LESSON: LUKE 1:68-79

Faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26

Faith is of two sorts. The first is that you believe that Christ is a man like the Christ described and proclaimed in the whole Gospel, but you do not actually believe that He is such a man for you. You have your doubts that all He achieved is for you. It may be for St. Peter, Paul, and the holy saints, but you are not at all sure that it is for you.

Such a faith is really nothing. It never really receives Christ or tastes of the things that really count in Him. Even the devils have this faith.

The one faith which is entitled to be called real, true Christian faith is to believe without any wavering that Christ is not only such a man for St. Peter and the saints, but also for you, indeed, for you more than for all others.

Your salvation does not consist in believing that Christ is a Christ for the pious, but that He is a Christ for you and is yours.

This faith brings it to pass that He pleases you in a most delightful manner. Then love and good works follow without any compulsion.

If works do not follow, it is quite certain that faith is really absent. Where faith exists, the Holy Spirit is also present working love and what is good in us.

SL.XI.2,8-9
AE 75,28

PRAYER: Bestow your Holy Spirit upon us, O Lord, to lead us into true faith, active in love and producing the works pleasing to you, for the welfare of your kingdom and our neighbor. Amen.

LESSON: MATTHEW 21:1-9

Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass. Matthew 21.5

This Gospel in a special manner arouses and demands faith. It portrays Christ in His coming grace. No one can really receive and accept Him unless he believes that He is the man in the sense portrayed in this Gospel. All that is set forth here in Christ is pure grace, gentleness and goodness. He who believes this regarding Christ is saved.

Look at Him! He rides no stallion, an animal mostly associated with war. He does not come in splendor and animal, accustomed to burdens and toil in the service of men. In this way He shows that He comes not to tempt men, nor to come down upon them with force and suppress them, but to them, to bear their burden and to take it upon Himself.

Although it was the time-honoured custom of the country to ride on asses and to use horses for war, as often recorded in Scripture, all that is narrated here is intended ot make known how this King rides in gently, with nothing but good intent.

To demonstrate this point, a prophetic statement is introduced here (Zechariah 9.9) to draw us to faith and the acceptance of Christ in a very friendly manner. For the sake of this statement, the events of this Gospel took place and were set down in writing as the evangelist also declares. Let us pay careful attention to this statement and the chief point of this Gospel, for herein Christ is highlighted for us in regard to what we are to hold and believe concerning Him, what we are to expect from Him, what we are to seek in Him, and how we are to avail ourselves of His help and make use of Him.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, fill us at all times with your saving grace. Lead us to true faith and preserve us therein, for your love’s sake. Amen.

LESSON: 1 JOHN 5:6‒12

Let God be true, but every man a liar. Romans 3:4

Someone may ask: What will happen if we cannot trust anyone? We must have some involvement and dealings with others; how otherwise could human society continue? We must buy and sell and distribute our wares among others. If no one believed or trusted anyone else, all human transactions would come to an end.

It is true, of course, that we must have dealings with each other, and one needs the other’s help. But the point I am trying to make is this: your dealings with any man, whether it be buying or selling, must be regarded as a matter of uncertainty on which you cannot rest your faith or build anything with absolute certainty.

This much is sure: If you trust anyone, you are already deceived. Human nature, to the best of its ability, can do nothing but lie and deceive. Everything, accordingly, which depends on man must always retain an element of uncertainty; man’s works and words are subject to constant change and instability. Be quite sure of that!

We must trust God alone and say, “O Lord, You are my life, my soul and body, my property and goods, and all that is mine: direct and order it all in accordance with Your will. You I believe. You I trust. You will never forsake me in any dangerous situation with this man or that man. I cannot trust man. If you know that it will be good for me, bring it to pass that he keeps faith with me. If you know that it will not benefit me, let him break faith with me. I am well content to let Your will be done.

Sl.XI.1810,17

PRAYER: O God, we pray that Your good and gracious will should always prevail in all our relationships with You and our fellowmen, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

LESSON: PSALM 40:1‒5

Thus says the Lord; “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:5

The less a man is trained in the ways of the world, the less he is opposed to God. Those who have made progress and gained recognition before the world, deceive and lie more than the others. They think that in the deceitfulness and cunning procedures of their actions, their deceit and vice are covered up. It is true, that they are masters at covering up and hiding their activities! But the Holy Spirit is very keen-sighted, and He knows them very well. Holy Scripture calls such fellows lions, wolves, bears, swine, and wild animals. They are always raging, and they devour and consume everything with their treachery.

In the Old Testament, the Jews were forbidden to eat certain animals because they were to regard them as unclean. They included those we have just mentioned, as well as others. A possible reason for this was that they were a figure and indication of certain people who are strong, powerful, rich, gifted, learned, prudent, and wise, who are to be strictly avoided as something unclean, namely, as people who mislead and deceive others with their outward brilliance, power, and cleverness. They are people of such a kind, that one would never suspect them of any evil intentions. Hence, we must never put any confidence and trust in any man as such.

Do not believe anyone. If a man can do so, he will surely mislead you. If you trust him, you will find yourself in opposition to God so that you do not trust God. This is what Jeremiah wants to teach us in the passage cited above.

SL.XI.1809,16

PRAYER: As Your children, heavenly Father, we owe all our faith and trust to You alone and not to men, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

LESSON: PSALM 106:6‒8

For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:26‒29

In this week’s Gospel (Matthew 22:15‒22), we have a very good portrayal of the cunning and perversity of human nature. There is nothing in men by nature but evil, lies, deceit, cunning, and all that is vicious. By nature man is nothing else but a liar, as the psalmist declares. You cannot trust a single person. Don’t think for a moment that you will ever hear a word of truth from anyone; man is a liar whenever he opens his mouth. How so? The spring is evil, that is, the heart is no good. Therefore the streams are no good either.

This is why the Lord at times described men as a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 12:34) and “serpents” (Matthew 23:33). Is not this an apt title for these people? Let anyone come forward here to boast about his piety and the powers of his own free will! Before the world it is possible to put on a fine exterior, and to be pious and holy, with much outward glitter. But there is really nothing else there than a brood of vipers and serpents, especially in the most valued, excellent, wise, and clever men. When you read the histories of the Greeks, Romans, and Jews, you will find that the best and cleverest princes, those who ruled well by human standards, were not conscious of receiving anything from God but relied on themselves alone, ascribing nothing at all to the power of God.

SL.XI.1809,15

PRAYER: Dear Lord, heavenly Father, in Your mercy and grace You bestow upon us everything in our lives that deserves to be called good. May we ever cling to You in firm faith, the giver of all good gifts, in Christ our Lord. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

LESSON: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:18‒23

Jesus did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for He Himself knew what was in man. John 2:24‒25

Whenever we are assailed by the enemies of our faith, we always have the strong consolation that Christ is in us and will carry off the victory through us. Christ is so close to us that we always conquer through Him because we are in Christ. When we are not beset by any adversity, we do not feel the need of His presence. But when we are under attack and are being crushed, He makes His presence felt and puts our enemies to shame.

Here, too, we should note that those who are a cut above others, cleverer, more powerful, with special gifts of understanding, nature, and fortune; those who are more artistic, more learned, and wiser than their fellows, who can speak well and who are equipped to exercise leadership over others, who can rule and regulate everything in the best possible manner, these people, for the greater part, are opposed to God and faith, and tend to rely more on the powers of their own reason than on God. Poisoned nature prevents them from being prepared to employ their gifts to the best advantage, for the use and benefit of their neighbor. Relying on their own gifts, they simply set their minds on this or that and hold the view that they do not need help or strength in any way.

They resemble the Pharisees of the Gospel (Matthew 22:15‒22). They were quite confident that they would get the upper hand over Jesus by setting Him a trick question. They felt that He could not possibly escape from their clutches because He would be in serious trouble if He answered either “Yes” or “No.”

SL.XI.1808,13

PRAYER: The wisdom of this world is folly with You, O God, and Your wisdom is foolishness with the world. Be pleased to open our hearts to receive the foolishness of the Gospel, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

LESSON: 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7‒10

We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way; through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 2 Corinthians 6:3‒10

Nothing better can happen for the Gospel than for the world to oppose it with might and cunning. The more that sin and the devil assail my conscience, the stronger becomes the justice of my cause. For the sins that press upon me hurt me; this makes me all the more persistent in my prayer and cries to God; hence my faith and confidence in my cause become stronger and stronger continually. This is also what St. Paul means when he states, “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Inasmuch, then, as we have a treasure which becomes stronger through temptation and adversity, we should never become afraid, but be of good courage and even rejoice in tribulation as Paul also observes.

If the devil were clever enough to keep quiet and simply allow the Gospel to be preached without trying to hinder it, he would certainly have less trouble on his hands. For if the Gospel is not attacked, it grows rusty and has no particular reason for manifesting its power and might.

SL.XI.1807,11

PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, we are by nature weak and beggarly, having nothing in us with which to oppose our enemies—the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. Make us strong, especially in the blessings of the Gospel available to us in rich measure, in and through Christ our beloved Savior. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.

LESSON: PSALM 118:1‒9

If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also give us all things with Him? Romans 8:31‒32

All who set themselves against the divine wisdom and Word of God must bring discredit on themselves or suffer disgrace. Let no one therefore be afraid, even if all the cleverness and might of the world range themselves against the Gospel, and even if efforts are made to subdue it with bloodshed. The more blood that is shed, the more Christians will increase. Tertullian well observed that the blood of the Christians is the seed from which Christians grow. The devil is drowned in Christian blood. Hence it is not a very smart thing to try to suppress the Gospel by force.

In a certain respect, the Gospel resembles the palm tree. It is the nature and character of this tree to lie on top, no matter how much loading one puts onto it. If a beam is made of it, it does not yield to any load but actually raises itself against the load. That is also how the Gospel is. The more opposition it encounters, the greater pressure it exerts, and the more men try to quench it, the more and more it grows.

We should never be afraid of might and force; what we should really fear is success and good days. These are quite likely to do us more harm than anxiety and persecution.

We should also not be afraid of the wisdom and cleverness of the world. This can do us no harm. The more the wisdom of the world opposes the truth of the Gospel, the purer and clearer the truth becomes.

SL.XI.1807,10‒11

PRAYER: Be the defender and protector of Your Word and Gospel, O God, in all attacks made on it by its enemies. May Your Word and Gospel continue to go from strength to strength, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.