, “Your sins are forgiven you, no matter where you may be,” a real jubilee year has dawned for all men.As a result of this, we should adopt a bold stance over against sin. When we encounter a brother who is in fear and trembling because of his sins, we should tell the poor man quite confidently: “Be joyful and assured, my brother, your sins are forgiven you! Although I cannot give you the Holy Spirit and faith, I can nevertheless proclaim them to you. If you believe, you will receive.” And those to whom Christ gives the Holy Spirit and faith, thank and praise God as the people did in the Gospel (Matthew 9:1‒8).This also means that God has given man the power and authority to forgive sins. This is extending the kingdom of Christ, healing and establishing a troubled conscience. We do this through the Word. God grant that we may grasp it in this way.SL.XI.1723,31PRAYER: Blessed indeed are we, heavenly Father, in the knowledge and assurance of the forgiveness of sins. Let us never underrate this glorious message, even when it is proclaimed to us by one of our brethren, in and through Christ our Savior. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:196-210.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XIX - FRIDAYLESSON: PSALM 130And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:22‒23The Pharisees knew quite well that it was God’s work alone to forgive sins. They regarded Christ as a blasphemer because He whom they regarded as nothing more than a man presumed to forgive sins.Sin is forgiven in two ways. First, sin is driven out of the heart and grace is poured in. This God alone can do. Secondly, the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed. This one man can do for another man.Christ here does both. He gives the paralytic the forgiveness of sins inwardly in his heart, and He proclaims the forgiveness of his sins outwardly to him by means of His Word. This is the forgiveness of sins by means of the Word and the proclamation and public preaching of this internal forgiveness.This power belongs to all who are baptized Christians. Hereby they praise Christ and carry the Word of the forgiveness of sins in their mouth so that they can and may say whenever they so desire and as often as it is necessary, “Take heart; your sins are forgiven! Believe it; be quite sure of it!” and whatever other words they choose to use.This proclamation will not cease among Christians until the last day: Your sins are forgiven you; take heart and be assured!” These words a Christian always has in his mouth, and he openly proclaims the Word in which sins are forgiven. In this way, every Christian has power and authority to forgive sins.SL.XI.1722,28‒29PRAYER: We bless and praise You, O Lord, for the wonderful privilege You have conferred on us as Your children, to announce the full and free forgiveness of sins to sinners. May we ever remain conscious of this privilege and practice it in love towards our neighbor, in and through Christ our Savior. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:196-210.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XIX - THURSDAYLESSON: MARK 9:38‒41“Whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42We must spread the Word very diligently and energetically among our fellowmen. I must eat and drink, adorn and clothe myself, not merely to preserve my life but to spread the Word. Wherever the best interests of God’s Word are not the determining factor in a Christian’s life, that life is not as it should be. I must help men in regard to their conscience according to the Word. I must provide my neighbor with food and drink and do all I can for him to assist him in the most important matter of all, the settlement of his conscience.This is the service that his friends render to the paralytic in this week’s Gospel. They certainly render him a bodily service or work, but they are also at the same time instrumental in the settlement of his soul. Hence, if I feed a hungry man, give a thirsty man a drink, clothe a naked man, and so forth, I do it not only to give him this bodily help, but in the hope that by these works I may also influence him to turn to Christ and to win him for Christ.These works are performed outside of the kingdom, for those not in the kingdom, in the hope of bringing them into the kingdom. Whether you are man, woman, or child, you should know that Christ gives you His Gospel and brings you into His kingdom so that you should make it the one aim of your whole life to help others, the sick and the needy, in the hope of bringing them also into Christ’s kingdom or confirming them in their Christian faith.SL.XI.1719,22‒23PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, it is Your will that we should readily help our fellowmen in every need and wherever possible make Your wonderful goodness known to them through us. Enable us at all times to let our light shine so that men may glorify You, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:196-210.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XIX - WEDNESDAYLESSON: PSALM 103:1‒13“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25The forgiveness of sins is a very short phrase, but it comprises the whole kingdom of Christ. Men always have sins, but they must be recognized and acknowledged. When I have recognized them, forgiveness and grace are readily available. Before forgiveness enters the picture, there is absolutely nothing but sin. I am compelled to acknowledge this. I feel and know that all that is in me is blindness. Without this acknowledgment, the forgiveness of sins will not hold its ground. We never fall short in the matter of sins, but we do fall short in our acknowledgment of sins. The forgiveness of sins follows the acknowledgment of sins.There is, however, quite a difference between God’s forgiveness of our sins and our forgiveness of our neighbor’s sins. When we forgive our neighbor, we may recall that sin again subsequently and throw it in our neighbor’s face. When God forgives us our sin it is something much higher. God no longer condemns us; He abandons all His wrath. Indeed, He never thinks of our sins again as He reminds us in this text from Isaiah.And having abandoned His wrath, He also removes hell, the devil, death, and every misfortune which the devil may bring along. Instead of wrath He gives us grace, consolation, salvation, and every good thing that He Himself is.SL.XL.1715,12PRAYER: There is always forgiveness with You, O God, as You assure us times without number in Your holy Word. Implant this wonderful truth in our hearts in such a manner that we trust in it and believe in it implicitly, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:196-210.