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THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVII - FRIDAY LESSON: PSALM 138:1‒6 “When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; and he who invited you both will come and say to you, “Give place to this man,” and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.” Luke 14:8‒10 This is an illustration for all of us; we must all heed the instruction given here, whether we are high or lowly. Jesus reproaches the Pharisees and the bigwigs who want to sit at the top and are prepared to trample over others to get there. Such people are always looking for places of honor. When such a place is offered us by someone with authority to offer it to us, we can accept it. Even so, there is never any excuse for trampling over others to get there. There are those, however, who think it possible to combine the spiritual and earthly realms and that therefore it is enough to be humble in heart and still make for the place of honor. True humility of heart must express itself in outward works, otherwise it is a feigned humility. Each of us should always go and sit in the lowest place. We should throw ourselves at the feet of others rather than try to force our way to the top, unless we are forced by circumstances beyond our control to accept such a seat of honor. If we follow this course, all will be well with us. If we do not learn this lesson, we shall ultimately be put to shame. SL 11:1684 (25‒26) AE 79:154‒161 PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, by precept and example You have taught us that in Your kingdom the greatest of all is always the servant of all, and that the humble shall be exalted. Make us content to take with gladness the lowest place and, if it pleases You to call us higher, preserve within us a simple and humble heart, to Your glory and honor. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVII - THURSDAY LESSON: 1 PETER 4:7‒10 “Which of you, having an ass or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” Luke 14:5 He means to say here, “You fools! Are you not quite mad and foolish? You do this for an ox or an ass, worth perhaps a few florins; much more should you be prepared to do it for your neighbor when he has need of your help, regardless of whether it happens to be a Sabbath day.” For the Sabbath, as He points out elsewhere, was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Hence, the Son of Man is lord also of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27‒28). Laws like the Sabbath laws received great emphasis among the Jews; their kings also laid great stress on them. They had to be strictly kept. When the prophets appeared and tried to interpret the Law in accordance with love, insisting that this is also how Moses meant the Law to be understood, there were false prophets at the royal courts who stuck fast to the text, claiming, “There it stands written; it is God’s Word, and it dare not be interpreted otherwise.” No matter how loudly the prophets insisted on the correct understanding, they encountered nothing but deafened ears. Not only this, but the kings, poor blind men that they were, started up and killed one prophet after the other. Ecclesiastical authorities follow much the same procedure even today. If one tells such people that we are not obliged to obey all their laws but only those slanted towards love, they immediately cry out, “Heretic, heretic!” And if they can do so, they put such a heretic to death, as they have already done quite extensively. SL 11:1680 (15‒16) AE 79:154‒161 PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, You have shown us extensively in Your Word, but more especially in Your Gospel of salvation, that with You love is always everything. Implant Your love in our hearts that we may live by it in our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVII - WEDNESDAY LESSON: 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1‒13 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:7 We should slant all our laws in such a way that they always bring out the necessity of love. When they are of service and useful to our neighbor, we must keep them; when they are harmful, we are to let them go. Take a rather crude example! Supposing a housefather had the rule that in his house fish, meat, wine, and beer must be eaten and drunk as it is available and procurable. And supposing that one of his servants became sick and could no longer drink beer or wine, or eat meat or fish, but that the housefather was not prepared to allow him any change of diet, saying, “You know what the rule is! It’s that or nothing else!” What would you think of such a housefather? He should be put on a permanent diet of hellebore to purge his brains! If he had any sense at all, he would simply say, “It is quite true that today, according to my rule or ordinance, we should be eating meat or fish. But because this food does not agree with you, eat what you like!” David illustrates this point when he ate the bread of the Presence which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests (Matthew 12:3). Neither David nor his servants were consecrated. Did he and his servants sin then in eating the consecrated bread which only the priests were permitted to eat (1 Samuel 21:1‒6)? God’s command was quite clear. David did not sin here. Why? Because the higher law, the law of love, compelled him to act in this way. In a Christian context, all laws must be slanted or bent according to the love of one’s neighbor. Where necessity demands it, love knows no laws. SL 11:1678 (10,13) AE 79:154‒161 PRAYER: O God, our heavenly Father, pour out Your love into our hearts in such a manner that it always flows over into our lives in fervent love for one another, in and through Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVII - TUESDAY LESSON: MATTHEW 15:1‒9 Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” Luke 14:3 The lawyers and Pharisees, of course, did not believe that it was lawful to heal or to do anything else on the Sabbath day. In this Gospel (Luke 14:1‒11), Jesus shows them that all laws, divine or human, bind us only as far as love permits. For Christians, love must always make the final decision in the interpretation of all laws. Where there is no love, all is over. The Law can only be harmful, no matter what the situation may be. It is even a principle of canon law that if any law runs counter to love, it should be set aside as soon as possible. This, in a word, is stated both of divine and human commandments. The reason for this is that all laws have been enacted for the sole purpose of setting up the principle of love, as Paul also reminds us in Romans when he says, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” Likewise: “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8, 10). We owe no one anything but to love one another. If I love my neighbor, I help him, protect him, accord him his due honors, and do to him what I would have others do to me. Therefore, since all laws should help to establish the principle of love, they must cease immediately that they run counter to love. In this Gospel, Christ’s deed of love to the man with the dropsy was far above any of the regulations pertaining to Sabbath observance. SL 11:1677 (8‒9) AE 79:154‒161 PRAYER: O God, let us never become so immersed in useless quibbles about rules and regulations that we forget our real duties of love to our neighbor. Keep our vision pure and unblurred, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVII - MONDAY LESSON: PSALM 34:1‒10 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High; and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Psalm 50:14‒15 Before we can come to faith, the Gospel must be proclaimed to us. To come to faith, we must know that God is so friendly and merciful to us that He sent us His Son from heaven to help us. This our conscience must hear and believe. Even if all creatures were friendly to us, it would not help us at all in the event of God being ungracious and unfriendly to us. On the other hand, if God is satisfied with us, no creature can harm us, as Paul reminds us when he says in the Epistle to the Romans, “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31). Therefore let death, the devil, hell, and all creatures rave and rage; they can harm us none. It is the function of the Gospel graciously to portray the man to us who is none other than God Himself. From this source, our heart draws faith and a friendly confidence towards God, namely, that He will help us through life and death. We also see this in the case of the man whom Jesus cured of dropsy. He had heard of the friendliness of Jesus, and he had come to believe that Jesus would also demonstrate His friendliness and goodness as far as he was concerned. The Pharisees had Jesus before them, but they never really believed in Him; they rejected Him in unbelief. The Gospel goes out to all men in general, but not all accept it. It is often rejected. SL 11:1676 (3‒4) AE 79:154‒161 PRAYER: Remove from our hearts all distrust and unbelief, heavenly Father, and fill our hearts with firm confidence in Your grace, mercy, and love as promised to us and bestowed upon us in and through our Savior. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVII - SUNDAY LESSON: LUKE 14:1‒11 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of Mine that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:1‒7 Two main points must be considered in this Gospel. One is a point which all the Gospels have in common, and the second one is something special. The first point, the point which all the Gospels have in common, is that they portray Christ for us, showing us who and what He is, and what we should expect from Him. In this respect the Gospels all teach us faith and love. They continually remind us of the importance of faith. The man who had dropsy illustrates this point. He had heard something of the Gospel beforehand. Some report had probably reached him of how the Lord Jesus Christ was such a friendly, good, and kind man, helping everyone and sending no one away without help and consolation. Had he not heard such a report about Christ, he would hardly have followed Him right into the Pharisee’s house. He must have received information on Christ and heard something very encouraging about Christ and believed it. SL 11:1674 (1‒2) AE 79:154‒161 PRAYER: Your promises and assurances, O Lord, are always most encouraging. Stir up within our hearts the faith and trust always to accept Your promises and assurances in all confidence, for Your mercy and truth’s sake. Amen.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVI - SATURDAYLESSON: ROMANS 8:28-30 For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing wrath, for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. Isaiah 54:7-8 The poor widow in this week’s Gospel (Luke 7:11-17) is so closely beset by very great sorrow and fear that she thinks that God, heaven, earth, and everything is opposed to her. Because she looks at all this from the viewpoint of the flesh and as it appears outwardly before her eyes, she must come to the conclusion that it is impossible for her to be released from such anxiety and fear. But when her son was awakened from death, it seemed just as if heaven and earth, wood and stone were laughing with her and that everything was rejoicing with her. She forgot all her pain and sorrow. It disappeared just like a little spark of fire is extinguished when it falls into the middle of the sea. Isaiah speaks of a “brief moment.” Sometimes I do not see it that way, and the “brief moment” seems an eternity. But in reality, it is only “a brief moment,” and it is followed by much joy as the psalmist also reminds us, saying, “Thou hast made him little less than God, and dost crown him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5). But that can still be hidden for us, and like the widow here in the Gospel, we do not see it. This deceased son is in the midst of life, for God has him in His bosom, and it was God’s intention to awaken him from death. There is a little spark of death there which proved itself his undoing for “a brief moment.” Of course, none of the people present saw it that way. But when he was restored to life again, that which was previously hidden before all the world became manifest. SL 11:1653 (14) PRAYER: Your ultimate purposes, O God, are sometimes hidden from us, but we are assured that You are always concerned for our good. So direct and govern us by Your Holy Spirit that, whatever befalls us, we are nevertheless convinced that all things must work for our good, in and through Jesus 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, 5:127-139.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVI - FRIDAYLESSON: 2 TIMOTHY 1:8-10 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 In our eyes, all miracles and works of God are impossible, and it is also impossible for nature to grasp them. The reason for this is that God wants us to recognize Him as an almighty Creator who brings forth a possibility from an impossibility and makes something out of nothing. It is impossible for me to become alive again after I have died. Even if I prayed to all the angels and saints for help in this respect, nothing would come of it. What could I hope for from my own free will here? Yet even in death I am bound to say, “I will live.” This does not take place because of anything in myself or due to myself. I know that I have a God who does not make something out of a piece of wood that might be lying before my eyes, but a God who can make a possibility out of an impossibility and something out of nothing. Otherwise, He would not be in reality the true God. Hence, if death came to me and I could live no longer, I would still be able to say, “I am still going to live and I want to live. The death which is hovering over me is like a tiny spark of fire, and the life that I hope to live looms as large as the ocean.” Reason cannot grasp how this comes to pass. But he who has faith knows this for certain. To the man with faith, death is as a tiny spark of fire in the middle of a great ocean of life, and the little spark is extinguished in a moment. God is almighty; and he who has faith is in God. SL 11:1652 (12-13) PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You are the conqueror of sin and death. In Your victory we are also conquerors of these bitter enemies. Be with us all the time of our earthly pilgrimage, especially in the hour of our death, for Your truth and name’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, 5:127-139.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVI - THURSDAYLESSON: PSALM 119:121-128 “I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.” John 14:18 The common lesson taught in all the Gospels is that we should learn from them what kind of God we have. In this week’s Gospel (Luke 7:11-17), the point that is made quite clear is that God forsakes no one. And so, He lets this widow see once again what kind of God she has. When she is forlorn and without a husband or son, Christ demonstrates to her that He is still at her side and says to her in effect, “Learn to believe and trust in God. Recognize Him to whom death and life are both alike. Be brave-hearted and courageous. Do not weep; there is no need for that.” Then Jesus steps up, awakens the dead man, and gives him to his mother. These and similar miracles are recorded in God’s Word that we may learn in our hearts what attitude to adopt over against God and what we should expect from Him. This woman had certainly made up her mind that she had lost her son and that it was impossible for her to receive him back again. Even if someone had assured her that within an hour her son would be alive again, she would have regarded it as impossible and declared, “It is more likely that the heavens will collapse than that my son should live again.” Before she has time to look about her, God intervenes and does what she had never even dared to regard as a possibility and restores her son to life. Why does God follow such a course? He allows a person to fall into such danger and fear that there is no longer any hope at all of counsel or help. But it is not His intention to lead us to despair. He wants us to put our faith and trust in Him alone who can bring forth a possibility from an impossibility, something out of nothing. SL 11:1651 (10-11) PRAYER: As far as we are concerned, O God, You are never far off but ever ready to help us, ever at our side and along all our paths and ways. Continue to support us with Your boundless grace, 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, 5:127-139.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVI - WEDNESDAYLESSON: 2 CORINTHIANS 9:10-15 O how abundant is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for those who fear thee, and wrought for those who take refuge in thee, in the sight of the sons of men! Psalm 31:19 In what happened to the widow at Nain, God lets us see what kind of God He is, how He regards us, and how we should regard Him. This woman was the subject of two misfortunes. In the first place, she was a widow. This is misfortune enough for one woman. She is forlorn and alone, with no one to look to for any comfort. This is why God is often spoken of in Scripture as the God of widows and orphans. Secondly, she has an only son who dies. This son should have been a consolation for her. But God intervenes and takes away her husband and her son. She would undoubtedly have preferred to lose her house and home, and even her own life, than this son and her husband. God certainly makes some changes here. While her husband was alive, this woman failed to recognize what a gift a husband can be; when he died, she really recognized this for the first time. So also with her son. While he was hale and healthy, she did not recognize him as God’s good gift to her; but after he died, she really recognized for the first time what a treasure she had lost. This is how matters stand with us. There are many people who begrudge the investment of ten florins in their child’s education. If the child dies, they suddenly change their mind and say, “Would to God that he was still alive! I would be prepared to spend hundreds of florins, anything, on him.” SL 11:1649 (8) PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, provide us with open minds and hearts so that we always clearly and readily acknowledge the riches of Your goodness toward us and give You due thanks with grateful hearts, through Jesus 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, 5:127-139.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVI - TUESDAYLESSON: PSALM 86:8-15 If many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many. Romans 5:15 At times God suffers a man to experience fear and distress, pain and sorrow. He suddenly finds himself in a world which seems to have no God. A man loses his sight; he becomes lame; he develops dropsy. God even lets him die like the widow’s son in this Gospel. All men are God’s creatures, and He can do with them as He pleases. Why does God create or suffer such situations? He is resorting here to extreme measures to keep us ever mindful of His goodness. John reports that on one occasion Jesus and His disciples came upon a man who was “blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him’” (John 9:1-3). He means to say, “God wants to be praised in this blind man. God sees that the treasures of the whole world do not move us. Hence, He must take some drastic action. Out of pure grace, He sets a blind man before our eyes so that we come to realize what a precious gift we possess in the gift of sight. And since we do not recognize His goodness and grace in something advantageous, we are compelled to note it and recognize it from something disadvantageous.” This man was born blind so that men might come to their senses and declare, “Merciful God, what a precious gift and what a blessing it is to have a healthy body and a fresh countenance!” But no one takes it to heart in this way. SL 11:1649 (7) PRAYER: Grant us grace at all times, heavenly Father, to interpret Your blessings for what they are, acts of Your grace and mercy, so that we may both acknowledge Your mercy and grace and return You due thanks for it, 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, 5:127-139.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVI - MONDAYLESSON: PSALM 100 “Your Father who is in heaven … makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45 If I only duly considered what God has done for me in giving me my eyes, truly, a very great treasure, it would not be very surprising if I died of shame for my thanklessness in never having thanked God for this great blessing. We do not recognize the blessing and the noble treasure because it is common. But when a child has been born blind, we realize what a painful affliction of the absence of sight can be and what a precious thing even a single eye is. A fresh, healthy countenance is certainly one of God’s good gifts to us. It serves us throughout our whole life. Without it, we would prefer to be dead. But how few there are who ever think of thanking God for something like this! Take a closer look at your body and you will find indications of God’s grace and goodness everywhere. The psalmist does not overstate the case when he says, “The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord” (Psalm 33:5). He had clear eyes and depth of vision so that he could see that the whole earth was full of God’s goodness and blessings. What moves God to bestow His goodness upon us? Have we deserved such treatment? Not at all! It is simply God’s good pleasure to cast forth His gifts and blessings upon the world in this manner. They embrace the thankless and the thankful without distinction. It annoys us when we have to part with one or two florins, or perhaps even less, and even if it is given to the poor. But how many blessings does not God shed abroad on this world daily, even when no one ever thanks Him for one of them? For that matter, who still acknowledges God’s goodness at all? SL 11:1648 (5) PRAYER: Your bounteous goodness and mercy towards us, heavenly Father, is altogether wonderful. Grant us at all times the ability to evaluate Your goodness correctly, 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, 5:127-139.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XVI - SUNDAYLESSON: LUKE 7:11-17 It depends not upon man’s will or exertion, but upon God’s mercy. Romans 9:16 In this Gospel the evangelist once again sets before us a divine miracle. In it he wants to encourage us to direct our hearts to God if we find ourselves in a situation like the one in which the widow found herself. This account was not written for the sake of this widow but for the sake of those who would hear the Gospel until the end of the world. We must also be counted among the latter. In the first place, it should be quite obvious to all of us that the kindness and grace conferred on this woman by Christ was altogether gratuitous; she did not earn it or merit it. She goes through the city with her friends, where there is nothing but wailing and weeping. It never even entered the thought of this good woman that she would bring back her son into the city alive. This is not her desire, and she does not ask for it. Even less did she merit it. Any idea of Christ’s intervention had never occurred to her; she did not know Christ, nor did she know that He helped people. All preceding merit and preparation are ruled out here. This has all been recorded so that we may draw a general conclusion from this which applies in the case of all benefits received from God. Just as this widow obtained a blessing freely and out of pure grace alone, solely and only because Christ was moved to pity, so we, too, receive such blessings without any merit on our part and even without seeking them. It is always God who takes the initiative. He always lays the first stone. What is the reason for this? He takes pity on us; hence, it remains God’s grace. If our merits counted here, it would not be grace. Accordingly, as a result of this, we can say, “You are a gracious God; you do good to those who do not deserve it.” SL 11:1646 (1-3) PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Your mercy and grace towards us are never-ending and always abounding. Continue to bestow Your free mercy and grace upon us, in and through 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, 5:127-139.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XV - SUNDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 6:24-34 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 In this Gospel we see how God separates the Christians from the heathen. The Lord does not offer this doctrine to the heathen because they do not accept it; this doctrine is given to Christians. But He does not regard those as His Christians who hear the Word only to learn and recite it by heart, like many of the religious do with the psalter. The devil also hears the Word of God and the Gospel in this way; in fact, he knows it better than we do. He could also preach it just as well as we do if he wanted to do so. But the Gospel is a doctrine of such a kind that it always aims at becoming a living force in men’s lives. It must result in action, strengthen men, and comfort them, make them courageous and bold. Therefore, those who hear the Gospel only to obtain an external knowledge of it, so that they may be able to discourse learnedly about the wisdom of God, should not be numbered among true Christians. The only real Christians are those who actually put into practice what the Gospel teaches. You will not find so many of these. We see many who are hearers of the Word but not so many who are doers. May God grant us His grace that we may always become doers of His Word so that His Gospel does not remain only in our ears and on our tongues, but that it may really reach our hearts and then burst forth in active works of love to our neighbor. SL 11:1614 (1-2, 35) PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for the precious gift of Your Word and Gospel in which You reveal all that it is necessary for us to know and believe for our faith and life as Christians. Bestow Your Holy Spirit upon us in rich measure that we never become merely hearers of Your Word, but actual doers of the same, for Christ our Savior’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, 5:102-117.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XIV - SATURDAYLESSON: 1 THESSALONIANS 2:11‒13 As the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26 We prove the genuineness of our love as Christians by works of love. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). James declares, “Faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). His meaning clearly is: If your life is so arranged that it is not of service to others, that you are living for yourself alone without any consideration for your neighbor, your faith is certainly nothing. In such a case, you are not doing as Christ has done for you. You do not really believe that Christ has done you any good at all, for if you did, you would be compelled by an inner necessity to do good to your neighbor. This is also what Paul means in the celebrated passage in Corinthians: “If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). We do not say all this to suggest that faith is not enough to obtain righteousness for you before God, but because in a Christians life these two, faith and love, must always be attached to each other and never separated. There are presumptuous people who think that they can separate them. They want to believe without loving. They despise their neighbor and still want to have Christ. This is a false and wrong view. So we say: faith is everything and saves, so that a man requires nothing more for his salvation. But faith is never inactive or lazy. It is always very busy, but it works for the good of the neighbor and not for self. It needs nothing for itself, for it already has all things in Christ. If this is not how faith reacts, there is something wrong with it. Its reaction must be love. SL.XI.1583,23 AE 79:68-97 PRAYER: Preserve us, O God, against the error of errors that we are saved by works of righteousness which we ourselves have performed. Keep us ever firm and steadfast in the conviction that we are saved only by God’s grace, through faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.