Worried Sick? Here’s the Antidote

Jesus says to you, "Do not be anxious. Don't worry." What do you say to Him?

Do you say, "Well, Lord, it's not that simple. You don't know what I've been going through. There are so many terrible things going on in the world. I just can't help it."

Jesus says to you, "Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on." What do you say to that?

Do you say, "Yeah, Lord, that sounds very spiritual and everything, but I've got to put food on the table and clothes on my family's back somehow!" Or do you say, "How can I not be anxious about life when I just received this diagnosis or when my loved one is in declining health, or they live far away, where I can't help them?"

When Jesus starts telling his disciples "Do not worry," we start to tune Him out. For so many of us, the idea of being free from anxiety is a beautiful thought, but so far from reality that we don't even take it seriously. That's a shame, because our Lord Jesus clearly intends for us to do something other than worry ourselves sick.

What does He intend for us? He lays it all out in today's Gospel lesson. First of all, Jesus calls us to consciously reject worldly priorities. He does this first by saying, "No one can serve two masters…you cannot serve God and money."

Now sitting in church we may piously agree with that principle, but in our everyday lives, do our actions match our agreement? Have we consciously rejected "getting more stuff" as something that matters to us, or are we still on the treadmill of going after more, bigger, and better? In addition to being a meaningless goal, it brings with it many worries, to the point that we stop possessing our possessions and they start possessing us. Worry is neutralized when you consciously reject the thought that "getting more stuff" is going to make you happy. That takes some doing, especially when so much advertising is based on creating a desire in you for something you don't have. That's why Jesus doesn't just say, "reject this mindset," but continues by saying "replace it with something better."

But before we get to that "something better," Jesus pauses and asks us to reflect on His Father and our Father. Jesus asks us to think about the birds that fly around our backyards and the flowers beautify the landscape. God tends to them both. Neither birds nor flowers worry about their existence, yet God provides for them. And if that is the case, Jesus says, don't you think that God is going to tend to you, as well? You are much more valuable to God than a bird, Jesus says, and that's not a put-down to birds. It's just that God values you more; so much so that His Son was raised up on a cross to take your punishment. He didn't do that for the birds or the flowers; he did that for you and for me, so we could be forgiven; so that we would trust Him with our eternal well-being, along with everything else.

That is the choice Jesus holds before you today. You can worry, or you can trust God. You can torture yourself with a thousand "what ifs," or you can place your problem in the hands of the God who formed this world and still tends to it. You can worry yourself sick, or you can enjoy a healthy trust in your Father to do what is best for you. You are invited today to trust that God knows what is best for you, and is working through every little detail of your life, to provide for you and put you on the path that will bring the most blessing to you. That doesn't mean the most stuff; but that does mean freedom from the agony of anxiety. Trust that your Heavenly Father knows what to do and will never leave you. Let go of the illusion that your worry is going to change anything. It's not. Trust that God has it handled and that He loves you and that His answers are the best answers. They are. The sacrifice of His Son on the cross is proof of how far He would go to care for you.

And when you trust in the Lord, you are ready to replace old ways of thinking with something much better. Listen to Jesus describe that "better way": "Do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you."

Seeking the kingdom of God, Jesus says, is the better way to live. Seeking the kingdom of God is, first of all, an invitation to remember. It is an invitation to remember the way that your Father has ordered your steps throughout your life. It is an invitation to remember all that Jesus willingly did for you in His Passion, Death and Resurrection. And it is an invitation to remember your identity in Christ. You are a royal servant of the King—and as such, He will not withhold from you the blessings of His kingdom. That doesn't mean that you will never be grieved or concerned or troubled. But it does mean that your focus and strength can be the reign of God and his righteousness which has come into our world in Jesus himself.

Seeking the kingdom means living in a way that shows the reality of Jesus in your life. It means knowing what He says in His Word. It means valuing what He does for you here in His church. It means adopting God's priorities as the priorities that you will live by. It means giving freely from what you have and who you are in response to Jesus' kindness. Seeking God's kingdom means that you are sold on Jesus Christ and want to bring his compassion and mercy and truth into your corner of the world. Jesus promise that when going after His kingdom is your first priority, you will lack nothing. You'll have nothing to worry about. Try it and see.

Tuesday Morning Bible Study

A new class has just started on Tuesday mornings at 11:00 a.m. It is called "Questions Jesus Asked." Discussion was great yesterday, branching into such areas as the reliability of the Biblical text and how to respectfully witness to others.

Hard Questions

"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?" Matt. 5:46

Dear Friends in Christ,

There is an old Irish Prayer that goes like this: "May those who love us, love us; And those that don't love us, may God turn their hearts; and if he doesn't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles, so we'll know them by their limping."

One of the greatest challenges of living a Christian life is bringing Christ into our relationships with other people. That's because Jesus has a radically strange way of acting that cuts against the grain of human nature. Here in Matthew 5 He says: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." He goes on to ask some hard questions, questions like: "If you love those who love you, what reward do you have? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?" What's your answer to those questions? Jesus is saying, "Everyone loves people who love them in return. Anyone can be kind to people who are kind to them. If you are going to follow me," Jesus says, "you're going to have to widen the circle of people you love and are willing to serve."

There is a part of us that hates to hear this, isn't there? When someone treats us in a way we don't like, we almost automatically scratch them off our list of worthwhile people; if they really offend us or hurt us then "it's on." We want revenge, or at least an "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." What Jesus demands here just isn't fair.

It's been said before, but it bears repeating (until we believe it), that when we carry around a grudge, we're just hurting ourselves. You know, it used to be that armies used to carry around cannonballs, just in case they came across the enemy. Those cannonballs can do a lot of damage, but they limit how fast you can go. Well, a grudge is a lot like a cannonball. They're heavy and it doesn't make much sense to carry it with you. Most likely, your enemy would be surprised to learn you've been stalking them with a cannonball in your pocket. Much better to stack your cannonballs on the courthouse lawn, or better yet, at the cross of Calvary, and then to discover how much easier it is to get around.

Even if you agree that it is healthier to forgive a grudge, you might still cling to something someone did to you; you might still choose to keep opening an old wound instead of letting it heal. The idea of loving your enemies and praying for them might sound like foolish religious talk to you. That is, until you are reminded of this one fact: there once was a time when you were an enemy of God. Romans 5:10 says, "While we were God's enemies, he made us his friends through the death of his Son." Our sin put us on the wrong side of the battlefield. It is in our nature to want to try to face off against God; to be the one to call the shots. We don't want somebody telling us what to do. We want control. We want what we want, and if God is going to get in the way of that, He's better stand down.

Now let me ask you: When somebody hurts us, we want an eye for an eye. We want revenge. We want it to be fair. What if God applied that standard to you and me? What if He said, "OK, you want me to be fair, I'll be fair, and let's start with you. I'm going to give you exactly what you deserve for every impure thought; every time you lived like I don't matter; every time you were cruel to someone; every time you ignored someone who needed you; every time you were petty and selfish and hateful towards someone else. Let's be fair! I'm going to make you pay that bill." What if God really gave us what we deserved? Hard questions…

But listen again to Romans 5: 10: "While we were God's enemies, he made us his friends through the death of his Son." We have hope because God is not fair. While we were still enemies with Him, He took steps to make us his friends. While we were still enemies with Him, He offered His Son Jesus as a sacrificial payment for our guilt. Instead of destroying us, His enemies, He destroyed His Son—He punished your sin all right, but he didn't punish you. He punished His own Son, who had done nothing wrong. Your sin and mine has been dealt with in Jesus, and we now are invited to be friends with our former Enemy. Thank God that He is not fair!

We need to know that Jesus would never ask us to do something that He didn't do Himself. When He said, "Love you enemies and pray for those who persecute you," He lived it. As He was being nailed to His cross, Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Those can be words for you and me to live by. Once enemies of God Almighty, we are now friends of the Father thanks to Jesus. You can release the power of forgiveness in your life because Jesus forgives you and forgives through you. People who belong only to sin and the world and the devil do not know what they are doing. Jesus wants His people to live out a better way—the foolish-looking, wonderfully unfair way of forgiveness.

A pastor during the American Revolution, Peter Miller, lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the friendship of George Washington. In Ephrata also lived Michael Wittman, an evil-minded sort who did all he could to oppose and humiliate the pastor. One day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. Peter Miller traveled seventy miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for the life of the traitor. "No, Peter," General Washington said. "I cannot grant you the life of your friend." "My friend!" exclaimed the old preacher. "He's the bitterest enemy I have." "What?" cried Washington. "You've walked seventy miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in different light. I'll grant your pardon." And he did. Peter Miller took Michael Wittman back home to Ephrata--no longer an enemy but a friend.

Does that story sound ridiculous to you—or realistic? Hard questions. Wrestle with them, and while you do, keep an eye on the cross of Jesus, who loved his enemies to death. Amen.

Debunking a Popular Myth

 

Here's a sermon that I first delivered four years ago which evaluates the truth of the popular phrase, "God never gives you more than you can handle."

"God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

It's hard to say how a myth gets started. Someone reports an event as truth; someone else believes it; and it starts to spread. For whatever reason, I have a strong interest in "urban legends," stories that are reportedly true, but have no real basis in fact. The ease with which urban legends can spread has been multiplied by the rise of the Internet. Now, as story that would have only been told regionally can go worldwide with the click of a mouse.
Urban legends are also known as "a friend of a friend" stories, because they are often relayed to others by saying "This really happened to someone my friend knows." But much of the time these stories are completely made up.
Here is one of my favorites: A man I work with claims his father was driving down I-75 here in Michigan and saw a stranded limousine by the side of the road. He pulled up to the driver's window and offered the use of his cell phone. The driver was thankful because the limo's cell phone wasn't working. After calling for assistance, the driver asks if the guy wants to meet the famous people inside the limo. Of course he does, and is promptly introduced to Donald and Ivana Trump. Mr. Trump indicates his thankfulness and asks if there is anything he can do for the man. He thinks a moment and then says, "just send my wife some flowers. She would be thrilled to get flowers from Donald Trump." Trump takes the man's address and says he'll do just that. The man drives away pretty happy.
A few months go by, and the man and his wife are eating breakfast, when all of a sudden the doorbell rings and there's this huge flower arrangement sitting on the front stoop. After getting the arrangement through the front door, they both read the attached card, which says, "Thank you very much for the help. By the way, we've paid off your mortgage. Signed, the Trumps"
Great story, but the only problem is that the same type of story has been told about Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Bill Gates, and other celebrities. It's a story people tell themselves because they want to believe that they'll be rewarded for their Good Samaritan activities. In fact, most urban legends have some sort of moral. They're like Aesop's Fables of the 21st century.
Unfortunately, urban legends can worm their way into the Church, as well. This is nothing new. Saint Paul warned his colleague Timothy, "The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine…they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." Now some myths are obvious and are easy to debunk and dismiss. But some myths are very difficult to deal with, because they describe things we hold dear, they describe things we really wish were true, and those dreams die hard.
Today's Epistle lesson gives us the perfect opportunity to talk about one of those myths, something that has become an urban legend of sorts among Christians. And I think that it's time we debunked this particular myth, because it really gives us a false impression about the Christian life.
What is the myth? Well, it goes something like this. I've heard well-meaning Christian people say, when they're going through a hard time, "God never gives you more than you can handle." Let me say it again. The myth is: "God never gives you more than you can handle." I sure wish that was true, and so does everyone else who says it. But the problem is I can't find that in the Bible. What I do find is the verse that's included in today's Epistle, which reads: "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." Now, that is an incredible promise. St. Paul says here that God will always provide a way out of temptation. He will always provide the means to say no to a sinful choice. He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. That's the truth. Somewhere along the line, though, that mutated into the increasingly common, "God never gives you more than you can handle," and these are two separate things.
What's wrong with "God never gives you more than you can handle"? It's just this: Sometimes we are given things we can't handle. Not alone. Do you really think God allows cancer to threaten a child's life because he knows the family can handle it? Do you really think God permits a loved one to waste away from disease because he thinks you can handle it? "Well, I'll have them go through the heart attack of their dad, but I won't kill him, because they couldn't handle that." You don't just "handle" the death of a spouse who's been with you three quarters of your life. You don't just "handle" a bitter family dispute. You don't just "handle" having to become a parent to your aging parents. These things tear you apart. They squeeze all the energy out of you. They drive you to your knees. God does not watch us being put through the wringer and think to himself, "well, he's a tough guy; he can take it." There are things that happen in our lives that we just don't have the wherewithal to handle. And that, my friends, is the point.
When were are driven to our knees by life—and if it hasn't happened yet, you can be sure that it will—when you are confronted with situations that are just too much to handle—then you are finally ready to really and truly depend on your Lord Jesus Christ. The storms of life strip away our illusion of self-reliance. They drown the type of pride that says "I can handle this." But God, in his wisdom, uses those same storms to pull us like a riptide to the cross of Jesus Christ. At the cross we see how deeply we are loved by God, especially when our circumstances would tempt us to believe otherwise. There is purpose in Jesus' suffering, namely the removal of sin's awful curse from us; and there in purpose in our suffering, even though that is harder to see.
But know this too: the same Jesus who suffered and died made the third day after his burial a celebration of life and victory over evil. The same pattern holds true for you: suffering, then glory. There is hope not just for a brighter day, but an eternal day that belongs to you as a child of God. In faith we look forward to justice being served; we look forward to forgetting all about sin, pain, and death; we look forward to all creation being restored. The final word has already been spoken on all these things: "It is finished."
But what do we do now? Now, when the wounds are still open and the nerves are still shot? Well, you could start by coming to the meal Jesus has gotten ready for you here today. Jesus invites you to come to the table he sets in His Church. He invites you to come with all of your baggage, all of your hurt, all your exhaustion; come as you are! Come hungry and thirsty for that which is good, and you will not be disappointed, as Jesus gives you His own body, which handled so much suffering; as He pours into you his blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Yet these are not dead things we consume, but living! Our risen, active, victorious Lord meets you right here, and there is peace; there is wholeness; there is profound goodness entering you. It is Jesus Christ himself! Come to the table. Throw your burdens on his broad shoulders; then help yourselves to the gifts He worked so hard to give you.
After you've left his feast, what then? Well, do not let your troubles put you into circle-the-wagons mode, with Jesus on the outside looking in. Do not let your situation get you so worked up that you forget to eat and drink. Isn't that what Mom always said—"You've got to eat!" She was right. When you're getting beat up by life, do not forget to keep eating and drinking at the table of your Lord. Don't forget to eat and drink of the Words he has spoken to you in Holy Scripture. If you don't feed your faith, especially when stress is burning those calories, how do you expect it to stay alive?

Whatever you are going through right now, you don't have to pretend that it's all up to you to try and handle it. You have the Son of God to depend on. He is totally reliable. Pride says, "It's up to me. I've got to be tough. I can handle this myself." But there is a better way, and that is to let your Shepherd carry you. Humble yourself and depend on Him.

God never gives you more than you can handle? Let's let go of that urban legend. As a substitute truth, how about Philippians 4:13: "I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Amen.

A Matter of the Heart

"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5: 20

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and whatever it means to you, whether it's filling out little cards for your classmates, or giving a gift to someone special, it gives us the perfect opportunity to think about what is in our hearts.

In a way, it's funny that we still talk about feelings and thoughts coming from our hearts. After all, we know that our hearts really just pump blood. The brain is the organ that generates thoughts and feelings and determines our personality. Knowing this, we still talk about that deepest part of ourselves as the heart. I doubt anyone would be too impressed if you told them, "I love you with all of my brain."

The heart—that deepest part of you— plays an extremely important role in your relationship with God. In fact, I think you could go so far as to say that when it comes to a relationship with God, what goes on in your heart is everything. That is the point our Lord Jesus was trying to make in today's Gospel lesson. He was speaking to people who felt a right relationship with God was a matter of following—and finding exceptions to—the rules. What Jesus wanted them to know, and what He wants us to know, too, is that true "right-ness" with God is in the heart.

Not too long ago, Fort Wayne, Indiana was the setting for an ugly incident. Three burglars broke into a house. As they were doing their dirty work, a man off the street came to respond. He pulled a knife and stabbed one of the intruders to death. The two others fled. Several days later, the newspaper reported that the death of the burglar had been ruled a homicide, and had been ruled not illegal. Did you know that was possible? Technically, "homicide" only means that one person has killed another, not that the one doing the killing has committed a crime, which means homicide is not necessarily breaking the law.

In Jesus' day, the scribes and Pharisees, by being very technical, were calling some things right that were wrong, and some things wrong that were right. Murder, as in actually killing someone, was wrong, but being angry with or insulting to another person—which can almost be a type of homicide—was quite justifiable. Technically speaking, divorce was okay if you handled it just right—legally. So was breaking certain oaths, but not others. In other words, you didn't always have to keep a promise.

The scribes and Pharisees were missing the point of God's law—and maybe we do, too. God didn't give us rules to see how much we can get away with and still be "legal." I think that's so important I'm going to say it again. God didn't give us rules to see how much we can get away with and still be "legal." God gave us rules and standards as a way of humbling us. Even the smallest sin proves our hearts aren't pure, and Jesus demands a pure heart. We cannot help but break God's law, and that's the point. We break God's laws without even trying, and deserve the punishment that comes as a consequence. When that is clearly established, then, and only then, are we ready for good news. And this is it: Jesus took your sentence. He was punished instead of you. In God's court, you have been declared "not guilty." We cannot "try harder" to purify ourselves, but Jesus can give us a pure heart. He purifies our hearts with his blood.

The physical heart is an extremely important organ, pumping life-giving blood through the body. The blood of Jesus flowing through your spiritual heart makes you right with God. That blood was shed on the cross. More precious than gold or silver, it was the ransom money that rescued us. That blood is offered to God's people every time we gather at the altar for Holy Communion. Your sins and mine—big outward ones and ones we hide in our hearts—are all washed away. Jesus' blood has paid for every murder and every harsh word; every affair and every secret fantasy; every betrayal and broken promise; they're all drowned in the blood of Christ. There is no question about it—those sins are dead and gone and forgiveness is yours.

Christ's blood gets our hearts pumping. It resuscitates us. It makes us alive when we were dead! It gives life that physical death can never touch! Along with these priceless gifts, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. It is not by accident that we often sing together, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me..."When you sing that song and pray that prayer in sincerity, you can trust that God will be faithful and will create a clean heart in you; he will renew a right Spirit in you by giving you His Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit is, there is purity and newness. The Spirit makes a home in your heart. He takes up residency there, moving in right next door to your old heart. That can cause some friction sometimes, as the Spirit battles against our stubborn sinfulness, but that friction is not a bad thing. Don't be afraid of that internal struggle. It is actually a sign that the Holy Spirit is alive and kicking, prevailing against our "me-first" default setting.

The new heart created by the Spirit really does love my neighbor; it really does honor my spouse; it really does treat others with honesty and integrity. The new heart created by the Spirit loves to do the right thing for the right reason. Let the blood of Jesus and His Holy Spirit build this new heart in you. Amen.

Salty Christianity

Salty Christianity

There's an old saying that goes, "you'll catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar." That's generally taken to mean that you can get more accomplished by being kind to people than by being a jerk. And while that can be true, it is worth noting today that Jesus did not look his disciples in the eye and say, "You are the sugar of the earth." He said, "You are the salt of the earth." In what ways are followers of Jesus like salt? You might be surprised…

It's funny that the phrase "salt of the earth" has come to have a meaning all its own. It is often used to describe folks who are down-to-earth, humble, unpretentious. And don't get me wrong, those are good qualities, but when Jesus looked his disciples in the eye and said, "You are the salt of the earth," He had a lot more in mind than just, "You guys are down-to-earth, humble, unpretentious people."

To really catch what Jesus was getting at, we have to investigate the uses of salt in the ancient world. First off, salt is a preservative. In a world without refrigerators, salt was rubbed into spoiling meat to prevent it from becoming totally rotten. Secondly, salt, then as now, was a flavor enhancer. You may have noticed that if you eat something salty, you become thirsty, a side effect not lost on those who would like to sell you a drink. And salt also has antiseptic qualities. While the thought of literally rubbing salt in a wound might make you cringe, it works if you're trying to prevent infection. For these reasons and more, salt was a valuable commodity, so much so that the phrase "he's worth his salt" reflects the ancient practice of paying soldiers their wages with bags of salt.

So when Jesus tells his disciples, 'You are the salt of the earth," it's a compliment. He's saying that they have great value. At the same time, it is a challenge to be unique. It is a challenge to bring God's truth to bear in everyday life—and it is a challenge that extends to you and me.

Jesus says to you this morning, "You are the salt of the earth, so get out there into a world that is rotting away and preserve something." Simply put, Christian people keep our society from totally collapsing in selfishness and greed by living Christ-like lives—and we are meant to be out there with Christ in our society, not circling the wagons in our own little camp. Jesus says to you this morning, "You are the salt of the earth, so get out there into the world with the flavor of the truth." Apart from Jesus, there is no true joy to be found in this world. Apart from Jesus, people chase after this and that, but in the end they're just bored. They don't care anymore. But with Jesus, there is flavor; there is life the way it was meant to be lived, sensing the precious gifts God gives us every day. Jesus says to you this morning, "You are the salt of the earth, so go clean out some wounds." Like salt, the truth about Jesus might irritate the people we're trying to help…at first. But Jesus is all about healing, and the salt we have to share gives life. Jesus kills the infection of sin, and we are called to pour Him into the lives of those who are hurting.

Jesus says to you this morning, "You are the salt of the earth," and those are awesome words. But there is a problem. The problem is, there are many times when we just don't want to be. We don't want to be the salt that Jesus is talking about. We don't want to have that unique flavor and stick out from the crowd.

It's like the college student who was talking to his friend about a coming job up in the north woods. His friend said, "I wonder if you know what you're getting into. That's a pretty rough lot up there."

When the summer passed, the two met again. The one asked the other: "Well, how did you, a Christian, make out with that crowd?"

"Oh," said the other, "I didn't have any trouble. They never caught on!"

We'd rather blend in and be bland and not rock the boat. And, we don't want the responsibility of trying to preserve a rotting society; it seems too impossible. Nor do we want the hassle and heartbreak of cleaning out somebody else's wounds, not when we have so many of our own; not when I could be doing something else with my time…for me.

Jesus says to you and me this morning that salt that loses its saltiness is worthless. He says that salt that has lost its unique properties gets thrown out and trampled underfoot. It is all too possible to start adopting the world's spoiling values, to become materialistic, to seek our own pleasure first and foremost; and when we do that, we're flirting with the very death of our souls. There is nothing more tragic than someone who goes from salty to tasteless; to see someone exchange the life-giving flavor of Jesus for garbage.

Do not let that happen to you. Be honest with God and yourself; if you've avoided being a salty Christian, confess it to the Lord Jesus. He doesn't want to be at odds with you; He wants to forgive you. He doesn't want apathy to rule your life; He wants you to have the satisfaction that comes from serving Him. He doesn't want to throw you out like old salt; He wants to use you to heal and season and preserve this world. He went through the hell of the cross to take your sins away; He rose again from the dead to give you the victory; He invites you to come and taste these things today at His Table, where he serves you His body and blood. This is the flavor of forgiveness. This is the "salt" that sets you free. This is who you are, in Christ: the salt of the earth.

May you live your life in such a way that your salt causes others to thirst for the living water of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Luther on the Marvel of Mercy

Whenever the devil declares, "You are a sinner!" Christ interposes: "I will reverse the order; I will be a sinner, and you are to go scotfree."Who can thank our God enough for this mercy?

Sermons on the Gospel of St. John