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THE WEEK OF TRINITY XXI - SUNDAYLESSON: JOHN 4:47‒54 One Lord, one faith, one baptism. Ephesians 4:5 You are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 This 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.1762,1‒3 AE. 79:225-232 PRAYER: 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 22:12 In 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.1759,29‒30 AE. 79:213-223 PRAYER: 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 2:6‒13 This is a great mystery, and I take it to mean Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:32 It 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.1753,14 AE. 79:213-223 PRAYER: 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 16:22 We 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.1752,13 AE. 79:213-223 PRAYER: 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 19:1‒6 Husbands 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 5:28‒30 The 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.1750,8 AE. 79:213-223 PRAYER: 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 4:1‒15 He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22 Wherever 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.1749,6 AE. 79:213-223 PRAYER: 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 22:2‒3 The 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.1748,5 AE. 79:213-223 PRAYER: 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 22:1‒14 The kingdom of God does not mean food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 Christ 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 heaven SL. XI.1747,2‒3 AE. 79:213-223 PRAYER: 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 9:4‒8 If 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.1723,31 PRAYER: 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 130 And 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 20:22‒23 The 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.1722,28‒29 PRAYER: 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 10:42 We 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.1719,22‒23 PRAYER: 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 43:25 The 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.1715,12 PRAYER: 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.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XIX - TUESDAYLESSON: LUKE 12:32‒34 To them [His saints] God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 The kingdom of Christ is of such a kind that we waive all our glorying and boldness in our dependence on God’s grace. All other works are free. We must never make them matters of any compulsion. Nor must we imagine that we can become Christians from our works, but with our works we reach down and serve the interests of our neighbor. Hence we should listen carefully to what this week’s Gospel (Matthew 9:1‒8) has to tell us, and take a firm grasp of its statements and impress them on our hearts so that this light, these words and this lamp, may shine forth brightly in us, that thereby we may instruct others. Jesus says to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven.” We should take hold of these and similar words and grasp them with our hearts, because they are words of pure grace alone. There is nothing of any work here, suggesting that a conscience should be forced to attempt to do something meritorious. And so you must fortify yourself with these words against false prophets. We have planted the Word to a certain extent. This the devil cannot abide. He never sleeps. The caterpillars and the beetles will come to defile what we have planted. And so it must be. For Christ wants to prove His Word, to carry out a test to see who has grasped it or not. Let us, then, remain on the correct path which leads to the kingdom of Christ, not operating with works and legal pressures and compulsion, but with the words of the Gospel alone, “Be joyful, take heart, your sins are forgiven.” SL.XI.1714,9‒10 PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we poor sinners are blessed, indeed, in the assurance of the forgiveness of sins which You have emphasized so much for us in Your Gospel of salvation. Give us a faith which always clings wholly and solely to the forgiveness of sins where You have provided it for us, in and through 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.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY XIX - MONDAY LESSON: COLOSSIANS 2:13‒19 It is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 If the kingdom of Christ is to be extended, you must not bring the Law into your calculations or have any truck with works. It is quite out of character to say to men, “Go out and run here and there to atone for your sins; you must hold this and do that if you want to get rid of your sins.” In diametrical opposition to anything in the shape of law and all works, we must assure men that their sins are forgiven by pure grace alone. To try to force them into the kingdom of Christ by the Law is putting yourself outside of this kingdom. It is true that this truth may reach our ears and even roll off our tongues, but only too often it has not really penetrated our hearts. Sin always clings to us very closely (Hebrews 12:1) so that we are compelled to confess with Paul, “I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do” (Romans 7:18‒19). This is how it will be until at death we pass into life eternal.  Because there is always so much weakness, failure, and sin among Christians, it is often claimed by radicals and enthusiasts that faith and love are not enough. They insist on more radical procedures and decisions, and often claim the special patronage of the Holy Spirit in this connection. The devil’s weeds always accompany any planting of the Gospel. See to it that you always retain and maintain a healthy understanding of Christ’s kingdom and its teachings. SL.XI.1712,4‒5 PRAYER: We are deeply conscious, heavenly Father, of our sinfulness and unworthiness, and in this respect must ever stand as beggars before You. But we have been emboldened by the assurances of Your Gospel of salvation to approach Your throne of grace in all confidence and assurance. This we do in the name and for the sake of Jesus 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 - SUNDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 9:1‒8 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, My son; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2 These words in a brief summary tell us what the kingdom of Christ really is. It is the kingdom in which our hearts are touched by a sweet voice bringing us maternal and paternal words, “Your sins are forgiven.” For a correct understanding, we must not regard the kingdom of Christ otherwise than the way in which we should live in relation to God. In this connection, you in your love will know that the most important thing is to be able to quieten the troubled conscience so that we know how we stand with God and our neighbor. The kingdom of Christ, then, is a kingdom in which there is consolation pure and simple, and the forgiveness of sins. It is not just a matter of words proclaimed to us setting forth future blessings, but of realized facts, as we see from the example set before us in this Gospel. Jesus did not merely speak these words into the paralytic’s ears. He actually forgave this man his sins and conferred real consolation upon him. I have often stated, and I say it here again, that you should make a serious effort to understand the nature and the peculiar character of Christ’s kingdom correctly. We know only too well how reason in all respects is inclined to fall away from faith and the correct knowledge of Christ’s kingdom to reliance on works. But in this Gospel you see no works at all, no merit. There is no question here of any commandment or law. There is nothing else here than the offer of Christ’s help, His consolation and grace. The paralytic experiences nothing but Christ’s sheer friendship. SL.XI.1712,2‒3 PRAYER: Gracious and merciful Father, You have given us many comforting and assuring consolations in Your Gospel, and none more comforting than the assurance of the forgiveness of our sins. May we never reject these assurances or belittle them in any way, but ever cling to them, 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.