Week of May 10th, 2026
John 14:17
The world cannot accept him [the Spirit of truth], because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
Christians have reason to be bold in their lives and witness to the gospel. Our courage isn’t based on what the world says is important, but what we have in Christ.
In a sermon on John 14:17 (from our Gospel Lesson from last Sunday) Martin Luther spoke about courage. He said:
The world is defiant and courageous when its moneybags and bins are full. Then there is such pride and defiance that the devil could not get along with a rich peasant. Another person boasts of his nobility and power, of his honor and reputation among the people; the wise and the smart boast of their intellect. Such people have their way, and no one can restrain them. One who has a little more power, honor, knowledge, favor, money, or goods refuses to yield to another person. But if we look at this aright, we find nothing but a foolish or childish reliance, without any stability. The consolation and reliance of Christendom, however—if it is from the Holy Spirit—must be constant, well founded, and heartily pleasing to God and His angels.
Thus we read about the holy martyrs who defied tyrants, or about the suffering and tortures of the young virgins Agnes and Agatha [Agnes was martyred in Rome, and Agatha in Sicily in the middle of the 3rd Century], who were so cheerful and happy on their way to prison and death that they imagined with pride that they were going to their wedding. Indeed, dear daughter, if you can face imprisonment and beheading as though you were going to a dance, then your heart, mind, and courage must surely be different from the world’s. . . . Such courage must be the work of none other than the Holy Spirit.
Luther's works, vol. 24:
Sermons on the Gospel of St. John: Chapters 14-16
The Holy Spirit has worked faith in Jesus in your heart and so he has made you bold to do God’s will, even when you face opposition. Faith sees opportunities to serve others as gifts from God—not an inconvenience or waste of time. Faith finds joy in serving others for the sake of Christ. Faith sees opposition from the world as just that—the ideas of those who oppose God and his truth. Those false ideas will be exposed in God's time.
You know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Be bold to live for him. Let his resurrection victory shape your view of life and fill you with joy in every situation.
