{"id":175,"date":"2018-05-02T09:54:38","date_gmt":"2018-05-02T17:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org\/wordpress\/?p=175"},"modified":"2018-05-06T17:19:52","modified_gmt":"2018-05-07T01:19:52","slug":"the-treasure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org\/wordpress\/?p=175","title":{"rendered":"The Treasure"},"content":{"rendered":"

In his Large Catechism<\/em>, Luther writes about a great treasure:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Baptism, therefore, every Christian has enough to study and to practice all his life. He always has enough to do to believe firmly what Baptism promises and brings \u2014 victory over death and the devil, forgiveness of sin, God\u2019s grace, the entire Christ, and the Holy Spirit with his gifts. In short, the blessings of Baptism are so boundless that if timid nature considers them, it may well doubt whether they could all be true. Suppose there were a physician who had such skill that people would not die, or even though they died would afterward live forever. Just think how the world would snow and rain money upon him! Because of the pressing crowd of rich men no one else could get near him. Now, here in Baptism there is brought free to every man\u2019s door just such a priceless medicine which swallows up death and saves the lives of all men.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo appreciate and use Baptism aright, we must draw strength and comfort from it when our sins or conscience oppress us, and we must retort, \u201cBut I am baptized! And if I am baptized, I have the promise that I shall be saved and have eternal life, both in soul and body.\u201d This is the reason why these two things are done in Baptism: the body has water poured over it, though it cannot receive anything but the water, and meanwhile the Word is spoken so that the soul may grasp it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the water and the Word together constitute one Baptism, body and soul shall be saved and live forever: the soul through the Word in which it believes, the body because it is united with the soul and apprehends Baptism in the only way it can. No greater jewel, therefore, can adorn our body and soul than Baptism, for through it we obtain perfect holiness and salvation, which no other kind of life and no work on earth can acquire\u201d (Book of Concord<\/em>, Tappert, 441-442).<\/p>\n

We all have been given this \u201cpriceless medicine which swallows up death and saves\u201d humanity for free. It sometimes makes one wonder why we have so much difficulty parting with our temporal \u201ctreasures,\u201d i.e., personal resources, \u00a0in support of the mission of the gospel. So, what in our lives is more important and more valuable than this gift?<\/p>\n

The treasure which God has given us in the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not hidden. We do not need to \u201chunt\u201d for it. We cannot earn or buy it. Instead, through Christ, God has revealed his boundless love for us sinners. In Christ, God wrapped himself in human flesh to find us sinners wherever we may be found. On the cross, Christ redeemed us sinners from the power of sin and death, and in the resurrection, Christ clothed us in newness of life. This treasure is given to us in baptism.<\/p>\n

There is a trendy phrase in American English these days called \u201cpay it forward.\u201d In Christ, God has given us the gift of himself. In \u201creturn,\u201d God calls all priests ordained through the sacrament of Holy Baptism to \u201cpay it forward\u201d in the lives of those whom we are called to serve. How are you called to \u201cpay it forward\u201d in the lives of others?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In his Large Catechism, Luther writes about a great treasure: \u201cIn Baptism, therefore, every Christian has enough to study andRead the Rest…<\/a><\/p>\n

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