Today is the festival of the Lutheran Reformation. The central article upon which the church stands or falls, the article that got Luther into a whole mess of trouble, is the doctrine that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone. We are saved and forgiven, not by what we do,  but solely by what Jesus does out of mercy for us. But, what does Jesus do? What does Jesus' mercy look like? 

Well, Jesus says, "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28).  This means that Jesus has come not to Lord over us as some earthly tyrant, but rather has come to serve us as our beast of burden. He comes to serve us by becoming the lowest of the low for us, by becoming the chief of sinners for us. Luther writes clearly on this saying, "May you ever cherish and treasure this thought. Christ is made a servant of sin, yea, a bearer of sin, and the lowliest and most despised person.......Furthermore, what is a beggars filth or stench compared with the filth of sin which is ours by nature, stinking a hundred thousand times worse and looking infinitely more repulsive to God than any foul matter found in a hospital? And yet the love of the Son of God for us is of such magnitude that the greater the filth and stench of our sins, the more He befriends us, the more He cleanses us, relieving us of all our misery and of the burden of all our sins and placing them upon  His own back." (LW 22:166).  What blessed comfort we have in the work of Jesus. He becomes your lowest, lowliest, most despicable sin and failed moments. He becomes your stench and filth. He doesn't come down and unveil your wretchedness to the world, but instead comes and covers you up so that all the Father, and the world see is Jesus' righteousness and holiness. Jesus doesn't wait for you to attain a higher level of sanctification, but rather comes to you in the sewer and makes His abode with you in your weakness. Take comfort in this today my friends, that you don't ascend to Jesus in your righteous living, but rather Jesus descends to you in His righteous work to save you, forgive you, sanctify you, and grant you life eternal by His grace and mercy.

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world bu hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you hear only the peaceful voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "I forgive you. I love you. I claim you as My own forever" Amen.

Jesus' Sheepdog,

Pastor Hull