(Gn.3:9-15; Ps.130:1-8; 2Cor.4:13-5:1; Mk.3:20-35) "With the Lord is kindness and with Him is plenteous redemption." We hear today recounted in our first reading our first parents' tragic fall from the grace of God into the boundaries of hell – for now they tend to hide themselves from His glorious face. Oh such disobedience that has caused such painful separation of the crown of creation from the Creator's hand! And what greater punishment than this can we know: not to be eternally in His presence as was His intent? And for such sin inflicted upon our race our psalmist is caused to plea: "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice!" For release from the "iniquities" upon his soul he begs the Lord… and so is proclaimed the cry of us all. And does the Lord hear? He cannot help but hear, for "with [Him] is forgiveness, that [He] may be revered." He draws His children back to His paradise by the cords that are the blood of Christ, "that the grace bestowed on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God." "Knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also… we are not discouraged… For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven." Sin may well be at work within us, causing the body to die, causing us to give up our lives – forcing us to put no stock in the passing things of this life; but through this sacrifice the Lord is at work building our home in heaven. Paul sums up this redemptive process so beautifully when he says, "This momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison." For the affliction indeed passes with these passing things, but His house is eternal. And in our gospel we see well that Jesus has come and "plunder[ed] the house" of Satan. "He drives out demons" from this decaying house in which we dwell, dividing it against itself and breaking the hold Satan has on souls by the corrupted influence of the flesh. Anointing fallen man with the purity of the Holy Spirit, as by fire sin is consumed. What devil can stand in this light? What influence has sin upon our souls with Jesus as our God? And so we poor fallen creatures become as His own, as His "brother and sister and mother," for by the grace that comes only from the Son, again we become one with the Father – in joy we stand before His loving gaze. "More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord," for now has our redemption come. Written and produced by James Kurt; read by Sylvia Kurt. Music: "Unbind Yourself" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, with hope we look to the dawn when we shall be freed from sin and joined to your Son. YHWH, how can we be forgiven our foolish disobedience, which has separated us from your presence, from the House in which you dwell? How shall we reenter there, we who are so bound by Satan because of our sin? Will you hear our cry, O LORD? You cannot but hear our cry, dearest God; you quickly answer those who seek forgiveness and the doing of your will. You will not turn your back on those who mourn for their iniquities, who long again to see your face. Indeed, Jesus you send to us. And from what does your Son hold back in redeeming our lives from the grave? What will He not do to convince us of your love for your wayward children? We must but accept His Word, His love, even as He hangs on the Cross for us, and not spurn the Spirit's work in Him. He will make us as His brothers, plundering Satan's possession of our soul and bestowing your glory upon us, if we but trust in you and your loving mercy.