Thursday, June 23, 2011

Words from Luther

(From a Luther sermon on Luke 16:19-31) It would be a great error to estimate God’s goodness and grace only by your lot here on earth. It is true, of course, that money and possessions, a sound body, and the like are God’s gifts and blessings. But these blessings do not last forever, for in the end we must leave behind money and possessions and everything we have. Moreover, there is the additional misfortune that unless we take special care to walk in the fear of God and pay close attention to His Word, the blessing of God actually gives occasion for many sins because of our sinful nature…. However, the true, supreme, and best blessing, in which one can and should really and truly sense the goodness of God, is not temporal possessions but the eternal blessing that God has called us to His holy Gospel. In this Gospel we hear and learn that God would be gracious to us for the sake of His Son, would forgive sin and eternally save us and graciously protect us in this life against the tyranny of the devil and the world. To him who properly appreciates this blessing everything else is a trifle, even though he lacks temporal blessing, is poor, sick, despised, unfortunate, and burdened with all sorts of adversities.

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