He Who Overcame Death

To Mrs. John Luther, May 20, 1531

Should any thought of sin or death frighten us, let us lift up our hearts and say: ‘Behold, dear soul, what are you doing ? Dear death, dear sin, how is that that you are alive and terrify me? Do you not know that you have been overcome? Do you, death, not know that you are quite dead? Do you now know the one who has said of you, ‘I have overcome the world’? It does not behoove me to listen to or heed your terrifying suggestions. I shall pay attention only to the cheering words of my Savior, ‘Be of good cheer, be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ He is the Conqueror, the true Hero, who in these words, ‘Be of good cheer,’ gives me the benefit of his victory. I shall cling to him. To his words and comfort I shall hold fast. Whether I remain here or go yonder, he will not forsake me. You would like to deceive me with your false terrors, and with your lying thoughts you would like to tear me away from such a Conqueror and Savior. But they are lies, as surely as it is true that he has overcome you and commanded us to be comforted.

(Martin Luther)
 
A dear friend from HC passed this lovely passage on to me from some reading that she did. I just knew I wanted to keep it for this Resurrection Weekend.