Luc. 2, 15-20.
And when the angels were departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us go now to Bethlehem, and see the thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came in haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. And when they had seen him, they spread abroad the word which was spoken unto them concerning this child. And all before whom it came marveled at the words which the shepherds had spoken to them. But Mary kept all these words and moved them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, praising and glorifying God for all that they had heard and seen, as had been said to them.
The gospel is almost easy to understand from the previous interpretation, because it shows an example and fulfillment of the teaching given in the previous gospel, when the shepherds did and found as they were told by the angels. Therefore the gospel pauses: What are the results and fruits of the word of God; and what are the signs by which it is known whether the word of God is in us and has worked.
The first and main thing is faith. For if these shepherds had not believed the angel, they would not have gone to Bethlehem, nor would they have done any of the things told of them in the Gospel.
(3) But that any man should say, Yea, I would believe, if an angel had thus declared unto me from heaven; it is not spoken. For he that receiveth not the word for himself never receiveth it for the preachers' sake, though all the angels preach unto him. And he who receives it for the sake of the preacher does not believe the word, nor in God through the word, but he believes the preacher and the preachers. Therefore his faith does not last long. But he who believes the word does not consider who the person is who says the word, nor does he honor the word for the sake of the person; but again, he honors the person for the sake of the word, always putting the person under the word. And if the person perishes, or immediately falls away from the faith and preaches differently, he rather leaves the person in place.
because the word drive, remains on that, which it heard, it be person, it come person, it go person, as and when it likes and wants.
4 This is also the proper difference between divine faith and human faith, that human faith clings to the person, believes, trusts and honors the word for the sake of the one who says it. But divine faith, on the other hand, clings to the word that is God Himself; it does not believe, trust and honor the word for the sake of the one who said it, but it feels that it is so certainly true that no one can tear it away, even if the same preacher does. This is proven by the Samaritans, John 4:42, when they first heard about Christ from the Gentile woman and went out of the city to Christ at her word; when they heard him themselves, they said to the woman, "Now we no longer believe because of your words, for we now know for ourselves that this is the Savior of the world.
005 Again, all they that believed Christ for his person, and for his miracles, fell away when he was crucified. So it is now and ever was. The word for itself, without all attention to the person, must do enough to the heart, to resolve and comprehend the man, so that he, as it were caught in it, feels how true and right it is, even though all the world, all the angels, all the princes of hell said differently, yes, even though God Himself said differently; when He sometimes tempts His elect and pretends to want differently than He said before; as happened to Abraham when he gave his son Isaac to the Lord.
and Jacob in his battle with the angel, and David when he was driven out by Absalom his son etc.
(6) This faith endures in life and death, in hell and heaven, and no thing can overthrow it; for it stands on the mere word, with contempt for all persons.
(7) These shepherds also had such faith, for they fell down and were so attached to the word that they forgot the angels who had told them. They do not say, "Let us go and see the word that the angels have made known to us," but rather, "That God has made known to us; the angel is so soon forgotten and only the word of God is grasped. In the same way, St. Lucas speaks of Mary in the text, that she kept the words in her heart and moved them, without a doubt, did not let anything dispute the little person of the shepherds, but took it all for God's word. Not only she, but all the others who heard such speech from the shepherds and were amazed, as the text says: they all only clung to the word.
8. And although this is a way of the Hebrew language, that when it speaks of a story, it says: "Want to see the word", as Lucas speaks here (because the stories are put into words and thereby made known): For this reason also it is provided by God, that the faith which is attached to the word and results from the word which is spoken of the story may be expressed; for Christ's life and suffering, if it had not been put into the word, so that faith might adhere to it, would have been of no use, because all who saw it with their eyes received no fruit from it, or even little.
9 The other part, the unanimity of the spirit. For this is the nature of the Christian faith, that it makes hearts one, that they are of one mind and of one will, as Psalm 68:7 says: "God the Lord, Christ our God, makes dwellers of one accord in the house." And Psalm 133:1: "How good and how merry it is that brethren dwell together as one." St. Paul speaks of the unity of the spirit in many places, Rom. 12, 18. 1 Cor. 12, 4. and Eph. 4, 3. where he says: "Be ever diligent, that
you are of one mind, of one will." Such unity is not possible apart from faith; for every man's way pleases him, therefore the land, as they say, is full of fools. full of fools. Experience shows how the orders, ranks, and sects are divided among themselves; each one esteems his order, his rank, his character, his work, his conduct as the best and the right way to heaven, despises the other and does not accept him; as we now see among the clergy, monks, bishops, and all that is spiritual.
(10) But those who have a true faith know that it is in the faith that they agree. Therefore they do not divide and disagree for the sake of any outward estate, profession, or work. Everything is the same to them, no matter how diverse it is externally. So here the shepherds find one mind, one will, speak one opinion, one word among themselves, and say: "Let us go" etc.
The third is humility, that they recognize themselves as men. That is why the evangelist adds, "The people, the shepherds," etc. For faith teaches at once that all that is human is nothing before God. Therefore they despise themselves and think nothing of themselves; which is true thorough humility and self-knowledge. Humility means that they do not ask anything about everything that is great and high in the world, and hold themselves to the lowly, poor, despised people, as St. Paul teaches Romans 12:16, saying: "Do not look at what is high, but hold yourselves to what is lowly. As also Psalm 15:4 says, "The righteous despiseth the vile, and honoureth the godly."
012 From all this then cometh peace. For he that respecteth not all things that are outward and great, forsaketh them easily, and quarreleth with no man for them: he feeleth a better thing inwardly in the faith of his heart. There is also unanimity, peace, and humility among murderers, public sinners, and even among gospelers: but it is a unity of the flesh, and not of the spirit; as Pilate and Herod became one with one another, being at peace with one another.
and humility, also the Jews, as Psalm 2:2 says: "The kings of the earth and the princes have become one with one another against Christ. So also the pope, monks and priests are one, if they are to strive against God, who are otherwise all sects among themselves. Therefore this is called unanimity, humility and peace of mind, that it is over and in spiritual things, that is, in Christ.
The fourth is to love one's neighbor, and to despise oneself. This the shepherds prove by leaving their sheep, and going, not to the high and great lords of Jerusalem, nor to the councilors of Bethlehem, but to the poor little company in the fold; showing themselves and keeping themselves to the lowly, willing and ready, no doubt, to serve, and to do what was desired of them. If faith had not been there, they would not have gone from the sheep and left their own before the angels had commanded them. For they did it of their own free will and counsel, as the text says. They talked with each other about it and came in haste; yet the angel did not command them, did not admonish them, did not advise them, but only showed them what they would find, leaving them free to go and search.
14 Love also acts in this way, it has no commandment, it does all things of itself, it does not hurry or delay, it is enough for it to be shown that it must not and does not suffer any driver. Ah! much could be said about that. So a Christian life should walk voluntarily in love, forgetting oneself and one's own, thinking only of and hastening to one's neighbor, as St. Paul Phil. 2:4 says: "No one looks at what is his, but at what is another's." And Gal. 6:2: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so shall ye fulfill the law of Christ."
(15) But now the pope, with his bishops and priests, has made the world full of law and compulsion, and there is nothing left in all the world but vain activity and anxiety, no more voluntary order or state; as it is proclaimed that love should be extinguished and the world corrupted with the doctrine of men.
(16) The fifth is joy, which is manifested in words, so that one gladly speaks and hears about what faith has received in the heart. So here, the shepherds were gossiping with one another cheerfully and kindly about what they had heard and believed, and they were almost making a lot of words, as if they wanted to gossip uselessly. They were not content to say, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see the word that has come to pass;" and they added, "Which God has done and made known to us. Is it not a leftover tale that they say, "This thing has come to pass that God has done"? If only they had said in a few words, "Let us see the word that God has done there.
17. but the joy of the spirit passes over as with glad words, and yet there is nothing left, yes, still all too little, and cannot pour it out as they would like, as Psalm 45:1 says: "My heart gulps out a good word", as if to say: I would like to say it out, but I cannot; it is greater than I can say it, that my saying it is hardly a gulping. Hence comes the speech Psalm 51, 17. and in more places: "My tongue shall leap forth thy righteousness," that is, to speak, sing and say of it with joy and leaping etc. And Ps. 119, 171: "My lips shall foam forth praise unto thee," as a boiling pot swells and foams.
The sixth, that they follow in deed. For as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 4:20: "The kingdom of God is not in words, but in deeds"; so here the shepherds not only say, "Let us go and see," but have also gone, yes, they do more than they say. For the text says, "They came in haste," which is more than they went badly, as they had promised. So faith and love always do more than they say, and their thing is all living, busy, active and superfluous. So a Christian should do little in word and much in deed, as he certainly does if he is a true Christian. But if he does not do so, he is not yet a true Christian.
019 The seventh is that they freely confess and publicly preach the word which was spoken to them concerning the child, which is the
This is the highest work in the Christian life; one must risk life and limb, good and honor. For the evil spirit does not attack so hard the right belief and the good life secretly and in oneself; but if one wants to go out and spread the same, confess, preach and praise even the others too well, he does not like that. This is why Lucas says here that they not only came and saw, but also proclaimed about the child what they had heard in the field, not only before Mary and Joseph, but before everyone.
(20) Do you not think that there were many who took them for fools and nonsensical people, that they dared to speak of angelic singing and preaching as coarse and unlearned laymen? How should one be received now, if he brought before pope, bishop and scholars such a tale, even much less? But the shepherds, full of faith and joy, were gladly foolish before men for God's sake. So does a Christian man. For God's word must be considered foolishness and error in this world.
The eighth is Christian liberty, which is not bound to any work, but all works are equal to a Christian as they appear to him. For these shepherds do not run into any desert, do not put on caps, do not give plates, do not change clothes, time, food, drink, nor any outward work, go back to their hurdles, serve God in the same. For a Christian being does not stand in an outward walk, nor does it walk in man according to the outward state, but according to the inward state, that is, there is another heart, another courage, will, and mind, which does the very works that another does without such courage and will. For a Christian knows that it all depends on faith; therefore he walks, stands, eats, drinks, clothes, works and walks, as otherwise a common man in his state, so that one does not become aware of his Christianity; as Christ says Luc. 17, 20. 21.: "The kingdom of God does not come in an outward way, and cannot be said, Behold, here or there; but the kingdom of God is within you."
22. against this freedom the pope argues
and the spiritual state with their laws and chosen clothes, food, prayers, places and persons; catch themselves and everyone with such soul snares, since they have filled the world with them, as St. Anthony saw in the vision. For they think that it lies in their nature and works that one becomes blessed; they call other people worldly, when they themselves are seven times worldly, since their thing is all man's work, of which God has commanded nothing.
The ninth and last is to praise and thank God. For we can do no work to repay God for His goodness and grace without praise and thanksgiving, which then comes from the heart and does not require many organs, bells and clanging. Faith teaches such praise and thanksgiving; as it is written here about the shepherds, that they went back to their hurdles with praise and thanksgiving; they are almost satisfied whether they have not become richer, whether they have not been honored more, whether they have not eaten and drunk better, whether they have not done their trade better.
(24) Behold, in this gospel thou hast thus set forth a true Christian life, first of all according to its outward character, that outwardly it seemeth nothing, or even little, in the sight of men; yea, it is error and folly in the sight of the more part; but inwardly it is light and joy and blessedness. Therefore, we can see what the apostle means when he talks about the fruits of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22 and says: "The fruits of the Spirit", that is, the works of faith, "are love, joy, peace, goodness, gentleness, patience, faithfulness, meekness and chastity"; no person, time, food, clothing, place or such exquisite works of man are mentioned, as we see in the papists' lives.
(25) Now what it is to find Christ in such poverty, and what his swaddling clothes and manger mean, is told in the former gospel; that his poverty teaches how we are to find him in our neighbor, the least and the neediest; and his swaddling clothes are the holy Scriptures; that in real life we are to keep ourselves to the needy, in study and contemplative life only to the Scriptures; so that
Christ alone is the man of both lives and lies before us in all ends. Aristotle's, Pabst's and all men's books are to be avoided, or read in such a way that we do not seek the betterment of our souls in them; but practice time and this life with them, as one learns a trade or worldly law. But it is not in vain that St. Lucas sets Mary before Joseph and both of them before the Child, saying: "They have found Mary, Joseph, and the Child in the manger.
Now it is said above that Mary is the Christian church, Joseph the church servant, as there should be the bishops and pastors when they preach the gospel. Now the church is preferred to the prelates of the church, as Christ also says Luc. 22, 26: "Whoever wants to be the greatest among you shall be the lowest," although this is now reversed; which is also not a miracle, because they rejected the gospel and exalted the gossip of men. The Christian church now keeps all the words of God in its heart and moves them, holds them against each other and against the Scriptures. Therefore, he who is to find Christ must find the church first. How would one know where Christ and his faith were if one did not know where his believers were? And whoever wants to know about Christ must not trust himself, nor build his own bridge to heaven by his own reason, but go to the church, visit it and ask.
(27) Now the church is not wood and stone, but the multitude of people who believe in Christ; we must stand with them and see how they believe, live and teach; they certainly have Christ with them. For apart from the Christian church there is no truth, no Christ, no salvation.
28 From this it follows that it is uncertain and wrong for the pope or a bishop to have believed himself alone and to claim to be a master, for they all err and may err. But their doctrine shall be subject to the multitude. What they teach, let the congregation judge and adjudicate; to the same judgment let it be confessed, that Mary may be found rather than Joseph, that the church may be preferred to the preachers. For it is not Joseph, but Mary, who keeps these words in her heart, moving and keeping them together or against each other. The apostle also taught this in 1 Cor. 14:29, 30, saying, "One or two shall interpret the Scriptures, and the others shall judge; and where a thing is revealed to him that sitteth, let the first hold his peace."
But now the pope and his followers have become tyrants, have reversed such Christian, divine and apostolic order, have brought up a completely pagan and Pythagorean way, that they may say, lulaffen and alfenzen,*) what they want, no one shall judge them, no one shall persuade them, no one shall call them silent. And thus they have also dampened the spirit, so that with them one finds neither Mary, nor Joseph, nor Christ, but only rats, mice, vipers and snakes of their poisonous teachings and hypocrisy.
(30) This Gospel is not almost a controversial Gospel, for it teaches Christian morals and works, but does not so publicly establish the articles of faith. Although in the mysteriis, as is now told, it would be strong enough; but mysteria do not dispute, they must be public sayings that clearly indicate the articles of faith.
*) That means: talking silly stuff. D. Red.