The marks or defining traits of the church – and members of it – are not what we might expect, or want. The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus shows us the most holy procession God that gives us, which is a mark of the church: His Holy Word. By it, Luther says, “Christian people are called holy; for God’s Word is holy and sanctifies everything it touches; it is indeed the very holiness of God, [Romans 1:16], for ‘It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.’” (AE 41, 148)
Sermon on Luke 16:19–31 on the Marks of the Church by Rev. Jeff Hendrix
