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LESSON: LUKE 6:46-49

No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11

We must remain free judges with authority to judge, accept, or reject even what popes or councils decide. If we accept anything, we should accept it because it agrees with our conscience as instructed by Holy Scripture, not just because pope or council orders it. St. Paul says in Romans that if a man has prophecy, it should be in agreement with the faith (Romans 12:6). All prophecy slanted towards works and not leading genuinely to Christ or to your own consolation is not in agreement with faith, no matter how pleasant it may be, like the revelations of the hobgoblins, masses, pilgrimages, fasts, and the search after the merits of the saints.

In these matters, many of the fathers have erred, including Gregory (the Great), Augustine, and many others. Not the least of their errors was to take away our authority to judge doctrine for ourselves. The false idea that we owe obedience to the pope and councils without question is a heart-breaking affliction which began at a definite point in history. So, you must also once again begin to say, “God has said this; God has not said this,” or “The councils have decided this,” you are building on sand.

There is no other judge on earth in spiritual matters and on Christian doctrine than a human being who has the true faith in his heart, whether it be a man or a woman, young or old, servant or maid, learned or unlearned. God is no respecter of persons. All who live according to His commandments are alike dear to Him, and so they all have authority to judge doctrine.

SL 11:1398 (14-15)

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You have bestowed great and wonderful privileges upon us as Your children by faith in Christ Jesus. May it please You to preserve and keep us in these privileges, strong in faith and hope, for Christ our Savior’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, 4:234-245.

LESSON: 1 JOHN 4:1-6

“He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John 8:47

Do not let yourself be persuaded to believe in all simplicity what the pope says or what the councils have decided. If you recognize God in the truth of His Word, you have the rule, the measure, and the yardstick whereby you may form a judgement on all the doctrine of the fathers, namely, when you know that Christ is our salvation, that He rules us, and that we are sinners.

So, if someone suggests that you must become a monk, or that you must do this or that to make sure of your salvation because faith alone is not enough for salvation, you can say in all certainty, “You are lying; your doctrine is false because he who believes in Christ is saved.”

From where have we learnt this? From the faith in our hearts which believes this and this alone. No one can take adequate precautions against error unless he is led by the Spirit of God Himself. St. Paul says to the Corinthians: “The spiritual man judges all things but is himself to be judged by no one” (1 Corinthians 2:15). False doctrine can be properly judged only by the believer who is led by the Holy Spirit.

SL 11:1397 (12)

PRAYER: Your Spirit, O God, is the Spirit of truth and understanding. Lead us by Your Spirit into the truth and keep us therein. We ask it in Jesus’ name. 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, 4:234-245.

LESSON: PSALM 119:105-112

Even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8-9

In regard to God’s Word, you must reach the point when you say, “That is how matters stand; no one will ever move me from my stand on God’s Word.” When you hear the Word say, “You shall not kill,” or “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them,” then you must know that this is Christ’s doctrine over against the decisions of all the councils, even though all men say otherwise.

This is also the case with the doctrine that we cannot help ourselves in the matter of our salvation but must look to Christ as our Savior who, by His suffering and death, has obtained the forgiveness of sins for us. This doctrine you must know and confess in your heart as the truth.

If this is not your conviction, you do not have the Christian faith. You may have the Word hanging on your ears or on the tip of your tongue like froth on the water, as Hosea says that Samaria has “her king cut off as foam upon the water” (Hosea 10:7, A.V.). You must believe God’s Word, not just as though it is made up of words preached by Peter, but as a Word which God has commanded you to believe.

I say all this so that we should return once again to the Gospel and note from what fountain the foundation of our faith flows and to remind you that you have the authority to pronounce judgement on all that is set before you. I do not build my faith on any man and should not do so. I must answer for myself when I am confronted by death.

SL 11:1397 (11)

PRAYER: The truth of Your Word, O God, is a sure and certain guide for us in all matters of faith and life. Bestow Your Holy Spirit upon us in such a measure that we understand, believe and confess Your Word, for Christ the Savior’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, 4:234-245.

LESSON: PSALM 119:89-96

We also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 1 Thessalonians 2:13

God makes His Word known to us through men, and He proclaimed it and had it written down especially through the apostles. St. Peter and St. Paul did not speak their own words, but God’s Word, as St. Paul also assures the Thessalonians when he says to them, “We also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

The Word may well be preached to me, but no one can implant it in my heart except God alone. God must speak His Word to my heart, otherwise nothing comes of it. If God keeps silent, the Word is not really spoken to my heart. Hence, no one will ever force me to give up the Word which God Himself has taught me. This I must know as certainly as I know that two and three make five. This remains true even if all councils say otherwise. If they say otherwise, I know that they are lying. Likewise, one yard is more than half a yard; this is certain. Even if the whole world says otherwise, I know that this does not change such facts. Who forces me to this conclusion? No one but the truth alone, which is so complete and so certain that no one can deny it.

This is also the case with the truth which God has implanted in our hearts. I am not so concerned about the opinion of Augustine, Jerome, St. Peter, St. Paul, or even of the archangel Gabriel from heaven—I want to have God’s Word and what God Himself says.

SL 11:1396 (8-10)

PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for the sure and certain truth which You have set forth in Your Word. Make us steadfast and immovable in this truth, 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, 4:234-245.

LESSON: 2 PETER 1:19-21

Whoever speaks, [speak] as one who utters oracles of God. 1 Peter 4:11

You must be just as sure and certain about the Word of God as you are sure and certain that you live, and even more so. For on this Word alone your conscience must take its stand.

No matter how many men come along, or even angels and the whole world, with some sort of conclusion, if you cannot make such a judgement or reach such a conclusion, you are lost. You cannot simply accept the judgement of the pope or of anyone else. You must be so constituted that you can say, “This is what God says; God does not say this. This is correct; that is not correct.” Otherwise, you cannot stand your ground.

If you are on your deathbed and take up your stand on the pope and the councils, saying, “The pope says this; the councils have decided that; the holy fathers like Augustine and Ambrose have concluded this,” the devil will immediately shoot holes in your claims with the question, “What if these statements were incorrect? What if they erred?” If such temptation comes upon you, you have already succumbed. Here you must be quite sure and say, “This is God’s Word. On this I will surrender body and life and a hundred thousand necks if I had them.”

St. Paul says to the Corinthians, “I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:3-5).

SL 11:1395 (6-7)

PRAYER: Lord, You have given us a sure and certain Word to establish us in the faith and to remove far from us all uncertainty and doubt. Enable us at all times to live up to our convictions and to confess Your holy name without fear or favor, in Jesus’ name. 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, 4:234-245.

LESSON: ROMANS 11:17-20

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Matthew 7:15

We should note very carefully that the Lord Jesus orders Christians and gives them authority to be judges over all doctrine, to pronounce judgement on whether it is correct or not. This authority was filched from us by false Christians for something like a thousand years, so that we had no authority to pronounce judgement on any doctrine but simply had to accept, without expressing any judgment, whatever the pope and the councils determined.

This Gospel completely overthrows the papacy and all councils. We are not obliged to accept what the pope enjoins or what men set up. Therefore, I say once more, take careful note of this Gospel. Neither the pope nor the councils have received the command to set up and determine what faith is. Christ says here, “Beware of false prophets.” Either the Gospel must be lying, or the pope with the councils.

Christ tells us that, as Christians, we have the right to judge all doctrine and what has been set up for us to hold or not to hold. Christ is not speaking only to the pope but to all Christians. Just as Christ’s former words are spoken to all, “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them” (verse 12), so also these words exclude no one, “Beware of false prophets.” From these words it is quite clear that I have the right and duty to judge doctrine.

Hence, I am obliged to say here, “Pope, you and your councils have made decisions. I now have to judge whether I can accept these decisions or not, for you will not be at my side to answer for me when I have to die. So, I have to see to it where I stand, and I must be sure of my ground.”

SL 11:1394 (3-5)

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Your Word is the truth, and You have given us full and ready access to this Word of truth. Grant us a sure and certain understanding of Your Word, that we may always stand fast in our faith and openly confess the truth of Your Word, 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, 4:234-245.

LESSON: MATTHEW 7:15-23

“Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12

After explaining the commandments of God as reported in Matthew, chapters five and six and in the earlier part of chapter seven, the Lord concludes His discussion with the words, “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” This is a Christian doctrine and a neat summary of the whole of Christianity.

Following on this, we have the present Gospel (Matthew 7:15-23), in which the Lord performs the office of a godly shepherd and teacher and warns us to beware of false teachers. It is as though He meant to say, “There you have your doctrine; from now on, beware of other doctrines. For it is certain that wicked teachers and false prophets will arise wherever this Word is preached.”

This we must consider very carefully that there are two brands of doctrine: correct and good doctrine and false, misleading doctrine. There are two brands of doctrine, one always to be found alongside the other. This is how matters have stood from the beginning, and this is how it will be until the end of the world. We achieve nothing at all by withdrawing in silence and seeking security without trouble and annoyances. The wicked doctrine of men, the devil’s doctrine, and all our foes will oppose us unceasingly. We must never imagine that all our battles are over. We are not yet “out of the woods.” Hence, the Lord gives us a very serious warning and says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

SL 11:1394 (1-2)

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You have given us very clear, precise teaching and instruction on what we are to believe as Your disciples. Implant Your Word in our hearts in such a way that we understand and keep it, for Your truth’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, 4:234-245.

LESSON: COLOSSIANS 1:15-20

He [Christ] is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17

This Gospel (Mark 8:1-9) sets Christ before us as a rich, powerful lord and steward. To be sure, He is a rich miller and baker in one, better than any other that the world has ever seen, and He has learnt His trade very well. He really draws on a number of trades at once and without any human help at all. He ploughs and harvests, threshes, grinds and bakes, almost all in the twinkling of an eye.

It is a miracle and incomprehensible to human reason how He could feed so many thousand men, without counting women and children, so that they were satisfied, and much more was taken up in broken pieces than they had at the outset. And He did it all on the instant with a word. He merely touches the bread and hands it out for distribution, and enough has been ground baked and prepared for four thousand or more people.

The five thousand whom He fed on another occasion wanted to take Him by force and make Him their King (John 6:15). They thought that a man who simply had to put his hand into one basket or one pocket to provide all their needs could prove himself an excellent leader for them. He could actually do this and become such a king. Remember also the coin which Peter found in the mouth of the fish (Matthew 17:27).

He can certainly perform His wonders when, where, and how He wills. He could bring enough bread and water out of a stone to feed the world. He actually does perform such miracles daily for the whole world. All that the world has is provided by His miracles, which are no less, as St. Augustine also has shown, than His feeding of the four thousand.

SL 11:1379 (15-16)
AE 78:257-258

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, in whom all things in this world hold together, provide us with all that we need for our faith and lives now and always, in Your name and for Your mercy’s sake. Amen.

LESSON: ROMANS 12:1-8

Christ ... suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21

In the Gospels, we are taught both faith and love. Christ is portrayed to us from two viewpoints: from the viewpoint of faith, that we should repose our whole faith and trust in Him and not indulge in anxious care and worry; and from the viewpoint of love. Just as He does to us in His concern for us, feeding us, giving us drink, and clothing us out of free love alone—and not just to be useful to us or as a reward for our merits—so also, we should do good freely to our neighbors, so that, just as He is Christ for us, we should also be Christ for them.

Here we see that many of the works performed in times past by the religious are vain and even damned. For they were not performed in the interests of the neighbor, but for the sole reason of piling up personal merits before God.

True Christian works must never be done with any ulterior motive; they must always be quite free, so that they redound to our neighbor’s welfare and are a completely free gift to him. They are, so to say, thrown into a common pool from which anyone can draw.

This is what Christ Himself did. He threw all His benefits into a common pool. He gave His doctrine, Word, and life to the congregation as His free gift to them. Blessed are those who accept this gift of Christ with thanksgiving.

SL 11:1372 (15-16)

PRAYER: Shine in our darkened hearts and lives with Your Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus, that we may learn to love others as You have loved us, and that, as You are Christ for us, we may also be Christ for them. Grant us this for Your mercy, truth, and love’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, 4:202-210.

LESSON: PSALM 33:8-22

“I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way.” Mark 8:2-3

What a friend we have in Jesus! He is even concerned about the welfare of those despicable stomachs of ours. Our hopes must be aroused, and we must certainly find comfort in Christ’s words regarding the multitude on this occasion. They have been waiting upon Him for three days with nothing to eat, and Christ is determined to meet their needs. Here you see that all those who cling steadfastly to God’s Word are fed by God Himself. Here we have an example of the true nature and power of faith; it flows solely from God’s Word.

Hence, my dear friends, let us really make a beginning of believing. Unbelief is the overall reason for all the sin and vice which has gained the upper hand in all social ranks in our day. How does it come about that there are so many silly women and rogues everywhere, so many traitors, thieves, robbers, usurers, murderers, and those who have ecclesiastical livings for sale? All this results from unbelief. All these people form their judgements on human reason alone. Reason follows nothing but what it can see, and what it cannot see it cannot comprehend. And so, reason cannot comprehend how ultimately, by refusing to place its trust in God through faith, it must end in self-despair in the presence of so many rascals and scoundrels. This is what results where men allow reasons to assume all controls and shut out faith in God.

SL 11:1371 (13-14)

PRAYER: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things, graft in our hearts true love of Your name. Increase in us true religion, nourish us with true goodness, and, of Your great mercy, ever keep us in the same, 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, 4:202-210.

LESSON: PSALM 145:14-21

He has filled the hungry with good things. Luke 1:53

In the discussion on this Gospel of the feeding of the four thousand, we have said quite a lot about entrusting our bodily welfare to God and God’s assurances to us that we will never lack the temporal blessings we need.

We also want to say something about the spiritual blessings which we need, more particularly in the face of death. When we have death before our eyes, we will find that we would rather continue to live; we will see hell before us and would much rather have heaven; we will be conscious of God’s judgement and would much rather have His grace. In short, we will see nothing of what we would like to have before our eyes.

Against death, hell, and God’s judgement no creature can come to our help, but, if I have faith, I say to myself, “Faith is a basis on which I obtain what I do not see; if I believe, nothing can harm me. Even though I see nothing before me but death, hell, and God’s judgement, I must pay attention to none of these, but wholly believe that God, by virtue of this assurance and not through my own merits, will give me grace, salvation, and life.”

This is what it means to cling to God in true faith. This is pictured in the living example of the four thousand people who clung to God with this faith alone. They were sure that God would feed them and refused to be side-tracked by any sophistries of human reason.

SL 11:1370 (11-12)

PRAYER: Comfort us with Your gracious promises and assurances, heavenly Father, in the days of our pilgrimage here on earth, but especially also when death comes upon us. Let us depart this life without any of the uncertain props of human reason, trusting only and solely in Your grace, 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, 4:202-210.

LESSON: PSALM 37:16-26

With God nothing will be impossible. Luke 1:37

Faith is the firm foundation upon which I wait for that which I do not see. Hence, I must always have enough. Before faith would ever experience dire need, the angels would come from heaven and dig bread out of the earth so that a believer with such faith should be fed. Heaven and earth would have to pass away before God allowed such a person to suffer want in clothing or any other necessity. The comforting, powerful words of God’s assurances and promises call for such certainty and conviction on our part.

But if one took counsel with human reason, one would soon get the reply, “It is not possible. You will have to wait a long time before roast ducks fly into your mouth.” Reason sees nothing and grasps nothing. There is nothing there.

This was also the reaction of the apostles with their questions, “How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?” They thought, of course, that it would be quite impossible. Had they seen a big heap of money, butchers’ stalls and bakers’ shops ready at hand, they would have found it easy to offer advice and to afford some comfort here. This would have provided them with a good, rational solution to their problems. But when they saw nothing, they could offer no useful advice. They regarded the feeding of these people as an impossibility in the absence of the wherewithal to do this.

SL 11:1370 (9-10)

PRAYER: Your mercy and goodness towards us, heavenly Father, are unending and beyond all our powers of telling. We praise and thank You for all this goodness which we experience in body and soul, in the name of Jesus our 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, 4:202-210.

LESSON: EPHESIANS 3:14-21

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Here the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews reminds us that faith is the basis on which we rely for blessings which we do not yet see, or, in other words, I must wait for a blessing that I can neither see nor hear but can only hope for.

This was also the situation in the Gospel (for this week, Mark 8:1-9). Here we have a large group of men, almost four thousand of them, who with their wives and children have been with Jesus and His disciples for three days with nothing to eat. This was real fasting—I would have you understand. They are now hungry, far from home, and without the necessary provisions to sustain themselves. The writer of Hebrews says that faith is an assurance whereby I hope for blessings that I cannot see. This is the kind of faith that we find here in this multitude: they see no food at all, but they still hope that God will sustain them.

What does Jesus do here? What attitude does He take in this business? It would almost seem that He has no clues at all, for He goes to the apostles and asks them what to do about the problem of feeding these people. Their reply is characteristic enough, “How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?” Here we see how human reason and faith not infrequently walk along together. We see that the smarter human reason is, the less it is in line with the works of God.

Jesus put His question to the disciples so that each of them should learn and recognize from the way his own reason reacted, that there is really no way in which reason and faith can be brought together. Here we learn that, as soon as faith begins, reason must be shut out from that time or granted “leave of absence.”

SL 11:1368 (6-7)

PRAYER: Loving Father, on whose bountiful providence we wholly depend, give us at Your pleasure whatever necessities this life requires. Above all, continue to feed our souls with spiritual food, the bread of life from heaven, 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, 4:202-210.

LESSON: MARK 8:1-9

The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

Scripture holds up a twofold picture before us: a picture of fear, that is, a picture of the boundless and strict wrath of God before which no one can stand the test, a picture which would mean utter despair for every one of us if we did not have faith. Over against this, the picture of grace is held up before us, so that faith should regard it very closely and draw from it a friendly, comforting confidence, with the hope that we can never overestimate God’s goodness towards us. There is always still much more with Him.

You have often heard that there are two kinds of blessings: spiritual and bodily. This Gospel (Mark 8:1-9) deals with temporal and bodily blessings. It teaches us children’s faith; it is a Gospel for the weak.

In this Gospel, we are taught to look to God as the source of all good and to learn to trust Him. From our experience of God’s blessings in the temporal sphere we should also learn to trust Him in regard to spiritual blessings. This Gospel reminds us of the fact that Christ does look after our bodily needs. From this we may well infer that He also wants to nourish our soul with spiritual blessings.

If I am not prepared to entrust the sustenance of my body to Him, I will be much less disposed to entrust the eternal welfare of my soul to Him. If I cannot trust a man to give me one florin, how can I trust him to give me ten? If I cannot look to someone for a piece of bread, much less can I entertain any hope that he will give me house and home and a whole estate.

SL 11:1367 (2-3)

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, source of everything that is good for our bodies and souls, continue to pour Your good blessings upon us in accordance with the promises and assurances You have given us in and through Christ, our 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, 4:202-210.

LESSON: ROMANS 8:1-9

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17

What are we to learn from Christ’s interpretation of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount? First, you should learn that if you were to be judged by your obedience to the Law, you would have to be condemned as a child of sin and the devil. From this lost condition you cannot possibly rescue yourself by your own resources. You have no alternative but to seek refuge in God and beseech Him to change you. Otherwise, all is lost, and you are ruined.

Therefore, take hold of God’s Word and promises that He is willing to change you, and this will prove itself a source of great help to you. Say to God, “See here, my God, you have set up Christ, your beloved Son, as an example for me. You want me to live as He did. I cannot do this. Change me, dear God, and grant me your peace.”

God comes to our assistance and says, “Because you acknowledge your need of help and seek grace from Me, I will change you and make a new man of you. And though you are not perfect like Christ, as you should be, My Son’s life and perfection shall come to your assistance.” There must always be something to humble us and inspire us with healthy fear.

This is real comfort—depending not on our own ability but on the fact that we have a gracious God who forgives us and on our faith in Christ, not on our own “worthiness.” This also purifies us from day to day, and, wherever there is something still lacking, we trust in Christ to provide us with adequate consolation. This is also the chief thrust of this particular Gospel (Matthew 5:20-26).

SL 11:1350 (11-12)

PRAYER: Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus Christ, for the hope of salvation which You have provided in the perfect fulfillment of Your heavenly Father’s Law for us, which you offer us in Your Gospel of salvation, for Your mercy and truth’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, 4:179-187.

LESSON: LUKE 12:57-59

“Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.” Matthew 5:25-26

We do injury to our neighbor in many ways. When I do not protect his good name to the best of my ability and when I am unfriendly to him and refuse to help him, I am already his enemy. If I want to be acceptable to God, I must first become reconciled to my neighbor. If I do not do this, I cannot be acceptable to Him. God rejects any service I may render Him if I have previously failed in service to my neighbor. 

Our lives hitherto have left much to be desired. In our insane rush to secure personal benefits for ourselves from the saints, we have almost completely neglected our neighbor. The lord reminds us here that, instead of doing such wonderful things for departed saints, we should be doing things for our living neighbors. We should pay the closest attention to the services we render our neighbor. God attaches no importance to a church we build for Him if it means that we have neglected the needs of our neighbor. 

We have been taught the very opposite of this. We have been taught to put everything into pretentious foundations and institutions at the expense of our needy neighbor. 

It is God’s will that we serve our neighbor, render him his due, put all matters right with him, and become reconciled to him; otherwise, He does not want to see us or hear us. Moreover, if my adversary makes an approach to me, I should willingly forgive him. 

SL 11:1341 (15-18)

PRAYER: You have shown us, O Lord, that there is never any gain in putting off reconciliation and even great danger to our faith and piety in postponing it. Give us an open heart and spirit that is ever ready to forgive and forget, after Your own example and for Your name’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, 4:167-178. 

LESSON: MATTHEW 18:21-35

“If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24

There are two parties here. One has committed a wrong against another man; he must ask forgiveness. The other man has been wronged; he must offer forgiveness in a friendly and ready manner, even if he has not been requested to do this.

This is very hard for human nature. It is true, of course, that it does come along once in a while with a plea, saying, “Dear friend, forgive me!” But if it were not compelled to do so in fear of hell and God’s wrath, it would never do so. In any case, the old resentment still continues in the heart. On the other hand, the man who suffers the injury also finds it very difficult to forgive it in his heart. And just as the former man comes with a hypocritical plea, so he also offers a hypocritical forgiveness.

All this means nothing at all before God. “If you are offering your gift at the altar,” He says, “and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Reconciliation must come from the heart; forgiveness must come from the heart. Therefore, mark this text very well.

SL 11:1340 (13)

PRAYER: Awaken in us a loving spirit, O Lord, which is always ready to forgive and bring about reconciliation where hostility and strife have caused discord and grief. We ask this in Jesus’ name. 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, 4:167-178.

LESSON: 1 PETER 1:22-25

Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:15

It is quite clear from Christ’s interpretation in this Gospel that we are all guilty of breaking the commandment, “You shall not kill.”

He who is not born again from God cannot possibly ever throw off the charge of murder. Even though a man refrains from the act of murder, he cannot get rid of his murderous thoughts and his acquiescence in a murder. How often do we not say when someone is murdered, “He got his deserts! It served him right!” All such reactions are clearly contrary to this commandment. God does not merely consider external works; He looks into the heart. And so, this commandment, “You shall not kill,” is a very wide-reaching commandment with a very wide application.

Without spiritual rebirth, it is beyond us. Here, too, it is necessary to become a new creature. Christ has fulfilled the whole Law for us by His perfect obedience to His heavenly Father in life and in death. He has “redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13).

By faith in Christ, all our sins against God’s law are fully and freely forgiven. For our sakes, God made Him to be sin who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness which avails before God in Him. By faith in Christ, we become new creatures, we are born again, and we love to run the way of God’s commandment. But even as new creatures we are still far from perfection. We must always remain linked with Christ or else we must surely fail.

SL 11:1339 (10-11)

PRAYER: Renew us by Your Holy Spirit, O God, that we may begin to love Your holy Law and observe it in our relations with our neighbor as new creatures in and through Christ our 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, 4:167-178.

LESSON: ROMANS 10:5-13

“Whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.” Matthew 5:21

Christ here interprets the law of Moses and pronounces a judgment which applies all over the world. What man on this earth is not guilty of breaking this commandment? What will we do now in the face of the necessity of keeping this commandment while not being able to do so? We cannot sweep away the mire. We are faced with despair and must judge ourselves accordingly. Hence, God’s laws are only a mirror in which we see our filth and wickedness; they shut all of us up under sin so that we cannot work our way out of this situation by our own strength and free will. Something else has to come to our assistance.

Christ continues and says, “Whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca’ [‘you fool’], shall be liable to the hell of fire.” “Raca” is an abusive name manifesting anger or hatred. Anger or hatred, of course, is no excuse for breaking one of God’s commandments. Even though I am obliged to regard someone with whom I am at enmity in a friendly manner, signs of hatred and anger like abusive names will make it clear that my heart is not really behind my friendly exterior.

Dig into your own experience. Take a close look at others as well as yourself, and you will find that no one can help himself out of the dilemma into which his wicked disposition continually drags him and which is deeply implanted by human nature. You may adopt a friendly attitude to your brother, but you cannot give him your heart, even if you were to tear yourself apart in the effort. In this matter, we are beyond human help. Only God and His Holy Spirit can bring about the necessary change here which can spell success for us.

SL 11:1338 (7-8)

PRAYER: Change our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, heavenly Father, that we may receive the necessary strength to run the way of Your commandments in the service we render to our neighbor in faith and love, through Jesus our 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, 4:167-178.

LESSON: PSALM 1

“You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgement.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.” Matthew 5:21-22

This word is so lofty and deep at one and the same time that it defies all and any efforts to render it perfect obedience. This I not only attested here by the Lord; it is also proved in every man’s experience and feelings. Christ here touches on four areas: thoughts, gestures or signs, words, and deeds. No one can wriggle his way out here; we must acknowledge a verdict of “Guilty!”

It makes little difference what pious man or woman you take here as an example. They are normally quite friendly with people who do not get too close to them. But if they suffer some kind of abuse, if someone gets a little too close to them, they can become very angry on the slightest provocation. They can become incensed almost at the drop of a hat. Reason can never see its way clear to be well-disposed to those who do us an injury. Secular literature is full of instructive examples of all this, and there is also our own experience to teach us.

This, of course, is not satisfactory as far as God is concerned, but flesh and blood cannot do anything for us here. We must carefully note what God’s Word actually says to us in the commandment, “You shall not kill.” Who is meant by “you”? The hand? No! The tongue? No! He means “you,” with all that you are and all that is in you. Your hand, your heart, your thoughts shall not kill.

SL 11:1337 (5-6)

PRAYER: Dear Father in heaven, even our best efforts to render Your Law the obedience it deserves fall far short of the mark of perfection. Help us in our efforts to improve our obedience to Your holy will, and forgive us our many shortcomings in this connection, in the name of our 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, 4:167-178.

LESSON: MATTHEW 5:20-26

“I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20

The scribes and Pharisees led a life of such a kind that both they themselves as well as other people were of the opinion that they would gain the kingdom of heaven as a result. But they were very wide of the mark. Christ censures them and tells His disciples that, unless their righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, they will never even enter the kingdom of heaven.

This naturally prompts the question, “What then shall we do to become righteous?” Here all works that any man can perform are given up and abrogated, and the most pious exponents of work-righteousness are struck down. No work can ever be performed whereby any man can save himself and rescue himself from sin. To make this statement today invites the charge of heresy.

There were certainly also those who would have been inclined to say to Christ here: “You are a heretic; do you really want to reject good works?” Christ is not disturbed by the possibility of such a charge. He openly concludes that the works of the scribes and Pharisees are worthless and nothing in God’s sight. These men, too, may have felt like answering Christ here with a counterargument, “If works do not make a man righteous before God, why do we have the Law through which we have good reason to trust that we will save ourselves, provided that we obey it in our lives?” This gives Christ a reason for introducing a discussion on the commandments in His Sermon on the Mount.
SL 11:1336 (3-4)

PRAYER: In Your revelation of the Gospel, heavenly Father, You have shown us with the utmost clarity that all reliance on our own efforts to gain righteousness in Your sight are vain and hopeless. May we always trust Your promises and assurances in firm faith and reliance, and thereby experience the full joy of salvation, 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, 4:167-178.

LESSON: 2 CORINTHIANS 5:11-15

“Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.” Luke 5:10

This is an evangelical word by which weak hearts may obtain consolation. We have seen in this Gospel how God looks after our bodily needs. He provided Peter with so many fish when he would have probably had enough with two or so. God also fills Peter so richly spiritually that he should have enough also in this respect to share it with others. He makes Peter a fisherman both bodily and spiritually. In a bodily manner, Peter catches so many fish that he can sell them; spiritually, however, he is to become a fisher of men, for he has the Gospel with which he is to bring in others and extend the kingdom of Christ.

When men come to faith, God gives them so much that they are in a position to help all men, outwardly with their property and goods, and from their spiritual resources they are equipped to teach others and make them rich inwardly. When men come to faith, they must proclaim it to others and tell other of their experiences.

The psalmist knew all about this when he wrote, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee” (Psalm 51:10-13).

When I believe, I come to know God. Then I also see what others are lacking and proceed to proclaim the Gospel to them. I am in a position as a believer to feed the hungry both bodily and spiritually.

SL 11:1312 (21-23)

PRAYER: Thanks and praise be Yours, heavenly Father, for the riches of both bodily and spiritual blessings which You continue to shower upon us. Grant us the insights to use all these blessings to relieve the needs of our neighbors and for the glory of Your kingdom, in Jesus’ name. 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, 4:131-140.

LESSON: PSALM 143

If thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Psalm 130:3-4

When you feel your sins and become like Peter with a desire to run away from God, you must turn around and get closer and closer to Him. For if God were disposed to flee from you and were not willing to take away your sins, He would never have come to you or pursued you. Therefore, the more you feel that you are a sinner, and the more you want to run away from God, the more importunately you should seek Him.

Mark this well! For as St. Peter reacted here, so all consciences react in fear because of their sins, trying to escape from God and seeking some false god. Do not end your struggle like this. You cannot possibly end it like this. Present a bold front and cling to God. Otherwise, when you run off in search of works to seek help with another god, and then later want to come back to the true God, you may well have the same experience that the foolish virgins had after going off to buy oil for their lamps, returning only to find the doors locked (Matthew 25:10).

But what did Jesus do after Peter had humbled himself to such an extent that, in great fear and terror, he requested the Lord to depart from him? Did He allow Peter to remain in his despondency? By no means! He proceeded to comfort Peter with the words, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10).

SL 11:1311 (18-20)

PRAYER: It is Your assurance, heavenly Father, that the more we feel our sins, the nearer we always are to the forgiveness of sins. Keep us ever steadfast in our faith and hope that You will help and save us, 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, 4:131-140.

LESSON: ROMANS 5:18-21

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken. Luke 5:8-9

We may take Peter here as an example of those who are to believe in the eternal blessings and actually see them. A sinful conscience is by nature so constituted that it does what Peter does here, it flees from its Savior and thinks, “I am not worthy of being saved and sitting among the saints and angels. The experience of all this good is too much for me.” The straitened conscience cannot comprehend the greatest of blessings but thinks as follows, “If I were like St. Peter or St. Paul, I might be able to believe it all.”

This is all very foolish, for if you wanted to take your stand on your own holiness, you would be building on sand. Do not do this but follow St. Peter. In regarding himself quite unworthy of such grace, he is really proving his worthiness.

It is just because you are a sinner, and realize this fact, that you must trust yourself entirely to God’s grace. You must open up your conscience to its widest extent and let your heart swell so that grace may enter in.

SL 11:131 (16)

PRAYER: We thank and praise You, heavenly Father, for Your friendly approach to us sinners and for the wonderful riches of Your goodness toward us. May this ever be an incentive and an invitation to us to draw even closer to You and readily accept Your grace whenever it is offered to us. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. 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, 4:131-140.

LESSON: ROMANS 8:31-39

Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. Romans 5:5

God’s children must learn to combine their works with hope. God can delay results and sometimes deems it fitting to do so. If God keeps you in suspense for a time and lets you work in the sweat of your brow without immediate result, do not straightway conclude that your work has been in vain. You must be wise, learn to recognize your God, and know how to put your trust in Him. In the end, He will make His presence felt for you and give you more than you need.

If God keeps you in suspense for a time, say to yourself: “St. Peter was also kept in suspense for a time and later endowed with rich gifts.” So, entrust the matter to His good and gracious will and do not lose hope, and your works will become golden and acceptable to Him.

Hope waits patiently and perseveres when God delays His help and does not intervene as soon as we would prefer it. He has to make additional contribution here and hang some costly stones on your works to make them important. The most precious stone is faith, but the works of unbelievers are of straw. They are not built on faith.

SL 11:1309 (14)

PRAYER: Your promises and assurances to us, heavenly Father, are always sure and certain. May we always work in the certain hope that, when it is best for us, You will help us and bestow rich blessings on us, in and through Christ our 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, 4:131-140.

LESSON: 2 THESSALONIANS 3:6-13

When he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4

Jesus says here in effect: “Let down your nets and do the work that belongs to a fisherman and let Me do the worrying. I do not want you to worry but to work.” We always want to change this procedure. We want to do the worrying and let Him do the work. This is one reason why so much usury is practiced today. Men want to make money to avoid the necessity of working.

If you want to live like a real Christian, leave the worrying to your God. Let Him bring the fish into the net, and you take up a position in which you have to work. All of us would prefer positions in which we do not have to work. For this attitude, the devil is responsible. There was only one reason why such large numbers formerly became monks and priests: we all wanted to live like aristocrats and avoid the necessity of work. Parents even sent their children to school so that they might subsequently enjoy good days in the service of God. In the end, no one really knew any longer what good days were.

God has indicated that it is His pleasure that man should eat his bread in the sweat of his brow, and He has therefore ordered man to work. He said to Adam, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). The more closely you stick to God’s law in this respect, the better it is for you. Do your work in faith and let God freely exercise His government.

SL 11:1308 (10-11)

PRAYER: It is your will, heavenly Father, that Your children here on earth should be honest and reliable workers in whatever calling or position You may place them. May we ever remember that it is Your will that we should work in faith and trust to Your governance of all times, in and through 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, 4:131-140.

LESSON: LUKE 12:13-21

Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:23-24

Paul gives a vivid description of what happens when men give way to unbelief (1 Timothy 6:6-10). The man who is solely bent on piling up earthly possessions and becoming rich falls into temptations and snares of the devil. This cannot be seen; it is something spiritual. If we could really see the damage that the devil does in spiritual things in the same degree that we can see the damage he does in bodily matters, we would really have something to preach about. For we have external evidence of how an unbelieving man keeps on scraping earthly property together, doing violence to every man so that he may have no opposition and stand alone in his scraping operations so that finally he may rely on what he has scraped together and say: “Now I have enough.”

What a mean and unfriendly thing this unbelief is! It does no one any good; it is friendly to no one; it considers nothing but its own advantage. It is certainly an accursed thing, this unbelief, refusing to trust God for the sake of our benefit and actually believing that, if we do not adopt all possible methods and procedures for ensuring our bodily welfare, even at the expense of our neighbor’s welfare, we will die of hunger.

SL 11:1306 (4-5)

PRAYER: Lord, You have shown us in very clear precept and example that we should never be greedy and covetous, but contented and generous. Fill our hearts with such trust in Your wonderful care and providence that we overcome all temptations to selfishness and use our blessings to help all in need, for Your name’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, 4:131-140.

LESSON: LUKE 5:1-11

When they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish, and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. Luke 5:6-7

First of all, let us note here that those who believe in Christ will also have enough for their bodily needs. Christ attends to this matter here in supplying Peter and his partners with such a large number of fish, more than they would ever have dared to hope for.

We see here how Christ is genuinely concerned for the bodily welfare of His disciples. If only there were not so much accursed unbelief! Take the example of St. Peter in this Gospel. Look into his heart, and you will find that he did not reckon with the possibility of catching so many fish. But God intervenes here and brings the fish into the net in greater numbers than any of them had desired.

This example shows us that believers in Christ receive enough for their bodily needs. Unbelievers never have enough of anything. They never experience any real rest and are continually engrossed in the piling up of earthly possessions. This is how they become enmeshed in all kinds of harmful vices.

What Paul writes to Timothy is only too true: “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

SL 11:1304 (2-3)

PRAYER: You have given us the strongest of assurances, heavenly Father, that You will always watch over the needs of all Your children, even the needs of their bodies. Grant us the grace of contentment so that we always receive Your blessings with thanksgiving and with real benefit to ourselves and our neighbor, in and through Jesus Christ our 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, 4:131-140.

LESSON: MATTHEW 7:1-5

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned.” Luke 6:37

Jesus is speaking here of uncharitable judging and condemnation, forming a good or bad opinion about something that cannot really be seen from the outside but is a judgement that only God can make. It can happen that you see your neighbor sinning on the one day, and God accepts him on the next day. You can also put on a very pious front and blot out all remembrance of your own sins.

Christ has forbidden judging, for there can be no love or unity where such judging and condemning is current among men. To judge or condemn another man is nothing else but having a log in one’s eye such as all hypocrites have in their eyes. Those who have the idea that their piety exceeds that of other men always find something wrong with their brethren. No matter what their brethren do, they find fault with it, but they cannot see their own sins.

If you see nothing but sin in others, without ever noticing the log in your own eye, you are falling under the judgement of God. You, who are so ready to judge and condemn another man, are a greater sinner before God than the worst scoundrel and the worst harlot, of whom God alone knows who is saved or condemned.

All sin that other men commit is as nothing when compared with the sin that you commit with your uncharitable judgement of others.

SL 11:1281 (26)

PRAYER: To you and to no one else, O God, belongs all judgment and condemnation. Keep us always aware of this basic fact whenever we are tempted to judge and condemn our neighbor in defiance of the love that we should always manifest to him, 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, 4:97-110.

LESSON: MATTHEW 6:1-4

“Do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” Luke 6:35

In these words, Jesus outlines a basic Christian principle which involves our earthly property and its use in relieving the needs of our neighbor and helping him. Our earthly property should always be at the disposal of our neighbor. We should lend to our neighbor and give to him where and when he wills it.

These are real commandments and not merely counsels, as has sometimes been suggested. Jesus does not mean here, “He who wants to attain perfection must follow this course.” In an effort to observe this counsel of perfection, men withdrew from the world into monasteries, seeking this perfection. For this reason alone, all monasteries are a devil’s delusion. For no people are greedier and less inclined to break off their wrong practices than those in monasteries.

If one wants to be a Christian, one should be prepared, as Jesus says, to lend “expecting nothing in return.” If we are confronted with a case of need, where there is no possibility of repayment, we should make a free gift and remit all indebtedness, as Nehemiah did (Nehemiah 5:9-12).

God gave you your property, and He can certainly give you more if you continue to trust him. If you are wrongfully deprived of something, do not demand it again for yourself. Let your neighbor step forth on your behalf and help you, so that you do not have to suffer excessively. Your neighbor should help you and protect you against wrong and violence. If you want to be Christians, you must lend and give and even suffer the deprivation of your goods, or your faith will be lacking.

SL 11:1279 (20-21)

PRAYER: You have given us everything, O God. Train us in your ways so that we, too, may learn to give everything for the welfare of our neighbor, for Jesus’ 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, 4:97-110.

LESSON: JAMES 2:14-17

Brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:10-11

Good works should always be a sure sign to me, resembling a seal on a letter, to make me certain that my faith is right. If I feel in my heart that a certain work has flowed from the love in my heart, I can be certain that my faith is as it should be. If I forgive, my forgiveness should assure me that my own faith is a living reality. It guarantees and proves my own faith that God has forgiven me and forgives me daily. But if I do not forgive, I should quickly have to conclude that there is something lacking in my faith.

This was also Abraham’s experience. Works made his own faith known to him. God certainly knew that he had faith, but Abraham also had to know this and prove his faith.

Works are therefore the fruits and proof which freely follow faith. Of what use would it be to me if I had a strong faith but did not know it? It would be like having a chest full of florins and not knowing it. This would be of no use to me. But if someone made this known to me, his service to me would seem like a gift.

So also with faith. If I have faith and do not know it, it is of no use to me. Therefore, it must break forth and become known to me by the works which follow it. Peter urges us to do good works, not that we should thereby be called, but to confirm our call and offer proof of it.

SL 11:1277 (16-17)

PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, endow us with a true, living faith which always proves itself in works of love to our neighbor, for the Savior’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, 4:97-110.

LESSON: 2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-2

What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift? I Corinthians 4:7

We must always receive before we can give. Before we practice mercy, we must receive mercy from God. We never lay the first stone. The sheep does not seek out the shepherd, but the shepherd the sheep.

See to it, then, that you always keep works in their proper place. You do not obtain anything from God by your works. You obtain all that you receive from God without any merit or worthiness on your part at all, as God says to us in Isaiah, “I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me” (Isaiah 65:1). At the end of the same chapter, God says, “Before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). Before we seek Him, He finds us; before we ask after Him, He already hears us.

This is also what Paul says in the famous section of Romans, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justified him who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:23-26).

Paul explains it all very neatly when he says later on in Romans, “If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6).

SL 11:1276 (15)

PRAYER: O God our Father, let us find mercy in Your sight so that we have grace to serve You acceptably with due reverence and godly fear, and further grace not to receive Your undeserved love in vain or to neglect it or fall away from it, but to stir us up to grow up in it and persevere therein, 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, 4:97-110.

LESSON: HEBREWS 11:17-19

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5

Someone may wonder how we can reconcile what Jesus teaches in this Gospel with our frequent contention that works count for nothing with God and play no part at all in obtaining a favorable judgement from Him. How does it come to pass that the very opposite seems to be set forth by Christ in this Gospel? Christ says, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:36-38).

The gist of all these statements seems to be that we must gain God’s favor for ourselves by means of our works, and that by our works we must win God over so that He is merciful to us and forgives us. We, on the other hand, have always been most emphatic in insisting that it is faith alone that achieves all this.

Note well, then, that St. Paul, with the whole testimony of Scripture oft-repeated on his side, insists on the necessity of faith, that we must have dealings with God through pure faith alone. Hence, you must understand passages like the ones which we have here in our Gospel as teaching that works are the proof and verification of faith. If I have faith, then I must be merciful, refrain from judging and condemning, forgive and give to my neighbor.

SL 11:1275 (13-14)

PRAYER: Grant us your grace, O God, that we may always demonstrate the genuineness of our faith in abundant works of mercy towards our neighbor 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, 4:97-110.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY IV - MONDAY

LESSON: PSALM 89:1-4

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Exodus 34:6

Where mercy is not practiced, there is no Christian faith. If your heart is established in faith, so that you know and realize how merciful and good God has proved Himself to be as far as you are concerned, without any merit on your part and absolutely for nothing on His part, when you were still His enemy and a child of eternal damnation—if you really believe all this, you have no other alternative at all but to manifest a similar spirit towards your neighbor. And you do all this out of love for God and for the benefit of your neighbor.

Take care, then, that you make no distinction between friend and foe, between worthy and unworthy. All who have experienced God’s mercy deserved anything but mercy. This will be the case also when we show mercy to others. This is what our Lord Himself wanted to emphasize for us when He said, “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish” (Luke 6:35).

Mercy will be a constant fruit of true Christian faith.

SL 11:1275 (12)

PRAYER: O Lord Jesus Christ, Your mercy and compassion were always freely extended to all who had gone astray. Inflame our hearts with the fire of Your love, that we also may extend our mercy and compassion to all our fellowmen, whether friend or foe. In Your name we ask it. 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, 4:97-110.

LESSON: LUKE 6:36-42

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36

Jesus is not speaking here of the kind of mercy that human reason commends and suggests to us. This is a mercy which is selfish and self-seeking, which gives to those who are important and learned, to those who have earned it and merited it, to those whom it loves or who are beautiful, to those from whom it can expect some benefit or advantage. For if I give to him who has earned it, or if I consider beauty or friendship, I am only performing a duty or paying a debt and not carrying out an act of mercy at all.

This is what the Lord meant when He said in the section immediately preceding this Gospel, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again” (Luke 6:32-34).

The mercy of Christians does not seek its own advantage or repayment of any kind. It must always be extended in all directions. We must open our eyes and keep them fixed on all men alike, on friend and foe, and be merciful, even as our heavenly Father is merciful.

SL 11:1274 (11)

PRAYERS: Your steadfast love, O Lord, never ceases, and your mercy towards us knows no ending; it is new every morning and accompanies us in the night seasons. Grant us grace to follow and practice a similar mercy towards our fellowmen, for your name’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, 4:97-110.

LESSON: LUKE 19:1-10

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15

If you feel your sins biting you, and your heart is wavering and beginning to tremble, take your place on the side where the tax collectors are standing, for they are the people for whom the Gospel is intended.

Do this quite joyfully and say, “Dear God, according to your own words, there is greater joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. All the angels and the righteous are interceding for this sinner and covering his sin. Now, dear God, here I am, and I feel my sins. My case is already decided. All I now need is a shepherd to seek me out; I will entrust myself feely to your Gospel.”

So, you come to God, and you are already the sheep that God has taken on His shoulders; you have already found your shepherd. You are the coin already lying in the hand; you are the one over whom all the angels of heaven are rejoicing.

Whether you feel all this right away or not must not disturb you in any way. Sin falls away gradually, and the bite in your conscience will impel you to keep on seeking God. You must fight with your faith against your feeling and say, “Dear God, I know what you have said; to this Word I will cling. I am the sheep and the coin; you are the shepherd and the woman.”

SL 11:1241 (21-22)

PRAYER: I thank and praise You, heavenly Father, for Your grace and mercy in seeking me out and finding me with Your Gospel of salvation. Preserve and keep me in Your mercy and grace, in and through Jesus Christ the 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, 4:57-66.

LESSON: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7

“There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10

When sinners come to Christ in response to the invitation of the Gospel, He does not reproach them with their sins. He remains silent and covers their sins. He could put us to shame and trample us underfoot, as the Pharisees do, but He does not do that. At the last judgement, He will certainly come forth, and all that has remained hidden will be revealed.

We must follow the example of Christ. A maiden must place her garland of chastity upon a whore, a pious wife must give her veil to an adulteress, and we must be prepared to use any of our garments to cover sin. Every man will have his sheep and every woman her coin. All our gifts must be placed at each other’s disposal.

In God’s judgement, there is no greater sin on this earth than that committed by pious men, women, and maidens when they despise those who are held fast in their sins. At the same time, they are under the delusion that their natural endowment can help them out. They blow themselves up with their own perfections and self-importance and despise their neighbor.

Hence, this Gospel provides powerful consolation to poor sinners because it is so friendly to sinners, and at the same time it must be a source of some fear to the Pharisees.

SL 11:1240 (17-19)

PRAYER: Have mercy on us at all times, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy, blot out all our sins in accordance with Your promises, in and 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, 4:57-66.

LESSON: MATTHEW 18:10-14

He told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ … Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’” Luke 15:3-6, 8-9

Christ is the shepherd, and He is also the woman. It is Christ who has lit the lamp, that is, the Gospel, and it is Christ who walks about in the wilderness, that is, the world, and who sweeps the house seeking the lost sheep and the lost coin. He does this seeking with His Word so that, first of all, sin is proclaimed to us and, thereafter, grace and mercy.

When we are told here that the shepherd takes up the lost sheep on His shoulders, the reference is to the fact that our sin has been laid on Christ’s shoulders. This certainly must strengthen our confidence in Christ, and this must also follow from the way in which tax collectors and other sinners flocked to Him and were received by Him. Had they regarded him as nothing but a stubborn judge, they would never have come to Him. But these sinners recognized themselves as sinners in need of His grace. And when they heard tell of His attractive words, they came to Him.

Learn from this that we should seek out our neighbor to cover his shame with our honor and to hide his sin with our piety.

SL 11:1239 (15-16)

PRAYER: It is not Your will, O Lord, that we should ever delight in the sins of others and gloat over them, but that we should rather help them to repentance and provide joy in heaven. Fix this truth in our hearts in such a way that we always act according to it, for the sake of Jesus our 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, 4:57-66.

LESSON: 2 CORINTHIANS 7:5-13

“I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7

In the example of Christ, we are shown how we are to conduct ourselves towards sinners. Inwardly, in our heart, we must be prepared to serve them; outwardly, with the tongue, we should also instruct them in all earnestness.

This is what God expects of us, and this is also what Jesus, the captain of our salvation, has demonstrated for us. St. Paul also makes this quite plan to us when he says in his Epistle to the Philippians, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which you have in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:4-8).

Christ was absolutely perfect in all righteousness, and He could have simply condemned all of us. But He does not do this. What does he do? He gives Himself to us as our servant. His righteousness served our sins; His perfection made up for our frailty; His life conquered our death.

We see this also quite clearly in this Gospel from Christ’s friendly attitude towards sinners, which made the Pharisees murmur.

SL 11:1238 (13-14)

PRAYER: As Your disciples, Lord Jesus, the interests of others are our interests. It is Your clearly expressed will that we should always concern ourselves with the interests of others. May we apply this truth as Your disciples, Lord Jesus, especially in our efforts to help sinners to repentance and the forgiveness of their sins, for Your mercy and truth’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, 4:57-66.

LESSON: MATTHEW 9:10-13

“This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:2

To help assist sinners in finding the true way out of their sins and to conquer sin are the really important and significant works in which we Christians should train ourselves. But not many are concerned about these works; most people by-pass them. The practice has died out and, to a large extent, become extinct. In preference, following the devil, one man goes to St. James; another builds a church; a third man establishes a mass. One man does this, another that. No one ever seems to think of making intercession for sinners. Hence, it is to be feared that the holiest of men are quite likely to end up in the very depths of hell and that heaven will be made up mostly of sinners.

It would be a real Christian work to interest yourself in some poor sinner; to go to the place where you pray to God in private and offer earnest prayer to Him, saying, “I hear that this poor sinner (naming him) has fallen and is held fast in sin. Help him up, dear God!” In this way you would be receiving a sinner with Jesus and serving him.

This is what Moses did when the Jews worshipped the molten calf. He became wrapped up in this sin and reproached them for it in all severity. Three thousand men were put to death when the avenging sword passed from gate to gate on this occasion (Exodus 32:27-28). But in the end Moses fell down before God and interceded with God to forgive them their sin or blot him out of the book of life (Exodus 32:32). This was a man who knew that God loved him and had written his name in His book of life. But Moses said, “Lord, I would prefer it if you condemned me and forgave the people their sin.” We have another example of this concern for sinners in the apostle Paul (Romans 9:3).

SL 11:1237 (8-9)

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Your readiness to receive sinners and to help them with Your grace and forgiveness has been made very plain to us in Your Gospel. Grant us such a clear understanding of Your Word and mission that we always manifest a similar concern for sinners and do our utmost to make known to them the help available in Your Gospel. In Your name we ask it. 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, 4:57-66.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY III - MONDAY

LESSON: ROMANS 5:15-17

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him … the Pharisees and the scribes murmured. Luke 15:1-2

In our Gospel, two groups are set before us as an example and for our instruction. First of all, there are the Pharisees and hypocrites. These people were regarded as models of perfection in respect to all kinds of piety and godliness. They were immersed in holiness over their ears. Secondly, there are the open sinners and tax collectors. These people were immersed in sin over their ears. For this reason, they were despised by the hypocritical “saints” and regarded as unworthy of all fellowship with them.

Christ comes in between these two groups and delivers a judgement. He points out to these “saints” that they must yield themselves in service to the “sinners,” load up the “sinners” and carry them on their shoulders and take thought how to help them out of their sins with their righteousness and piety. The “saints” do not want to accept this role. But this is truly the proper procedure here and what must be done.

The correct Christian procedure is to fall down and become completely linked with the “sinner,” no matter how deeply he is immersed in the mire of sin. This sin you must take upon yourself and wallow your way out of the mire with it, treating it just as if it were your own sin. Reproach and chastisement are necessary, and the whole matter must be treated in all earnestness. You must never despise a sinner but love him with all your heart. If you are proud and despise a sinner, there is no hope for you; you stand utterly condemned.

SL 11:1236 (6-7)

PRAYER: Fill our hearts at all times with Your grace and love, Lord Jesus, that with You we may love all sinners and lead them in faith to the victory over sin which You have achieved by Your suffering and death on the cross and now offer to sinners in Your Gospel, for Your mercy and truth’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, 4:57-66.

THE WEEK OF TRINITY III  - SUNDAY

LESSON: LUKE 15:1-10

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:1-2

It is not at all unusual for religious people to assume a very self-righteous attitude over against those whom they regard as “sinners,” to turn up their noses at those who are not as holy as they themselves are, and to despise and shun them. This is always the way of human reason; it cannot be otherwise. 

Self-righteous men are always close to hypocrisy and cannot help despising those who are not like themselves. Their own life counts for everything with them. They blow themselves up and cannot bring themselves to show any consideration at all for “sinners.” 

They know nothing at all about becoming servants of other men and never realize that their own piety should be of service to other men. They are also very proud and hard and do not understand how to manifest love to others. Confronted with a case of need, they are quite likely to argue as follows: “This bumpkin is not even worthy to undo my shoes; how can I be expected to show him my love?”

This is often where God comes in to play His part. He allows this proud spirit to take a heavy fall and to receive a sound rebuff. A marriage may break up and, at times, something even more terrible can happen, so that in the end this proud spirit is forced to lash out against himself, saying, “Keep quiet and get a grip on yourself, brother; you are no more than the material out of which this ‘bumpkin’s’ trousers are made.”  

In this way, he comes to realize that we are all the one cake and that one donkey does not have to become another donkey’s pack animal. We are all born from the same flesh. 

SL 11:1236 (5)

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, You have taught us that the greatest of all is the servant of all and that the humble shall be exalted. Preserve within us a simple, humble heart and faith, ever ready to serve all men, for Your name’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, 4:57-66. 

LESSON: PSALM 84

“Compel people to come in!” Luke 14:23

We must understand the compulsion referred to here as applying to those who have a despondent and feeble conscience. These people should also be invited to the banquet and compelled to come in. The reference, however, is not to any external compulsion but to an inner, spiritual compulsion.

This results when the Law is preached and sin is disclosed and brought to light, so that a man comes to realize what he really is. He is brought under compulsion, compelled to come in, when a vivid knowledge of sin is stirred up in his conscience. As a result of this, he also realizes that he is nothing in God’s sight, that all his works are sinful and even condemnatory. His despondent conscience and tender, terrified heart so overwhelm him that he loses all confidence in himself and can see no help at hand anywhere to provide any comfort at all. In this wretched condition he is finally led to despair.

When a man has been brought under compulsion in this way, you should not delay with the invitation to “come in” and help him out of this despondency. This is achieved when you comfort him with the Gospel, telling him how he has been freed from his sins with the words, “Believe in Christ, that He has freed you from your sins and you will be rid of your sins.” This is what is meant in this Gospel by compelling men to come in so that the householder’s home may be filled.

SL 11:1214 (12-13)

PRAYER: Lord, you have reminded us in a very vivid manner that we are always confronted with a situation of grave urgency respecting our invitation to men to come in and partake of the banquet prepared for them in your kingdom of grace. Grant us wisdom and courage to perform our duties in this area with determination and love, in the name of Jesus Christ our 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, 4:33-38.

LESSON: JOHN 10:14-16

“Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’” Luke 14:21

The householder’s instruction to his servant to go out quickly “to the streets and lanes of the city” refers to the fact that the Jews proved themselves unworthy of the Gospel and turned away from it. As a result of this, the disciples of Christ turned to the Gentiles. Before His resurrection, Christ instructed His disciples not to turn to the Gentiles or to preach in the cities of the Samaritans. They were too busy themselves only with the sheep of the house of Israel and to pasture them. This they also did.

But later, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, when the Jews opposed Christ’s Word of salvation and refused to accept it, the apostles told the Jews, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us” (Acts 13:46-47). The apostles then quoted a passage from the prophet Isaiah, “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

The same instruction is given by the householder to the servant here in this Gospel: “Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame. Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:21, 23).

SL 11:1214 (11)

PRAYER: O God, in your great mercy and grace you have given us the good news of salvation in your Son Jesus Christ. Fill our hearts with thankfulness so that we may tell abroad the glad tidings which we have received, through the same 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, 4:33-38.

LESSON: LUKE 14:25-33

He called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:34-35

He who gives up something for the Gospel really loses nothing. Even if you lose your earthly life for Christ’s sake, He will give you another, better life, eternal life, as Christ Himself says: “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39). If you have to leave child and wife, remember that God can take care of them and be a much better father to them than you have ever been. There is no doubt at all about this. Believe it with all your heart!

You have equally great assurance, together with rich promises and encouragement, that He will never fall down on His Word. He will keep His Word, as we shall also discover if we are ready to put our trust in it and to resign ourselves to it. He has given us His Word and promised; what more could we want, or what could we desire that is greater?

Is something lacking? Only in our faith. Let no one come to this banquet unless he comes with a thorough-going faith which exalts God above all creatures and loves Him above all else.

SL 11:1213 (10)

PRAYER: Almighty God, so reign in our heart and soul that Christ may always have dominion there. Grant that we may continue in true faith to confess Him with our tongues and glorify Him by our works with You, O Father, and the blessed Spirit, now and forever. 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, 4:33-38.

LESSON: MATTHEW 9:9-13

“But they all alike began to make excuses.” Luke 14:18

These words are a comment on Christ’s words reported in Matthew: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37-38).

There are really only very few who are endowed with adequate resignation to accept this invitation. For anyone who would come to this banquet must stake everything on the Gospel—body and property, wife and child, friend and foe. He must give up everything that separates him from the Gospel, no matter how good, correct, and holy it may be.

You should not suppose that the men who excuse themselves here were gross sinners or mixed up in unjust activities and action. By no means! They could all present a very good front. It is not at all wrong to buy and carry-on business, to look after oneself well, to take a wife and marry. But we must not become involved in all these matters to such an extent that we cannot forsake them, clinging to them with all our heart. We must be prepared to forsake anything that is opposed to the Gospel. And self-denial will mean a cross.

The Gospel is a word of the cross. It will set up stumbling-blocks over which some will certainly falter. We must be prepared to forsake everything rather than cut ourselves off from God’s Word or His love.

SL 11:1212 (7-9)

PRAYER: Almighty God, whose beloved Son, for our sake, willingly offered himself to endure the cross, its agony and its shame, remove from us all coldness and cowardice of heart and give us courage to take up our allotted task and follow Him, through the same 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, 4:33-38.

LESSON: MATTHEW 22:1-14

“Come; for all is now ready.” Luke 14:17

The message which the servant was to convey to the invited guests to urge them to come to the banquet was: “Come; for all is now ready.” Christ died; He slaughtered sin and death in His death; He rose from the dead; the Holy Spirit was given; in short, everything that belonged to this banquet was prepared. Everything was prepared in such a way that it would cost us nothing. Through Christ, the Father assumed the whole cost so that we might enjoy His blessings without any merit or contribution on our part and become abundantly rich.

First of all, He sent out His servant to the Jews to invite men to this banquet. The Jews had received special promises and undertakings from God about this banquet. The law of Moses and all the prophets were set up and appointed to prepare the people of Israel for God, as the angel Gabriel also stated of John the Baptist to his father Zechariah:

“He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Luke 1:15-17).

When the Jews had trotted out all their excuses to John the Baptist and the apostles, to a very large extent rejecting Christ, the invitation to come to the banquet was extended to the Gentiles.
SL 11:1211 (5-6)

PRAYER: Lord, You have made it quite plain in Your all-embracing Gospel invitation that all are welcome in Your kingdom. May we at all times receive this invitation whole-heartedly and treat it in all seriousness for ourselves and others, through Christ our Lord and for the glory of His name. 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, 4:33-38.

LESSON: ISAIAH 55:1-7

“A man once gave a great banquet and invited many; and at the time for the banquet, he sent his servant.” Luke 14:16-17

Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast.” Matthew 22:1-3

This invitation was sent out in the manner described in this Gospel. The man sent out his servant to invite guests to this great banquet. The Apostles were sent out by Christ into all the world with one and the same message: to invite men to this heavenly banquet with one voice, with one Gospel, with one message.

If St. Peter had ever preached at a place where St. Paul had previously preached the Gospel, it would have been one and the same proclamation, the one like the other. It would not have been difficult for the hears to declare, “Peter preaches exactly the same message that we heard from Paul. They agree perfectly; they proclaim one and the same message.”

To indicate this basic sameness in the proclamation of the message, the evangelist says here, “At the time for the banquet he sent his servant.” He does not say “servants” or “many servants,” but “servant.”

SL 11:1211 (4)

PRAYER: We thank and praise You, heavenly Father, for the one, clear message of salvation, which You have given us in Your Gospel of salvation. Strengthen us in such a way that we always cling to this with our whole hearts, 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, 4:33-38.

LESSON: LUKE 14:16-21

“A man once gave a great banquet.” Luke 14:16

In this Gospel, as well as in the remainder of Holy Scripture, we must make an effort, to the best of our ability, to grasp the true, simple meaning of the text and to rest our heart and conscience on it. Anyone who wants to do battle with the devil must not waver to and fro or totter, but must be sure of his ground, armed with clear and certain Scripture. Otherwise, when the devil gets him on to his fork by means of an unsure understanding, he will toss him to and fro like the wind tosses a dry leaf.

In this Gospel we must also obtain a sure understanding so that we may stand our ground. It has nothing at all to do with the Lord’s Supper, as has sometimes been claimed with the assistance of some really hair-splitting exegesis.

The sum and substance of this Gospel is that the Gospel has been preached and proclaimed in all the world, but only few accept it. It is called a “banquet” or a supper because the Gospel will be the last, final word and doctrine which will bring this world to a close.

This supper, then, is nothing else but a rich, precious meal, which God has made ready by means of the Gospel, through Christ, in which He sets before us great blessings and rich treasures.

SL 11:1210 (1-3)

PRAYER: Lord, You have set before us great blessings and rich treasures in the banquet prepared for us through Your Son and offered to us in Your Gospel. May we never lose sight of these blessings and treasures but ever regard them as our highest good, 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, 4:33-38.

LESSON: HEBREWS 3:7-15

Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them … If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Luke 16:29, 31

In this Gospel you see how Abraham refuses to send someone from the dead to teach the living at the request of the rich man. He reminds the rich man that the living have Moses and the prophets to whom they should give heed.

In these words, we are also reminded of God’s prohibition against any kind of consultation of the dead on the part of the living (cf. Deuteronomy 18:10-12). It is certainly a devilish apparition when spirits make themselves known to men in response to various invocations, and request men to offer up masses for the dead, to undertake pilgrimages for them and to perform other works. There have also been claims that they have given assurances of success to those who have heeded their instructions.

In this way, the devil has misled men into putting their trust in works and drawn them away from faith. He has created the illusion among men that works can perform great wonders. What St. Paul foretold is being fulfilled, that God sends upon those who perish and refuse to love the truth and be saved “a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).

Therefore, be well advised and learn that God refuses to make known how the dead fare after this life. Here the only thing that can help us is faith through God’s Word, faith which believes that after this life God receives believers into blessedness and condemns unbelievers. This is made abundantly clear in the Gospel of the rich man and poor Lazarus.

SL 11:1207 (31-32)
AE 78:65

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You are with us throughout our life; abide with us also at our death. Grant us not to die eternally but to rise to life everlasting with You and in You, who live and reign in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God, forevermore. Amen.