with explanation of the prophecy of Zachariah, called the Benedictus.)
Second Sermon.
(1) We have kept this feast from St. John the Baptist, not for his sake, but for the sake of his ministry. For as you will hear in the song of his father Zachariah, John is praised because he is drawn to Christ and into Christ, so that this feast day does not concern John so much as Christ Himself; and therefore his feast is nothing less than Christ's feast to praise and extol.
(2) But you know, my friends, how we have been deceived with the holy services until now: one has called upon this saint, the other upon that one, contrary to God's service, which God demands of us in the first, second and third of His commandments. And still today some are so hardened and obdurate that they not only forget the light that is now presented to us again by the grace of God, but also remember it and strive to dim it and extinguish it completely, along with those who bring it forth and set it on fire. However, the
Those who are worthy of it, will keep it well; the others, as the greatest number, turn aside, do not leave their blasphemy, they will also find their judge. Therefore we must speak a little of this, to comfort and save those who are still entangled and imprisoned in such holy services.
Some saints have been celebrated for their austere life, because they led a fine, chaste and modest life; and this has been almost the common face in the whole world, how they seemingly walked, did many miraculous signs, as raising the dead, walking with dry feet over the Elbe, and what is more. They also praised this John because he wore a rough camel skin and had a leather belt around his loins, and as Christ says of him in Matthew 11:8: "Would you see a man in soft clothes? Behold, they that wear soft garments are in the houses of kings." We only used him as an example, so that we knew nothing more about him, than how he drank no wine or beer, but bad water, ate locusts and wild honey, and used herbs in the desert, Matth. 3, 4. Which is not evil, nor is it to be rejected, because Christ also used it to eat what he had, suffered hunger and thirst, and also often went to sleep with hunger; as is shown from time to time in the gospel.
4 But these are not the highest works in John. For we read of Elijah in the same way, how he ate roasted bread and drank water, and walked by the power of food forty days and forty nights, 1 Kings 19:6, 8; item, how Moses was with the Lord on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty days, and ate no bread and drank no water, 2 Mos. 34:34. 34, 28. But God especially forbade this, that St. John did not perform a sign, as it is written in John Cap. 10, 41; but this was his work, that he spoke of Christ and pointed to Christ. But Christ, who did not lead such an austere life, did many miraculous signs, and just as other apostles are much higher in miraculous signs than John; yes, he has
He also had quite a few who were like him for life.
(5) Why then is he commended, that among all those born of women there hath not arisen one greater than John the Baptist? as Christ himself commended him Matt. 11:11. This is the other part, that we regard the saints not for their life, nor for their works, but for their ministry. For, as I often and always say, works and life must be set far, far apart from word and doctrine. The works are the least; but the words and doctrine exceedingly greater than the life. For if I praise a saint for word and doctrine, I cannot praise him more highly; and though all the saints' works were in one lump, and there were no word in it, it would be a bad thing, and all would be in vain. Why is that? Because the word of God, as you know, is God's wisdom, God's strength, God's power, God's might, and everything with each other that is God. No work is ever so great as to be regarded as a hair's breadth, unless it be put into the word; so that if a man had not the word in his heart by faith, his works would never be regarded. Therefore also, because John had his word, his works also count for much in the sight of God, not according to the weight of works, but according to the weight of faith.
(6) The Scriptures distinguish words from works, as heaven from earth, as light from darkness, as it is written in Isaiah, Cap. 55:9: The word is heaven, the works are the earth; yet they are both to be praised, and the works in the saints are not to be cast away, whether they stink, or are good for nothing at all, lest we lead a good rotten life, doing no good at all; For as most of the people live raw and sleepy, not one asks what the grain is worth, thinking we now know what the right doctrine is, Christ is dead to our sins and risen from the dead, our good works do not do it, therefore let us go and live as we please. No, not so, brother, here! It is true that we are in the kingdom of grace, even though we are still weak in word and faith and love.
He wants us to be rich in faith and in the word, and not to forget works, to subdue our bodies and to serve our neighbors with them. Here he does not want to reject works at all; only that you keep them in this order, as is now said.
(7) Reason and the world praise a saint not so highly for the word as for the works, looking only at the works and miraculous signs; it cannot exalt itself higher. The word is a bad thing in their eyes, a small sound that soon fades away; meanwhile they do not see that it is an insurmountable power of God that lies hidden in the heart, which neither sin, death, the devil, nor the gates of hell can overcome. But we, who cling to Christ, who have based our confidence on this rock alone, know that the word is not to be held in such low esteem or to be rejected; as we, unfortunately, now see that there are so few of them who remain with the pure word and keep the same. How many do you think there are who all want to write books, among whom there are hardly three or four who keep the Word of God pure? There are sects everywhere, the word is polluted and so darkened that we can hardly recognize it; there are so few of them who keep the word right, even among those who let themselves think that they have grasped it well, that they are standing firm; before you look around, they are lying in the mud up to their ears. "Therefore let him who stands see that he does not fall," 1 Cor. 10:12; for the treasure is
too delicious, is also given to their few. Others do works here, and though their works are many and pure, they know little of words.
8 And this Zacharias praised his son because God had afflicted his people. It is a strange song. You might say, "If St. John is not our Savior, if he did not die for our sake, if his blood was not shed for our sins, then why does he sing for the sake of his birth? Here you see that Zacharias was full of the Holy Spirit, and rightly understands the kingdom of Christ spiritually, and draws his Son into it, that God may be there to visit and redeem his people. Therefore, this cannot be applied to John, but to Christ and what is in Christ, which is why we celebrate this feast.
In John alone we find that he is the forerunner of Christ our Lord. Eats root, drinks water, *) serves him well and makes him skillful, although he could have done without it. But God did not want him to do it, neither does he; but that he should run before him, that should be his office - that he should thus begin the kingdom of Christ. So this holy Zacharias, through the Holy Spirit, understood very well how the kingdom of our Lord began; therefore let us take this song before us and act from word to word.