They say that clothes make the person, and if we believe the ads that are plastered around us, what amazing people we will be, if only we wear… And doesn’t it feel good to put on a nice outfit? I enjoy wearing my suit and tie; I feel better wearing it, even though I am well aware that I am the same old schmuck under it. (But I feel less schmuckish!) We are also told that productivity goes up when we wear work appropriate clothes when working from home instead of staying in our PJs. I guess clothes are important.
In the waters of Baptism, we have been clothed with the best set of clothes we could ever wear, Christ Jesus. I take that to mean that, in some strange and mystical way, we not only take on Christ’s righteousness, but we become the very hands, feet, mouth and heart of Jesus. We become the little Christs that Luther says we are to be.
Sometimes, we smear those clothes with sin. But through confession and forgiveness, we are restored, clean and pure. This set of clothes does indeed make the person!
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for clothing us in you. Amen. —