Friend, come up higher

It's easy for sin to fester and grow, if left alone. Let us repent, daily, and pray this does not happen to us. For consider: Cain's envy led to murder, Joseph's brothers' indignation led to attempted murder, and the Pharisees' hatred led them to seek to catch Jesus in his words (rather than listen to him), and finally to kill him, the Lord of Glory. But see what he has done: submitted to all this for us and for our salvation. And so now we have come to his Feast, sitting in the lowest seat (confessing our sins), and we have been bidden to come up higher, to a seat at the head table, as the blessed Bride of Christ. Sermon for Trinity XVII.