Trinity Lutheran Church Cape Cod

09/06/2026

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09/06/2026

TRINITY 14 SERMON: ST. MATTHEW 10:16-20

IN NOMINE JESU

Prayer: Lord God, heavenly Father, by Your blessed Word and Your holy Baptism You have mercifully cleansed all who believe from the fearful leprosy of sin, and You daily grant us Your gracious help in all our need: We beseech You so to enlighten our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that we may never forget these Your blessings, but ever live in Your fear, and, trusting fully in Your grace, with thankful hearts continually praise and glorify You; through Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen.

Text - The Holy Ghost has caused to be written in St. Matthew 10,16/20: Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

It was sunny and dry…but it was no vacation. Because of the evil of King Ahab and his even more wicked Queen Jezzebel, God had caused the skies and streams and rivers of Israel to dry up. This, of course, made them angry with the Lord and against his anointed spokesman; and so God told the Prophet Elijah to head east and hide across the Jordan river to avoid Ahab’s wrath. There he was able to get water from the brook and miraculously to be fed by the ravens whom God sent twice each day carrying bread and meat in their beaks.

But then, with the drought, the brook dried up, and so the Lord sent His prophet to Zarephath – where he met a widow gathering sticks by the town’s gate. He asked her for some bread, but she replied that she only had enough flour to bake a small loaf, enough for one last meal for herself and her son before they would starve to death. Elijah insisted, telling her (1Kings 17,13/14)r: Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.” And so it happened. All three survived the long famine by God’s grace.

We heard Jesus tell His disciples, in a way, that they would be very much like Elijah in that the world – like Ahab and Jezebel – the world would not be kind to them. Even though they would be speaking the Word of God, this would enrage many of those listening and they would be as sheep being preyed on by wolves as they wandered the fields of the world. And notice, our Lord did not tell them how to avoid these murderous ones, but that the wolves would torment and even feast on them because the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified would be so offensive to these who trusted in themselves.

Now, there’s a part of each one of us that is offended because of this. Oh, sure, we aren’t like those St. Paul described earlier. Which one of us has committed such sins as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like. It’s easy for you, for me to say, “Well, I’m not that bad, am I?” and so feel that we’re not destined for hell like all the rest out there.

Remember, though, how Jesus described sin to those who trusted in themselves that they were good enough to earn God’s love (St. Matthew 5,21/22): You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, “Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Notice how Jesus, yes, starts with condemning murder, but then puts an equal sign after that to say that even the thoughts of hatred we harbor in our hearts condemn us just as much as literally killing someone.

And so, when we listen to Jesus speak to His disciples of the troubles that would follow them as they preached the Gospel to every creature, we can hardly congratulate ourselves as being fit messengers of the crucified and risen Christ. No, we must confess what it is that we are, what it is that we have done and keep doing, not because admitting it is the first step to getting better and becoming more holy; but because it’s the truth. You and I should despair of having enough credit with God our Father that He will be moved to save us.

Think about how Jesus’ disciples may have felt as they heard the words of our text. Now, don’t get me wrong, we know there were times when they felt pride in themselves, in the lives they lived, just as the Pharisees did. Peter’s exclaiming that he was willing, even eager to die with Jesus, is evidence of that. But our Lord was warning them then of what most certainly would happen later. They could not rest on their holiness as though that would protect them from harm.

You know the truth about that. As best we can say, twelve out of the thirteen (including St. Paul) would be put to death for confessing salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Twelve would be brutally murdered, twelve would be shamed before the eyes of the Roman world as they were accused of being worse even than those enemies who attacked the empire with swords and spears.

And they were worse than that! But that’s the nature of the Law and the Gospel. The Law first reveals the real truth that every one of us would rather avoid, the truth that we are literally powerless to do enough good to get to heaven, paradise, Nirvana, whatever. But then, when our hope in ourselves is dashed, our true Hope is revealed. It is the crucified Jesus who took upon Himself all the world’s sins, all the world’s weakness, all the world’s unbelief and bore in His own body and spirit what you deserve and in this shameful-looking way, paid that debt in full for you.

Jesus thus summarizes what you can expect as one who follows Him. He was crucified, you are crucified. He was hated, and so you are too. That’s the nature of Christ’s Church in this depraved world. St. John Chrysostom wrote this: Again, he is preparing them for this new sort of combat.

They are to suffer wrong and willingly permit others to inflict punishment upon them. This is meant to teach them that the victory is in suffering evil for the sake of good. By this means their eternal trophies are being prepared. He does not instruct them to fight and resist those who would persecute them. All he promises them is that they will suffer with him the utmost ills.

How ridiculous this all sounds to us, we who live in a world that respects power and might. Be gentle as doves, Jesus says. And what He means by that is that we do not advance His kingdom by might or force. No, He tells His disciples, His Church not just to meet the wolves in the field, but to go out and be among them, speak to them, love them as we have been loved. We do not live in isolation as monks or nuns who disconnect from the world and its temptations. No, we are covered in the dust that covers everyone. Our sins are as damning as theirs. Yet we speak to them of the hope in which we live, the hope of forgiveness, life, and salvation that is ours because our guilt – your guilt - is taken away as theirs can be.

But some will still not believe, in part because of how unsuccessful Jesus’ faithfull Church looks to their eyes. All they see is what Isaiah wrote about. I mean, its Savior is described this way (Isaiah 53,7) He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. That, what we see before us every time we enter this room, is all they see. They take Jesus’ and His suffering to be a shameful thing, a weak thing, a defeating thing. But in this death is our victory and thus we proclaim for the world to hear that our salvation, our forgiveness, even our life is found in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

This is your new hope. The things of sin are done away with as are their condemnations. We heard St. Paul put it this way in today’s Epistle: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. These are the fruits, the results of having the Spirit of God living in you. St. Paul wrote this in his first letter to the Corinthians (6,19): Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

You, and everything you are is from God. You have been reborn as sons and daughters of the King through the waters of baptism. You are declared to be His holy child in His absolution. You are fed at His table as His beloved with His very own body and blood, who here and now takes all of your guilt away. Come what may, no matter what this world seeks to do to you, this, all this, is yours. Your guilt is gone and heaven is made your everlasting home!

In this you are very much like Elijah. No, you are not a wandering prophet of the Lord, or at least it seems that way. Truth be told, though, you are. In this life you are created by God’s love for you to give that love to one to the world for whom Jesus lived and died, and in this home, this place, you find your protection, food, and rest. Our Lord put it this way: You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

Thank God this is the truth! When I speak from His Word it is not me who speaks. I am far too weak and sinful for that. No, everything I say must be found in God’s holy Word and spoken by His command and promise. Not to make it official, but because it is right. Declared to you in this place is the truth, yes, of your sin. The Law is still from the Lord. But more than that, the truth of your salvation is certain in this moment because all your guilt is taken away from you and the holiness of Jesus Christ now dwells in you. You who were unrighteous, are now called holy in God’s sight.

Today the leprosy of your sin is healed. Today, as did the one healed Samaritan, you give thanks and praise for what God has done to heal you. And so now, as did Elijah, the widow, and her son, now you feast on these great gifts set before you to preserve you in faith now and for the life of the world to come forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Forevermore. Amen.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

09/05/2026

TRINITY 14 HYMNS
SEPTEMBER 6, 2026

OPENING HYMN: TLH 525

1 As pants the hart for cooling streams
When heated in the chase,
So longs my soul, O God, for Thee
And Thy refreshing grace.
2 For Thee, my God, the living God,
My thirsty soul doth pine;
Oh, when shall I behold Thy face,
Thou majesty Divine?

3 Why restless, why cast down, my soul?
Hope still; and thou shalt sing
The praise of Him who is thy God,
Thy health’s eternal Spring.
4 To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God Whom we adore,
Be glory as it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.

PSALM 65

Antiphon
P: Praise is awaiting You, O `God, in Zion;/ And to You the vow `shall be performed.
Psalm
P: O `You who hear prayer,/ To You `all flesh will come.
C: Iniquities pre`vail against me;/ As for our transgressions, You will provide a`tonement for them.
P: Blessed is the man You choose, And cause `to approach You,/ That he may `dwell in Your courts.
C: We shall be satisfied with the good`ness of Your house,/ Of Your `holy temple.
P: By awesome deeds in righteousness You `will answer us,/ O God of `our salvation,
C: You who are the confidence of all the `ends of the earth,/ And of `the far-off seas;
P: Who established the moun`tains by His strength,/ Being `clothed with pow-er;
C: You who still the noise of the seas, The `noise of their waves,/ And the tumult `of the peoples.
P: They also who dwell in the farthest parts are a`fraid of Your signs;/ You make the outgoings of the morning and `evening rejoice.
C: You visit the earth `and water it,/ You great`ly enrich it;
P: The river of God is `full of water;/ You provide their grain,
For so You `have prepared it.
C: You water its ridges `abundantly,/ You set`tle its furrows;
P: You make it `soft with showers,/ You `bless its growth.
C: You crown the year `with Your goodness,/ And Your paths drip `with abundance.
P: They drop on the pastures of `the wilderness,/ And the little hills rejoice `on every side.
C: The pastures `are clothed with flocks;/ The valleys also are `covered with grain;
P: They `shout for joy,/ they `also sing.
ALL: Glory be to the Father `and to the Son/ and to `the Holy Ghost;
ALL: As it was in the be`ginning, is now,/ and ever shall be, forever`more. Amen.
Pastor Repeats Antiphon

CHIEF HYMN: TLH 384

1 Oh, how great is Thy compassion,
Faithful Father, God of grace,
That with all our fallen race
And in our deep degradation
Thou wast merciful that we
Might be saved eternally!

2 Thy great love for this hath striven
That we may from sin be free
And forever live with Thee;
Yea, Thy Son Himself hath given
In His grace an earnest call
To His Supper unto all.

3 And for this our souls' salvation
Voucheth Thy good Spirit, Lord,
In Thy Sacraments and Word.
He imparteth consolation,
Granteth us the gift of faith
That we fear nor hell nor death.

4 Lord, Thy mercy will not leave me--
Truth doth evermore abide--
Then in Thee I will confide.
Since Thy Word cannot deceive me,
My salvation is to me
Well assured eternally.

5 I will praise Thy great compassion,
Faithful Father, God of grace,
That with all our fallen race
And in our deep degradation
Thou wast merciful that we
Might bring endless praise to Thee.

DISTRIBUTION HYMN #1: TLH 393

1. From God shall naught divide me,
For He is true for aye
And on my path will guide me,
Who else should often stray.
His right hand holdeth me;
For me He truly careth,
My burdens ever beareth
Wherever I may be.

2. When man's help and affection
Shall unavailing prove,
God grants me His protection
And shows His pow'r and love.
He helps in ev'ry need,
From sin and shame redeems me,
From chains and bonds reclaims me,
Yea, e'en from death I'm freed.

3. God shall be my Reliance
In sorrow's darkest night;
Its dread I bid defiance
When He is at my right.
I unto Him commend
My body, soul, and spirit--
They are His own by merit--
All's well then at the end.

4. Oh, praise Him, for He never
Forgets our daily need;
Oh, blest the hour whenever
To Him our thoughts can speed;
Yea, all the time we spend
Without Him is but wasted,
Till we His joy have tasted,
The joy that hath no end.

5. Yea, when the world shall perish
With all its pride and power,
Whatever worldlings cherish
Shall vanish in that hour.
But though in death they make
The deepest grave our cover,
When there our sleep is over,
Our God will us awake.

6. What though I here must suffer
Distress and trials sore,
I merit ways still rougher;
And yet there is in store
For me eternal bliss,
Yea, pleasures without measure,
Since Christ is now my Treasure
And shall be evermore.

DISTRIBUTION HYMN #2: TLH 569

1 O Lord, I sing with mouth and heart,
Joy of my soul, to Thee;
To earth Thy knowledge I impart
As it is known to me.

2 Thou art the Fount of grace, I know,
And Spring so full and free
Whence saving health and goodness flow
Each day so bounteously.

3 For what have all that live and move
Thro' this wide world below
That does not from Thy bounteous love,
O heav'nly Father, flow!

4 Who built the lofty firmament?
Who spread th'expanse of blue?
By whom are to our pastures sent
Refreshing rain and dew?

5 Who warmeth us in cold and rain?
Who shields us from the wind?
Who orders it that fruit and grain
We in their season find?

6 Who is it life and health bestows?
Who keeps us with His hand
In golden peace, wards off war’s woes
From our dear native land?

7 O Lord, of this and all our store
Thou art the Author blest;
Thou keepest watch before our door
While we securely rest.

8 Thou feedest us from year to year
And constant dost abide;
With ready help in time of fear
Thou standest at our side.

9 Our deepest need dost Thou supply,
And all that lasts for aye;
Thou leadest us to our home on high
When hence we pass away.

DISTRIBUTION HYMN #3: TLH 309

1 O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.

2 Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blest am I! How good art Thou!

CLOSING HYMN: TLH 568

1. 1 We praise Thee,
O God, our Redeemer, Creator,
In grateful devotion our tribute we bring;
We lay it before Thee, we kneel and adore Thee;
We bless Thy holy name, glad praises we sing.

2 We worship Thee,
God of our fathers, we bless Thee;
Thro' life's storm and tempest
our Guide hast Thou been;
When perils o'ertake us, escape Thou wilt make us,
And with Thy help, O Lord, our battles we win.

3 With voices united
our praises we offer,
To Thee, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.
Thy strong arm will guide us, our God is beside us,
To Thee, our great Redeemer, forever be praise.

09/04/2026

YOUR TRINITY 14 TLC NOTES

YOUR TRINITY 14 TLC NOTES

Greetings, in Jesus’ holy Name!

I pray this finds you well.

Coming up: on Sunday, I will be leaving very soon after the morning service. I’ll need to catch a bus to head up to the Boston airport. I’ll be flying to Milwaukee to visit my brothers and sister whom I haven’t seen in person for a few years. And then on Wednesday I head to the Twin Cities for something called the ELS Circuit Visitors’ Conference. The Circuit Visitors are the ELS President’s representatives in each of our circuits. These are regions made up of the congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. We will discuss the various issues confronting the Synod in particular and the Christian faith in general. Please pray for us as we meet. I am scheduled to return Friday evening.

Don’t forget to give thanks on Monday, Labor Day, to our Creator for generously giving us the ability to provide for ourselves, our families, as well as for those who are unable to provide for themselves.

That’s about it! The weather - for the most part - sure has turned nice. Also, make sure to join us Sunday morning for the Divine Service. We have an even larger choir than usual. It was so much fun rehearsing with them last night!

Have a great weekend and I’ll see you on Sunday!

Your TLC Notes can be found below.

Yours, in Christ Jesus,
Pastor B.

08/30/2026

TRINITY 13 ON YOUTUBE

STREAMED WITH PERMISSION UNDER ONE LICENSE # M-402089.ALL RIGHTS R...

08/30/2026

TRINITY 13 SERMON: ST. MATTHEW 5:13-19

IN NOMINE JESU

Prayer: Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech You so to rule and govern our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that we may not, like the rich man, hear Your Word in vain, and become so devoted to things temporal that we forget things eternal; but that we readily and according to our ability serve those who are in need, and not defile ourselves with carousing and pride; in trial and misfortune keep us from despair, and grant us to put our trust wholly in Your fatherly help and grace, so that in faith and Christian patience we may overcome all things; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen.

Text: The Holy Ghost has caused to be written in St. Matthew 5,13/19 - You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Do you remember the Old Testament Judge named Gideon? He was the one called by God to defeat Israel’s enemies in a rather unconventional way. He was told to use trumpets, clay pots, and torches to throw their enemies into chaos so that they ultimately defeated themselves.

Gideon’s son Abimelech, though, was another story. Instead of being the Lord’s reluctant instrument, he, on the other hand, was a self-proclaimed king in, but not of, Israel. He ruled over a small area of the Promised Land for 3 years and to avoid any chance of someone else in his family throwing him out of office, he killed 69 of his 70 brothers.

His reign, though, did not make everybody happy. The people of Shechem who first helped place him on the throne, finally tired of his antics and rose up against him. But “King” Abimelech prevailed. And not only did he win, but he also actually destroyed the city, and, to add insult to injury, he then salted the city’s ground so that nothing would ever grow there again making it uninhabitable. This is something we all understand to a much smaller degree. Parts of my lawn still bear the marks of the salt used to keep our street drivable last winter.

So why would Jesus use salt in such a positive way, especially seeing how many people view salt. In these days of low sodium diets, salt is seen as an enemy of good health. And so there are all sorts of products that have reduced or eliminated it where it once was quite common. Its use has been discouraged by many and so you have “low sodium” this, or “low sodium” that.

Now, I’m not going to argue with medical science, at least from this pulpit, but there’s the simple fact that salt makes things taste better. It just does. In the early part of his suffering, Job once said (6,6/7): Can flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg? My soul refuses to touch them; They are as loathsome food to me.

Jesus thus made this comparison of salt and light: You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine! Right?
The salt and light pictures are used by Jesus because they both are things known and used by everyone. Tasting bland food, walking around blindly in darkness, these are the things the world does. Oh, sure, in our sin we think we are feasting in a well-lit banquet room, but is that the reality?

Our Lord elsewhere says (St. John 3,19): And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, (but) men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. In our secret thoughts, words said when no one is around, sinful deeds aplenty, are so often done by us out of sight, thinking that no one can see and accuse us of being unholy.

And so, much to our dismay, that light illuminates our hidden sinfulness. The salt reveals our lack of flavor. We are faithless followers of the One who came to live, die, and rise for us because we prefer the flavorless darkness of this life and these times. The Light, though, as Jesus said, He has come into the world. But it’s not a light meant only for us to see by in a dark room so we don’t trip and fall. No, it is a Light, a holy Light that is meant to shine out, yes, from the cross, but also to show the way, the clear path, to those who trust in the One hung on that cross.

That self-proclaimed king we spoke of earlier, after he burned Shechem and salted the ground in and around it, in his anger he moved on to another city to attack it. He was trying to consolidate his power. And as he approached the walls of this city – called Thebez - a woman hurled a large stone down from the top of those walls right on top of Abimelech’s head. He was grievously wounded and to save himself the shame of having been killed by a woman, he ordered his armourbearer to kill him. His father had defeated the army of the Midianites – thousands of them! – with only 300 men; Abimelech was defeated by a stone tossed by a common woman because he forgot to look up.

The cost of human pride is great, isn’t it? We think we’re valuable just, well, just because. Yet our sin has turned us from the height of the Lord’s creation into something unrecognizable and, really, into something dead. As St. Paul said, we were dead because of the sinfulness which was ours from the instant of our conception Then, though, he who well understood what that meant from his own life which was filled with sin and unbelief, said this (Colossians 2,13): And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

And so Jesus went on: Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Here Jesus teaches the value of all that He, as the Lord, had said. The commands of God are as much His Word as is the Gospel. They are just as valid and just as damning now as they were before Jesus was conceived and born of Mary. But you couldn’t keep that law, even in one, tiny, little point. And so, in His love, Jesus kept the Law in your place, and this morning He gives His clean slate to you. You are forgiven your guilt, you are forgiven your sins, so that not one of them remains to hound and curse you. Thus, the Law, which is God’s Word, is not done away with, it is completed for you, something told you by the Good News, by the Gospel.

St. Paul wrote in today’s Epistle reading: Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s last will and testament (a better word than “covenant”), yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the last will and testament that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect…Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

This is exactly what the lawyer we heard about in today’s Gospel couldn’t understand. Because he thought that he needed to do something for the Lord, Jesus’ words about the Law only made him feel more confident in himself that he had lived the right kind of life. But something, which he couldn’t define, was still gnawing at him. And so he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” He wanted names, doggone it, names so he could really keep God’s Law. But with His parable, Jesus wanted him – and others – to learn that it was they who needed help and that this One they despised – as they hated all Samaritans – this Jesus was the One who cared for and provided for them.

Referring to those like him, Jesus said this in our text: (THEREFORE) Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. That man refused to put himself in the place of the beaten man. He thought he was above such things. In his own mind he saw himself as his own savior who would carry himself over the finish line of heaven. And until He stopped trusting in himself, he would not see the truth.

To you this morning, though, that truth has been revealed. You were the man beaten by the thieves. You were the tasteless salt. You were the dark city on a hill. In Christ Jesus, though, and by the forgiveness of all your sins He grants you here this morning, your wounds are healed, your saltiness returned, your light, lit by God the Holy Spirit, so shines before men that they may glorify your Father who is in heaven!

You are like Gideon rather than his son Abimelech. You have in your hands the seemingly powerless weapons of God’s holy Word and Sacraments by which to fight against Satan and the evil he would inflict on you. You are called holy instead of you calling yourself holy. Abimelech called himself a king, but to you Jesus says in John’s Revelation (2,10): Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. You will live forever as monarchs in the glories of the new heavens and the new earth because your sins are gone and your guilt is covered over by the holy robe of Jesus’ perfection.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Forevermore. Amen.

SOLI DEO GLORIA