Second Sermon.
This gospel is described to us as an example and teaching, namely, what the fruits of faith are; for, as you have often heard, a Christian being stands alone in these two things, faith and love. These two are also shown to us here in the two women, Mary and Elizabeth. Let us see this.
Since Mary was full of the Holy Spirit and now had the Son of God in her body, so that she was both pregnant in body and soul and full of all the goodness of God, she arose and went to her mother Elizabeth to serve her, because she had heard from the angel how she was pregnant and was also carrying a child in her old age; so that Mary did not go to Elizabeth for her own sake, nor for any other reason, except that she might serve her as a pregnant woman. With this, all ranks and orders are rejected, which are only directed to help themselves and not others, or therefore serve others and do good, so that they want to become pious from it. Let the life that lives and serves itself alone be condemned. If you had asked Mariam here why she was going to Elizabeth, she would have undoubtedly said: "Not because I want to become pious, for she was pious before and full of all God's goods, but because I want to serve my mother Elizabeth, help her and comfort her.
(3) There we see an example that the higher the gift, the more we should throw ourselves down, humble ourselves and serve others. Therefore, a true Christian is one who serves everyone, as Christ did, and who does not overburden himself with the gifts God has given him, nor does he spurn others for them. Mary might well have said, "I have enough now, I am a mother of God and have God's Son in my womb; it would be a shame for me that I should be a mother of God.
I should sit on a cushion and have a maid or six around me, who would wait for me and serve me. But she does not do that, she goes and wants to serve others.
We poor sacks of maggots, when we have hardly a penny's worth of goods from God, we puff ourselves up and do not know how to keep ours waiting; everyone has to serve us and we do not want to serve anyone. Therefore, serving and helping others is actually a Christian nature. Although one is of a higher and greater class than the others, his life and being should be directed solely toward being useful to others; so that the higher the class, the more he should be directed toward being useful and pious to others, and the lower he should lower himself. Not that he should throw away his status or renounce his office, when he alone is certain that this status is pleasing to God; but that he should retain it, and at the same time humble himself, as Mary does here: although she was a mother of God, she did not throw away her status, but with the fruit, with the son of God, which she had in her womb, she goes and serves her mother Elizabeth.
Behold, this is a great example of love, that she who was full of all the graces of God, even that God Himself was with her, should throw herself down and thus humble herself deeply. We should also follow the example. God has set us free through Jesus Christ, "His" Son, and has saved us from sin, death, the devil, hell and all misfortune, and has showered us with unspeakable graces, so that we no longer owe anything to the law: sin is forgiven us, death is devoured, the devil is strangled, the jaws of hell are closed; and all
We are children of God and heirs of eternal life. For the sake of such riches and grace, God wants nothing more from us, except that we now also show ourselves to our neighbor with service and charity, as He has shown Himself to us; this is His will and good pleasure, of which we have said many times and much more.
Lucas further writes that Mary was chaste in this journey, undoubtedly walking as a young woman who had recently spent the year at home with her husband Joseph, in all modesty and respectable behavior. Which the Holy Spirit has undoubtedly written to indicate how women in the street and on the road should be chaste and not cause trouble to anyone with lewd behavior. For this is the best treasure and adornment of women, a virtuous life and respectable behavior; if they lose this treasure, they are finished. And although the evangelist does not state clearly that anyone went overland with Mary, it is not unbelievable that either Joseph or a maid ever went with her, for it would be improper for a woman to travel overland alone. I say all this so that we may see how the Holy Spirit always indicates in Scripture, now and then, the honorable and chaste conduct of the saints, even in the outward life; which is contrary to those who think that when they have become Christians, they may now live freely, without all discipline and honorability; as one now finds many of the same fellows who bring noticeable harm and apostasy to the Gospel and words of God.
(7) It would be necessary here to say how we now bring up our children so badly that it is to be pitied, there is neither honor nor discipline: parents let their children have their way, do not keep them in fear; mothers do not look after their daughters, indulge them in everything, do not punish them, do not teach them to live in a disciplined or honorable way. That is why there are so many naughty and wild people among us Germans and Christians, the like of which can hardly be found in the world. All this makes that we do not become good in the youth.
raised. We take greater pains with all things, but not with child discipline alone. Princes and lords, mayors and authorities do not look up: it behooves them to order and establish an outwardly disciplined regiment, but it is lacking behind and in front; God wants to improve it. I think that God is so ungracious to us for no other reason than that the youth is so neglected and that the children are not brought up in discipline and respectability; for if you want people, you have to train them in youth. The fact that Christianity is in such a bad way now is all due to the fact that no one takes care of the youth; and if it is to get back into a good swing, it must truly be started with the children. Therefore, the Holy Spirit does not say here in vain that Mary went to Elizabeth with a breeder.
When Mary came to her mother Elizabeth, a great miracle happened, namely, when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt up with joy in her womb, and was filled with the Holy Spirit, and recognized that Mary was the mother of God; which was a sharp recognition. All this shows us how things must be if we are to become devout, namely, that faith cannot come about except through the Holy Spirit, and that it cannot come about without the outward word. For since Mary here, who had the Son of God in her body, struck the ears of Elizabeth with her greeting, and her words resounded in Elizabeth's ears, faith springs up in her that she recognizes that which no reason would ever have recognized. Therefore, one must hear the outward word beforehand and not despise it, as some think. For God will not come to you in your closet and speak to you. It is therefore decided that the outward word must be preached and must go beforehand; then, when the word has been received in the ears and in the heart, the Holy Spirit, the right schoolmaster, comes and gives power to the word so that it enlivens.
9 The greeting of Mary to Elizabeth was undoubtedly, according to the custom of the Hebrew language, as it is often referred to in the Evangelists: Peace be with you! In which
This is the gospel that is actually proclaimed, namely, forgiveness of sin and peace of heart. When the word comes to one's ears, a devout heart is there, and that thirsts for peace, then the Holy Spirit enters in; He makes this word strong in the heart and teaches Christ to be rightly known; then all human reason, sense, wit and understanding must go to the ground. Therefore we must give glory to the gospel and give it this praise, that it is a means and a way, and like a reed through which the Holy Spirit flows in and comes into our hearts. Therefore St. Paul speaks to the Galatians Cap. 3, 2, that they received the Holy Spirit, not by the works of the law, but by the preaching of faith. And to the Romans Cap. 10, 17. he concludes thus: "Faith comes from preaching, but preaching through the word of God."
(10) From this it follows that those who act foolishly, even against God's order and appointment, who despise and reject the external word, think that the Holy Spirit and faith will come to them without means; this will not happen for a long time yet. But if it happens to some, then it is something special: through the common bank it is so that God will not give His Holy Spirit without the external word. Therefore Paul, Rom. 1, 16. 1 Cor. 1, 24, calls the gospel "a power of God, which saves all who believe in it", since he undoubtedly speaks of the outward bodily word. Where this is not preached beforehand, one does not suppose that the Holy Spirit is working there or that there is any faith. Just as the sun has two kinds, namely, the glow and the heat. Wherever the brightness or radiance goes, there also comes the heat; but wherever the brightness does not go, there also the heat remains outside. So it is with the outward word and with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not work anywhere where he does not first enter the heart through the word as through a reed. We have often said and written more about this.
11. now follow further in the history, what kind of words Elisabeth uses against Mary
which she spoke by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, namely, when she spoke:
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence cometh it unto me, that the mother of my Lord cometh unto me?
012 As if to say, Neither such wives nor such fruit are come upon the earth: for of all wives and of all fruit it must be said that they are forsaken. But thou and thy fruit are given. This I know: for the fruit which thou bearest is not common bad fruit: neither art thou a common bad mother: for thou art the mother of my Lord. O, how great humility thou hast in coming to me. I should come to thee, and run after thee; yea, I should kiss thy feet, and the footsteps of thy feet; thou art well worthy: so comest thou hither, and wilt serve me.
We are to learn right humility. It is a great thing here that Mary does not let herself be moved by these words, does not let herself be tickled by the honor and the prize, is not puffed up either, but falls down and wants to serve her old mother; Elizabeth also throws herself down and humbles herself before her. There is a fine Christian example: the young woman throws herself on the old woman, the old woman again on the young woman. Now, where is she to go? She does not want to keep the honor and the prize, nor ascribe the goodness of God to herself; therefore she runs to God with it, and strips herself of all goods and strips her soul naked, and carries everything freely and loudly to God and sings the Magnificat to him. The only purpose of this song is that a man may know his lowliness and nothingness, and the height of the Lord, and the fullness of his divine goods, namely, that a man may know that he is nothing and that God is all things; that he thinks nothing of himself and everything of God. It is quite impossible for nature to recognize this, for it cannot come to the point that it would like to be nothing; therefore it is a great thing and supernatural that a man should recognize his nothingness and the fullness of divine grace. You see this in all men, for there is no one so learned, no one so holy, who would gladly see him disgraced and blasphemed,
or promise him his life. We also see how people wriggle and fidget in mortal distress, that they would gladly give everything they have, only that they might remain alive, yes, that they might live just one hour longer. It is not in our nature to be destroyed, it is too sour for us, it upsets the old Adam when he has to suffer some word that is against him, let alone to suffer disgrace or death willingly; yes, if a foot or barely a toe hurts him, he is unhappy and impatient about it. Therefore man cannot say from the bottom of his heart that he is nothing. With our mouths we can all say, "We are sinners, we are nothing;" but when God lets us say it and wants to bring us to ruin, then we gag and choke.
us, and cannot stand it. Therefore it is in vain that we say with our mouths that we are nothing, and yet we do not agree with our hearts.
14 So this is the summa of the Magnificat: We are nothing, God is everything, mighty, merciful, strong, pious, just, faithful, and whatever good may be said; from this it follows that everything we have, we have from God and is all his. Therefore, when he comes and takes it away from us, we must not look with displeasure or be angry because of it, for he takes what is his and not what is ours. But how the Magnificat is to be understood from word to word, you have expressed clearly enough in a special booklet. Let us now leave it at that and call upon God for mercy.