A friend gave us this handmade sign of the Hebrew word “shalom”. It means “peace” of course, but as with so many things there is so much more. We have peace because we have a Lord. To have Jesus as Lord Luther says MEANS THAT JESUS HAS REDEEMED AND RELEASED ME FROM SIN, FROM THE DEVIL, FROM DEATH, FROM ALL MISFORTUNE OF THE BEFORE; THAT I HAD NO LORD OR KING BUT WAS CAPTIVE UNDER THE POWER OF THE DEVIL. I WAS CONDEMNED TO DEATH AND ENTANGLED IN SIN AND BLINDNESS. AND THEN LUTHER GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT HOW GOD HAD CREATED US AND HOW WE FELL VICTIM BY OUR OWN WILLS, OF COURSE, TO THE TYRANTS AND JAILERS. AND THESE TYRANTS AND JAILERS HAVE NOW BEEN ROUTED. THEIR PLACE HAS BEEN TAKEN BY JESUS CHRIST. AND HE IS LUTHER SAYS, THE LORD OF LIFE, THE LORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. THAT IS THE ONE WHO RESTORES SHALOM, THAT HEBREW WORD FOR PEACE. THAT EMBRACES ORDER AND EVERYTHING ELSE. HE IS THE LORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. HE IS THE LORD OF EVERY GOOD AND EVERY BLESSING. HE HAS SNATCHED US POOR CREATURES FROM THE JAWS OF HELL AND MADE US FREE. RESTORED US TO THE FATHER’S FAVOR AND GRACE AS HIS OWN POSSESSION. HE HAS TAKEN US UNDER HIS PROTECTION AND SHELTER IN ORDER THAT HE MAY RULE US IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, WISDOM, POWER AND LIFE AND BLESSEDNESS. SO TO BE A LORD FOR JESUS IS, FIRST OF ALL, TO BE THE RESCUER. THE ONE WHO SAVES US FROM THE WORST OF OUR ENEMIES. AND THEN HE IS THE ONE WHO, AS LUTHER SAYS IN THE SMALL CATECHISM, MAKES US HIS OWN AND WHO LETS US BELONG TO HIM.
