The Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

St. Luke 7:36–8:3

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jesus said, “I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Some have tried to use this passage to say that we are justified by our works. They argue that Mary is forgiven of her sins BECAUSE she did a great work of love by anointing Jesus’ feet. But Jesus Himself interprets what He means a minute later when He says to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” She was not justified by works, she did not merit or earn the forgiveness of sins by her tears, her kisses, or by offering the valuable ointment. She was saved by faith. This means that she freely obtained God’s mercy because of God’s Word. She sought the forgiveness of sins from Jesus as the Messiah and Savior. That is faith, and that is how we are saved.

So, it’s really as if Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee: “Look at her! Look at this dear and faithful woman. Look at the way she honors Me and loves Me. It is obvious that her many sins are forgiven. By her love for Me, she shows that she has faith in Me as the One who saves her.”

What Jesus calls “love” here, is not just works of the Law, certainly not works done in an effort to earn salvation. But when Jesus talks about the “love” that Mary showed, He is talking about the entire worship that a Christian has toward God. This love or worship includes sorrow over sin, faith in Christ for salvation, and the good works that are freely done in thankfulness for what Christ has done.

At the same time, Jesus is pointing this out to Simon the Pharisee because he has not loved Jesus. Or in other words, Simon has not believed in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and so he has done no demonstration of love. This man is a Pharisee, a teacher of the Law, an expert in the Scriptures, and yet he did not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah or seek salvation from Him. While this humble woman, an apparently notorious sinner, realized who Jesus is, this proud Pharisee did not. This is evident by how he treated Jesus. He gave Him no water to wash His feet. He did not greet Jesus with a kiss or anoint Him. He has no works of love for Jesus because he does not care who Jesus is.

And even when the woman points out who Jesus is by her deeds, all Simon can think about is his own superiority. He said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” Simon the Pharisee thinks that he is better than Mary, and even better than Jesus! He thinks very little of his own sins, and so he will be forgiven very little, if at all. Why would he act with love toward Jesus? He has no reason to love a Savior, because he thinks that he does not need a Savior.

This is something we can still see among many people who consider themselves Church members, and yet care very little about God’s Word and receiving His gifts of grace. We can see this inside ourselves as well, because we have all taken our Savior for granted at one time or another. We have a big spiritual problem if we think that we can be good, decent people, and that God will be impressed if most of the time we manage to smile, be nice to others, and say a prayer every now and then. That is the attitude of Simon the Pharisee. That person thinks that he or she doesn’t really NEED Jesus all that much: “Sure, Jesus forgives my sins and that’s great, but it’s not like I have that many, and as long as Jesus takes care of a few little flaws here and there, I can manage the rest.” That is really the worst sin of all. By minimizing your sin, you minimize the One who died for it. And so like Simon, you do not truly worship the Christ.

On the other hand, some might think that Mary is a perfect example for those who live a sinful life, do whatever they want, and are still accepted by Jesus. They think that the Church, who says you need to repent and stop your sin, is being judgmental. They think Jesus is the great friend of sinners so He must not have any problem with their lifestyles. But Mary herself shows here how wrong that thinking is. There is no forgiveness for those who think they don’t need it. This goes for those hypocrites like Simon who think they are good enough, and it goes for sinners who don’t care about their sin, are happy about living in it, and when they hear God’s Word they ignore it or even call it hateful.

But Mary shows us that there is forgiveness for sinners who know and repent of their sins, they listen to God’s Word and accept it, they confess and lament their sins, and they turn to Jesus as their only hope. This is what Mary did. She offered Christ the highest worship possible. It’s not that she did something for Jesus in order to earn His favor. But she looked to Him alone as her gracious Savior. So she worshiped Him with faith. She worshiped Him with tears of sorrow, and with kisses of love. And she offered Him the costly ointment in order to honor the costly sacrifice that He would make for her.

Jesus is the Messiah and Savior, the only One in whom forgiveness can be found. His holy body was given into death in our place. His precious blood was shed and poured out to cancel our debt to God and to cleanse us of all sin. By seeking forgiveness from Him alone, Mary rightly worshiped Him with faith. By her deeds of love, she worshiped her God who died for her.

We all have been forgiven much. So then, let us love Him much. Like Mary Magdalene, a sinner who was rescued from the clutches of demons and forgiven by her Savior, let us also worship Jesus by faith and so receive His gifts. Faith is the Divine Service that receives the benefits offered by God… God wants to be worshiped through faith so that we receive from Him those things He promises and offers (Apology IV:49). Let us learn from the example of Mary and shed true tears of sorrow by confessing our sins and all that is wrong with us. Let us also kiss Him with love by eagerly coming to His altar and receiving His holy body and precious blood that forgives and makes us clean and holy. And let us offer to Him the costly ointment, that is, offer ourselves as a sweet smelling, living sacrifice: body and soul, everything we are and everything we have placed into His hands. Let us worship Him with the highest worship of all—to seek Him and embrace Him and look for the forgiveness of sins from Him. And then hear Him speak to you, just as He spoke to Mary, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

This sermon is based entirely on the Apology of the Augsburg Confession Article V:31–34.

Seventh Sunday after Trinity

St. Mark 8:1–9

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

They have been with Jesus now three days and have nothing to eat. If they had brought any food with them into the wilderness, it’s long gone.They’re so hungry that if they try to go back to their homes now they will faint on the way. 

Do we have any concept of what that kind of hunger is like? Do you remember when you had to fast for a medical procedure, even something as simple as having blood drawn?And how many times did you think about food? And that was probably only going for 12 hours without food, maybe 24 at the most. Otherwise, for most of us, and for the vast majority of Americans, if we get a little twinge of hunger, we can just walk a few feet to the fridge. We drive a few miles to fast food or a grocery store. We can even eat out multiple times a week.

On the whole, we are wealthier than any other people in the history of the world. We think of “famine” as a Bible word, something that doesn’t happen anymore. Even when certain food prices rise and we start to grumble, the possibility of actual starvation never enters our minds. And yes, there are truly poor people in our country that really do suffer from lack of food (I don’t mean to minimize their hardship). But even for many of them, food is usually just a hand-out away. Because the majority of Americans are so wealthy, even our true poor can assume that there will always be something available for them, and many people learn to have a sense of entitlement about these things.

Obviously, I’m not saying that the wealth that our society and economy have created is necessarily a bad thing. It’s wonderful that so many people enjoy such high standards of living. But what is bad, is that we all take this for granted. We don’t merely survive on the most basic, boring food stuffs because we have to eat something. We have the option of eating the food we want to, the food we enjoy. And it’s very easy for us to think nothing of that.

What I’m trying to impress upon you is the desperate situation that crowd was in, and those people were in for most of their lives. It’s something we can’t really identify with. But coming to grips with this should help us to realize the incredible impact Jesus had on these people when He fed them so miraculously. Only by recognizing the deep and desperate need, can we also recognize the deep and amazing compassion that Jesus demonstrated in this miracle.

Sure, we realize that multiplying seven loaves of bread and a few fish to feed over 4,000 people is an amazing deed. But when going to the store, or the specialty bakery, is almost as easy as what Jesus did, the miracle seems a little less impressive. But these people were living day by day, just getting by, and the threat of famine or starvation or disease was always looming over them. No wonder then that the crowds flocked to Jesus. No wonder that for centuries the vast majority of Christians, struggling to put food in their children’s bellies, have loved to hear about Jesus as the One who gives food, the One who is the Bread of Life. As we try to put ourselves in their shoes, let’s notice that they really recognized something true about Jesus. They came to know that He is the Source, the Giver of everything we have in this life.

By this miracle, Jesus proved He is God. Only the Creator could have such control over His creation. Only the Intelligent One who designed the grain that grows and the fish that swim, and designed them to be capable of supplying nutrients and energy for the human body—only this Divine Person could supply bread and fish in such a way and to nourish thousands. The man called Jesus, who broke these loaves and distributed these fish, He is undoubtedly God.

But this supposes something even more basic: if Jesus is God, then that also means God is real. I bet many of you think that’s obvious. But many people don’t believe God is real. And many other people, even many of you, who assume it’s obvious that God is real, don’t really act like it. Even those of us who confess it with our lips, live as if God does not exist. We easily go through our days without giving Him a second thought. We work and save, pay bills and make plans, have good fun, spend time with friends and family, while not reflecting at all on God and His hand in our lives. Not to mention that we do things we shouldn’t do, without even pausing to think what God has to say about it. The way we think about the world and the way we act in it, makes it look as though when we say God is real, and Jesus is God, we’re really just pretending.

God is real and He is the Giver of all that we have. We owe Him our very life, and we know He wants what is good for us because we know He has compassion on us. “I have compassion on the crowd,” says Jesus. He is the real God in our flesh. He is the God who created grain and fish and the human digestive system. And there He is with His own human digestive system, also eating bread and fish like us. He is God with us—He knows us and our needs better than we do. Let me say that again: God knows you and your needs better than you do.

“I have compassion on the crowd,” says Jesus. He is the real God on the cross. Not only is He with us, but He puts Himself on the line for us. He suffered, bled, and died so that we would not. He was forsaken and damned for all our sin so that we can be forgiven. He rose as a Man, with living flesh and blood, so that we can also rise and live with Him.

“I have compassion on the crowd,” says Jesus. He is the real God who gives His real body and blood to us. He feeds us with Himself so that we share His own life. He gives us food for eternity. So, of course, He also gives us bread and fish, food for right now. Notice, what Jesus did when He fed the crowd: He took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, He broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before the people… And having blessed the fish, He said that these also should be set before the people. He took, gave thanks and blessed, broke and distributed. I don’t think it’s a mere coincidence that in the same way Jesus takes, gives thanks and blesses, breaks and distributes the bread and wine that is His body and blood. God’s gifts of earthly food and spiritual food are not disconnected. They both come from God’s compassion for us who desperately need His gifts.

But just as we take earthly food for granted, so also we take spiritual food for granted. When it comes to God’s grace, love, forgiveness, and compassion, this world is a wilderness—you can’t find these gifts from God just anywhere in nature. These gifts are only given in God’s Word, in the proclamation of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus the Savior. That means you can only hear about the Gospel through other people.

But unfortunately, you still can’t find the gifts of God’s grace with just any people. This society that we now live in is a wasteland. While you once may have heard or seen God’s Word in every church, every home, every school and city hall (and even then, maybe not the pure Word of God), you definitely don’t see or hear that now. Our society, that was once built upon the Christian religion, is now a crumbling ruin. And only the non-Christians (or some who call themselves Christians but don’t care at all about God’s Word), only these people can go on pretending that we are still living in a great palace. If we can’t come to grips with the reality that there is a real famine of the Word, then we will never know where to go in order to be fed with true food.

We have to recognize what the Christians in the Bible and the early Church recognized: the Church of Jesus is the only place where we can find our Bread of Life. In the empty shell of our culture, hidden in the ruins, there are still Christians gathering together, preaching and hearing God’s Word, and serving those in need. 

But we can’t just waltz through life, thinking that we can get our spiritual bread just anywhere, that our government, our schools, just any church, or just any organization of do-gooders, can be a substitute for true religion, as if any of these places can really supply the spiritual bread that is the most necessary thing for real life.

It’s desperately important that we realize we must get fed and forgiven and blessed only in Christ’s Church. The Church is that crowd out in the wilderness of this world, but with Jesus and being fed by Him. So, we need to learn to order our lives with Him at the center. We need to learn how to gather in this community that He has called us into, gathering with our fellow baptized forgiven sinners to receive our God’s compassion and to give Him thanks, to hear and learn His Word together, to eat and drink His feast together. Only this way can we train our eyes to see His hand at work, giving us good things and supporting us in the midst of bad things. In this way we can purposefully hold onto Him and come to Him first, so that everything else finds its place after Him.

Let us praise our God’s great compassion. He gives food to those who love Him and to those who take it for granted, to those who know that everything good comes from Him and to those who think they are self-made men. He is generous, even to selfish unbelievers who are never truly satisfied with what He gives.

But God does not give His spiritual food to those who do not believe in Him. Only faith in Jesus can receive the everlasting food of His Word and His Supper. And those who do trust in this real God, they are fed with this heavenly food, and they are able to find real joy and true satisfaction in God’s earthly gifts as well. By faith in Jesus they do not take His gifts for granted, but instead they realize just how compassionate their God really is.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Sixth Sunday after Trinity

St. Matthew 5:17–26

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“You conservative Christians just pick and choose what to believe from the Bible. You’re inconsistent. You say same-sex marriage is wrong because the Bible says so, but you eat shrimp and bacon, even though God also forbids eating shellfish and pork in the Bible. You’re against abortion, but you wear clothes made from two kinds of material. You claim you care about love and mercy, but the Bible says that any sexually immoral people should be executed.” 

Have you ever heard these kinds of objections? Did you know that they are technically correct? The Bible certainly says that same-sex attraction and acting on those desires is sinful. It also clearly shows that human life in the womb is a gift from God and should never be taken. And the Bible definitely teaches the love and mercy of God as well as the love and mercy we should show others.

But it’s true that the Bible also says things like: You shall not eat [pig’s] flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you… [And] anything in the seas or the rivers that does not have fins and scales… is detestable to you… you shall not eat any of their flesh (Leviticus 11:8–11). And also this: You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together (Deuteronomy 22:11). And also this: If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death (Leviticus 20:10).

So, are we inconsistent? Do we keep parts of the Bible while ignoring other parts? Do we need to throw out more of the Bible? And if we are ignoring some of God’s laws, what do we do with the part we heard today from Jesus Himself: Truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law (Matthew 5:18)?

So, Jesus says we can’t get rid of the Law. He said that He did not come to abolish the Law, nor will any of it be retracted—every “i” will be dotted and every “t” crossed. Then, why don’t we actually follow all of the Laws of Moses? Why are there so many rules and punishments in Leviticus and Deuteronomy that we conservative, Bible-believing Christians don’t do? And we have to have a better answer than, “Well, times change. That was then, this is now.” That kind of answer would not take the Bible seriously. That kind of answer would ultimately lead us to ignoring all of God’s Law and also doubting all of God’s Word. If we follow that kind of answer, like “things change and God doesn’t actually expect us to follow all of His laws,” then we are not really Christians. 

Jesus said “Whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). So, what do we do? If we want to be consistent with the Bible, does that mean we need to stop eating hot dogs and start executing adulterers? No, but if we want to be consistent with the Bible, we should start by paying close attention to Jesus’ words.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17–18). Jesus did not abolish God’s Law, He didn’t throw it away or contradict it. Instead, He fulfilled it, He kept it, He perfectly obeyed the Law.As a perfect Man, Jesus finally satisfied the Law’s demands. And having been satisfied, having been accomplished, the Law was fulfilled. It was finished.

This includes the totality of the Law—what we call the moral, civil, and ceremonial laws. The ceremonial and civil laws of Moses were the particular laws that God gave to His particular people, Israel. These included the ceremonial laws like circumcision, clean and unclean food, regulations on clothing and garments. These also included the civil laws of the Israelite nation like capital punishment for certain crimes and sins, and rules for the protection of the poor. These laws were given by God only to Israel for the purpose of setting apart His holy people—making them different and separate from all the other nations—until the promised Savior had come. 

This means that these laws reached their purpose in Jesus. Having been fulfilled by Him, they are no longer in effect, because the Christ has come and done His work. St. Paul explains how the Israelite laws are no longer binding on any people: Let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ (Colossians 2:16–17). The old prophetic shadows have passed away, because the Christ, the true substance of our faith has come.

Now, if the Law has been fulfilled by Jesus, why do we still care about doing other parts of it? Why are we not allowed to steal and gossip? Why is abortion and homosexuality and any kind of sex outside of marriage wrong? Why is it still important to come to church and use God’s name properly and honor earthly authorities? Because these are a different kind of Law—what we call the moral law. These are the general, universal laws for all of humanity. These are the laws that protect God’s earthly gifts of life and marriage, possessions and reputation, as well as protecting the eternal gifts of His Name and His Word.

Maybe it should be obvious that these laws are different from the very narrowly focused laws for ancient Israel. But if there was any doubt, all we have to do is read the words of Jesus and the apostles. They reiterate the moral laws. In the same reading today, Jesus confirms the Fifth Commandment against murder, and He includes in it anger and hatred as sins as well. Jesus and the apostles teach us what God’s Law is for us, which is why we still care about sexual sins and greed, idolatry and dishonesty. This is also why we still use the Ten Commandments (even though they were given in the Old Testament) because they remain a good summary of God’s will for our lives now.

But now, if the moral law still applies, does that mean we have to do the Law in order to be saved? Jesus also says, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20). How can we possibly make ourselves righteous enough? The answer is, we can’t. Then where do we get such righteousness? As we heard before, Jesus fulfilled the Law. His righteousness exceeds that of all others. And by faith in Him, He becomes our righteousness.

We are baptized, and that means we are covered in Christ’s righteousness, His perfect Law-fulfilling life is given for us. We are baptized and that makes us holy people. We are not holy by our own works, but we are holy by His works. His holy life, His holy blood, His holy death makes and keeps us as His holy people. And the only reason we now try to keep the moral law, the only reason we try to follow God’s will, is that we are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). We are baptized. Jesus’ death and resurrection happened to us by the water and the Word. And it still happens in us by faith in His Word. The only way we could go on living in sin is if we would be dead to God.

But because we are baptized, we are alive to God in Christ Jesus and Jesus is alive in us. Jesus is the Lord our God, who brought us out of slavery to sin and gives us a new and free life. He gives us His own life, and He gives us His own WAY of life, that we might live the way God wants us to. Jesus is what makes us holy people. And Jesus is why we care about God’s Law. We are not inconsistent. We have faith in Jesus, we belong to Him. And how we live depends all on Him.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Fifth Sunday after Trinity

1 Kings 19:11–21

Luke 5:1–11

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

For a Christian, God’s child, there are severe temptations to despair and give up hope when we see the things going on around us in the world and our own country. There is sickness, injuries, death, war, political nonsense, rampant immorality, financial anxieties, threats from the weather, threats of terrorist attacks, threats from North Korea. All these things are going on around us every minute of every day.

For a Christian, God’s child, we are tempted to despair when we look in our own homes. Children rebel against parents, they question the Christian faith (and it’s okay to ask questions if you want to learn), but they even leave the faith. Then there are addictions and abuses. Husbands take their wives for granted and don’t love them as Christ loved the Church, wives despise and nag their husbands, both husbands and wives argue and say hurtful things to one another. There are divorces. There is unhappiness. And many of these things happen in the homes of faithful, pious, practicing Christians—in Lutheran homes.

For a Christian, God’s child, there are temptations to despair if we look into our own hearts. We lust after people that don’t belong to us. We’re greedy for things we don’t have, and we’re discontent with what we do have. We are easily jealous, easily angered, we feel lonely or hopeless. And the worst thing about this is that our despair usually comes in some form of losing hope in God, forgetting what God says about us and this world, and what God promises. 

But in the midst of all this you still come to church. In fact, whether you realize it or not, that’s probably WHY you come to church. Your environment, your families, your bodies, your feelings, your emotions, and your reason all deceive you, so you must hear the Word of your Lord over and over again, reiterating the promises He has made from the beginning, in every nation, and in every language.

I say that Christians, God’s children, are the ones tempted to despair because of all these evil things, because the pagans, the atheists, the agnostics, the secular, and the people who have no preference in organized religion—they have made peace with this world (or if not peace, then at least a truce). They don’t have the same struggles that you have. They have given in to the philosophy of the day. They have embraced the culture. They have embraced the immorality. Or they’ve bought the lie that it doesn’t matter how you live as long as you’re mostly nice. They have redefined what is good and what is desirable. These are fellow Americans, our neighbors, our co-workers, our employers, those we are around every day, and those within our own families. We are bombarded with the message of tolerance and compromise, and worldly peace at all costs.

We could look at any one of the patriarchs in Genesis, or the prophets or priests in the Old Testament, to see how we are not alone in this temptation to despair—not alone in being surrounded by a hostile world and hostile people—so this morning we heard about Elijah. And it’s a good thing to hear from the Biblical examples. We see how they were real people with real sins and real doubts. We are not the first people to go through these things. But we also see how God deals with His children, His elect—Christians. We see God’s character through the Biblical accounts, and we can regain hope in His promises.

Elijah battled with powerful kings, hundreds of false prophets, and communicated directly with God. He saw incredible signs and wonders, and he was an instrument of God for mighty miracles. Think of the drought he brought upon Israel by his prayer, the food he provided for the widow of Zarephath, and how he raised her son from the dead, or how he called down fire from heaven, and slew 450 prophets of the false god Baal.

Yet, in our reading today, we see him as a man like any of us. He is whining and complaining. He’s disappointed in himself and everyone around him. He cries out to God, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” (1 Kings 19:14). 

And how does the Lord answer? Well, basically, he reminds Elijah that God’s plan is bigger than him. Elijah is not the center of the world, but God still loves him and will take care of him and the generations after him. God says, “Go, return on your way. Go anoint kings, go anoint the prophet to succeed you. I, the Lord, was in control before you were even conceived and I will be in control long after you’re gone. This should give you hope. I will not leave you alone. And even now, you’re not as alone as you feel. There are others in My household who are faithful. It’s going to be ok.”

These words are also for you this morning. God is in control. He is the Creator. He controls the sea, the animals, the winds, the earthquakes, the floods, the droughts, and the fires. He controls the presidents, the dictators, the generals, the armies, even the terrorists. He was in control long before your grandparents had their day and He will be in control long after we have been replaced by other generations. He is the Creator and sustainer of all that exists.

But even more than that, even more marvelous: He is the Savior. The God of heaven and earth is also your Lord in the flesh. Not only does He create all these things, His redemption is for all who believe. He came to earth for you, born of the Virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilot, died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. He ascended into Heaven to open a way for you. He has promised to be with you always, and has promised to return when the full number of His elect is complete. 

You are not the only one, but He loves you as if you were. He never leaves you, and in every temptation He provides the way out. He never leaves you without a word, a promise. He speaks to you through the Holy Scriptures. He cleanses you in Holy Baptism. He feeds you in the Holy Communion. He continues to call pastors to be fishers of men so that His Church is never without spokesmen, theologians, and preachers. You are never left without His Word.

In our Introit Psalm this morning, King David gives us great words of hope: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Psalm 27:1 & 14). So, when the world around you, the stress inside your home, or the doubts inside your mind and heart are all warring against you, listen to your Lord Jesus, who never departs from you. No matter how much you think or feel that He has, He never departs from you. Your Lord has overcome all these evil things. He has overcome the world. He has overcome your accuser, the devil. He has overcome your sin.

And He has placed you in this community, this Church, this family, among these brothers and sisters in Christ for your mutual support, for nourishing you and sustaining you while you live in this world. Go, return on your way, because your God goes with you. Do not be afraid. 

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Edited from Rev. Michael Frese, Redeemer, Fort Wayne, Trinity 5, 2017.