Had the joy today

Of Luther's sermon for Trinity III in the new AE  78:128ff. He begins with one of his most striking and beautiful expositions of the PLACE of Law and Gospel in the Christian's life. I love it! How the conscience is like the bridal chamber, and Moses has no business there. There Christ alone can be, for He alone is our righteousness. And then he dives into how externally, in dealing with our flesh, there indeed Moses has an ongoing job. There the commandments have their place. But not in treating of God. He goes on for this with one luminous insight after the other.

He finally gets around to the parable of the Lost Sheep. He preaches this with such tenderness. Here's a teasing taste:

If you want to ask whether I am righteous, then I will simply answer: "No, and I also not want to be in this circle." However, if you ask me whether Christ is righteous, then I can say, "Yes!" Without any doubt and present Him as my righteousness and appeal to Him boldly. I was baptized upon Him, and in the Gospel I have the seal and letter that I am his dear sheep and He is the good and righteous Shepherd who seeks His lost sheep and deals with me entirely without the Law. He demands nothing from me, neither drives, threatens, nor frightens, but only shows me sweet grace. He stoops down, takes me on Himself, so that I can lie on His back and be carried. Why, then, would I be afraid of Moses' and the devil's lightning and thundering? I am in the protection of the man who gives His godliness and everything He has to be my own, who carries me and keeps me so that I cannot be lost, because I remain a sheep and do not deny the Shepherd or shamefully fall away from Him. Thus you have the picture presented in the most pleasant way it can ever be painted.