Our Saviour's Lutheran Church
549 State Route 409
Cathlamet WA 98612
360/631-4707
Worship Sundays 10:30
Luther Quote of the Week
“And the angel answered and said unto the women: Fear not :. . . He is not here . . . he is risen . . .” Matt. 28:5-6
The dear angels preach very well, for they have good reason so to do. The substance of their preaching is this: You seek Jesus in the tomb. But He is become a different man. You believe that He was crucified, but we will tell you where He is now. ‘He is risen from the dead and is not here.’ You will not find him in this life. On earth, which is the realm of death, you must not seek Christ. Different eyes, fingers, or feet are needed to see Christ, to take hold of Him or to walk towards Him. I will show you (he says) the place where He lay, but He is no longer there. His name is now ‘He is not here,’ as St. Paul writes to the Colossians (3:1-3): ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above’. . .
Christ is Not Here. Hence a Christian must also be Not Here. Therefore no one can tie down Christ or a Christian with certain special rules. It says, ‘He is not here.’ He has left the husks down here, such as earthly justice, piety, wisdom, the Law, and whatever else belongs to earth; of all those He has stripped Himself entirely. You must not seek Him in the things which appear upon the earth. They are nothing but husks, and husks are never used a second time. Therefore, no one, in so far as he is a Christian, can be caught in them, but, as Christ is above all things, so is a Christian above all things. Christ has in Himself overcome all things and left them behind. And in that we believe this, we too are called ‘Not here,’ even as He is. As St. Paul says, ‘Set your affection not on things on the earth.’ What a wonderful saying it is. Your life is hid, not in a chest, for there it might be found, but in Him who is Not Here. Our life shall be above all human wisdom, justice, and piety. As long as you abide in yourself, you are not devout, which means that our life is hidden high above our eyes . . . and high above all that we can feel. –Sermon from the year 1530