On Easter Monday.*)
Luc. 24:13-35.
And, behold, two of them went that same day unto a place which was sixty leagues from Jerusalem, whose name is Emmaus. And they talked with one another of all these things. And it came to pass, as they thus spake and consulted one with another, Jesus drew nigh unto them, and walked with them. But their eyes were stopped, that they knew him not. And he said unto them: What are these sayings which ye do among yourselves in the way, and are grieved? Then answered one, named Cleophas, and said unto him, Art thou alone among the strangers at Jerusalem, who knowest not the things that are done in these days within? And he said unto them: Which? And they said unto him, That of Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, as our chief priests and rulers delivered him up.
*Held at Coburg on April 18, 153V in the afternoon. D. Red.
to the condemnation of death, and crucified. But we hoped that he would redeem Israel. And about all this, today is the third day that this has happened. We were also frightened by some of our women, who were at the tomb early and did not find his body, but came and said they had seen the visions of angels, who said he was alive. And some of us went to the sepulcher, and found as the women said; but they found him not. And he said unto them, O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all thy things which the prophets have spoken. Did not Christ have to suffer these things, and enter into his glory? And began from Moses and all the prophets, and expounded unto them all the scriptures which were spoken of him. And they came near to the place where they were going, and he stood as though he would go on. And they urged him, saying: Stay with us, for it will be evening, and the day has come. And he went in to abide with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave it unto them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he disappeared before them. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, when he spake unto us in the way, when he opened unto us the scriptures? And they arose at that hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the ephah gathered together, and them that were with them saying: The Lord is risen indeed, and Simoni appeared. And they told them what had happened on the way, and how he was known of them when he broke bread.
Dear friends, you have heard three very good things from today's Gospel. The first, that the gospel holds up to us the meekness and grace of our King and Lord JESUS Christ, so that we may also have such a heart toward him, as if he were the man who would gladly forgive if one would only keep his word, even if he stumbles at times, as the dear disciples who went to Emmaus. For where the pure word abideth, there must all things be pure: as the Lord Christ himself saith, "Ye are all clean, because of the words which I have spoken unto you." But where the word is not, there neither holy things nor good works help: all is unclean, because the word is not there. Now this is a fine comforting sermon, that we do not have such a Lord standing behind us with a club, so that we must always fear that he will throw us over the head. The other piece was about the outward word, that we learn to hold it in high esteem and not to despise it, as the red spirits teach and write now. The third part was about the kingdom of Christ, that it is a strange and strange kingdom, because the dead have come to life again, contrary to all other kingdoms and orders. For in the world it is so, that when a king is dead, he has lost the kingdom and reign for his person; but this king, Christ, only really begins after his death. Now this is a thing of great need, that we may know it, that we may be saved.
We are equipped in such things, and we know in our suffering that just as Christ came to honor and glory through his suffering, so must it be with us. Now, to these three pieces let us add a little.
(2) It is not enough to preach and teach about the kingdom of Christ so that it can be understood; it is also necessary to be prepared so that it is not lost or lost. Just as it is not only this that makes a good steward, that he can acquire the property well, it is also this that he knows how to invest it well and keep it, so that it does not get wasted; otherwise he would be like a cow that gives plenty of milk, but spills it all over. So it must be here also: when we have learned the articles of faith, then we must think about it, that we grasp it exactly and become stronger in it every day. Therefore Christ punishes the disciples here, saying, "Ye sluggards etc. who believe not the prophets." Who urged Christ to suffer? Moses and the prophets. So he instructed them in the Scriptures, that they might exercise themselves in the faith, and grow stronger in it from day to day. For the Scriptures (even though the prophets call them a dead letter) testify of Christ. Just as Christ himself says: "Search the Scriptures" etc. Joh. 5, 39. For this reason we do not ask anything about the Jews, and our Lord God does not ask anything about them, because they despise His word so highly.
3. we must do everything in our power to
Know the use and custom of the Scriptures, namely, that they are a testimony of all articles of Christ, and in addition the highest testimony, which far surpasses all miraculous signs; as Christ indicates of the rich man, Luc. 16:29-31: "They have Moses and the prophets; if they believe not them, they shall truly believe much less if one arise from among the dead." The dead may deceive us, the Scriptures cannot do that. Now this is the point that urges us to hold the Scriptures in high esteem; in fact, even here he considers them to be the best testimony. As if he wanted to say: Do you read the prophets, and yet do not believe? It is true, it is paper and ink; but it is nevertheless called the most distinguished sign. So also Christ himself wants to insist more on it than on his appearance. He does not say, "Why will you not believe the women who told you that I have risen? or, "Why will you not believe the angels who testified of my resurrection? He badly points them away from himself to the Word and to the Scriptures.
4 So do the angels: they know of no stronger reason than the scriptures and the word, that he is risen from the dead. Marc. 16, 7: "Go and tell Petro and the other disciples that he will go before you into Galilee, and there you will see him, just as he told you. So he himself will not appear, unless a word has gone before; and here in the Gospel he comes to the disciples and appears to them, because they were gossiping about him. So he points us to the Scriptures everywhere. Why is this? So that you can keep the Christian faith. Because all our articles of faith are very heavy and high, which no man can grasp without the grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I testify and speak of this as one who has not experienced a little; and if you want to experience it even a little, then take an article from the faith which you want, from the incarnation of Christ, from the resurrection etc., and you will receive none if you grasp it with reason. It has happened to me when I have let go of the word that I have lost God, Christ and everything together. This is how it is now: He who denies baptism
and the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament, he certainly also denies that Christ is God and man. For you calculate it, it is much easier to grasp and believe that the bread and the wine is the body and the blood of Christ, than that God, who is of course immortal, could become man. Therefore, it is nothing other than the pride of the devil, who inflates it in such a way that they make themselves believe that they can, and thus despise the Holy Scriptures and the Word of God. Nor is there an easier way to lose all articles of faith than to remember them apart from the Scriptures. If you cannot grasp what God is, even if you have grasped it, you will not be able to grasp or conceive how he who is God is hidden in a virgin's womb and is born like another man. So also the Gentiles have concluded strongly: What do you think, God, who is immortal by nature, should become a man and die? This does not rhyme. Of course it doesn't rhyme; that's why you lose it when you think of it without the word, because it's too high, it can't be grasped in my head, much less in yours.
5 Christ, our dear Lord, gives us this advice: If you want to keep these articles, so that you do not come to any harm, then stay in the word; if not, you cannot keep any of them. This is what has happened to our enthusiasts, who say gloriously, "Christ is risen from the dead and has ascended into heaven; do you think he is in a piece of bread on the altar or in a drink of wine? So they have dropped the words, and think the matter without a word. If that were true, I would be able to do it; yet they consider it great and say, as I have heard one: You will never persuade me to believe that a piece of bread is the body of Christ. Well, this is a great art; if I would let the word go, I would have done better than they; but it is written in Isaiah, "Except ye believe, ye shall not abide." Is. 7, 9. And it certainly goes like this. I have experienced it more than once that the devil cannot move me around more easily, because if
I am not equipped with the Word. He has brought me to the point that I did not know whether there was a God or a Christ, and thus he has taken away from me what I otherwise knew with certainty. So it goes when the heart is without word and faith. And it serves thee right: wilt thou put into thy head that which he hath put into the word, which yet thou canst understand, and which is the kindest and sweetest thing in a man? Then only keep the word; and let him think according to it, whether it be possible or not. For what else is the nature of the rioters and enthusiasts, but that they preach their thoughts to us? Well, if that is valid, then I can do it. But let thou depart from thy jealousy, and let our Lord God's word go unpunished. I once heard of someone who said: I would like to know if a handful of water could make me blessed? So they think things over without the word of Christ: "Go and preach etc. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." They trample the words under their feet and say: "Water cannot wash the spirit. Dear, where do the words come from, from God or from reason? From reason? What do you want to insist on in things that reason cannot or may not grasp?
(6) So it happened to Ario and all the heretics, that they were smitten in their reason without the word of God; so they went away. In the same way it happened to the pope with his own, who let go of the words: "Christ died for our sins", and thought: I have sinned, so I must pay for it or do enough for it. So it goes on, badly the Scripture lost; there must follow then foundations, fairs, soul fairs and the fair. If one falls from an article of faith, however small it may be before reason, then one has lost them all, so that one no longer has any right.
(7) Our enthusiasts now, who deny the sacrament, certainly deny also the divinity of Christ and what are the articles more, though they say it with the words, they do not deny it. If one ring of the chain is broken, the whole chain is broken.
in two. But I am talking about the articles of faith, which is called the symbolum, and the scripture. I am not talking about the articles in the Regiment or other external things that are in the other table of Moses, which we can see and grasp with reason. The high articles, I say, as: I believe in God, in Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit, in a Christian church, and whatever they may be called; these articles, I say, are not believed by the sceptics; as Arius believed none, neither did the pope; for they are thus chained and bound together, that they either all remain together, or fall away from each other, so that none remains.
8 All this I say, my friends, that ye may be accustomed and learn to prove and defend your articles of faith by the Scriptures; as ye see that Christ doeth the same. For he has so decreed, and promised, that he who keeps the word shall abide, and not otherwise. I have experienced this. When I have dealt with the Scriptures and the word, the devil has left me at peace, for he flees the word, not unlike a fiery oven: but when he finds that the heart is empty without faith and the word, then he works his art.
(9) Now this is enough of the first part, that he instructs the disciples in the word, that it should be a certain testimony and certificate of his resurrection, for the resurrection and appearing itself. On the other hand, we also want to see the sayings about the kingdom of Christ, which Christ reports here. It would be too long, however, if we were to deal with all the sayings of Christ that are found from time to time in Moses, the prophets and the psalms. Therefore we will take only one or two for this time. First of all, we must notice that some sayings bear witness to Christ in a light and bright way; others are dark and hidden. Which of these would have been the ones that Christ held up to the disciples here, we must ask. But it seems to me that these were the ones that the apostles refer to in Actis (Acts of the Apostles), and Peter and Paul now and then in their epistles, and the epistle to the Hebrews; but especially the 16th Psalm: Conserva me
(Preserve me) etc., which serves mightily to prove and prove the resurrection of Christ. "Therefore," he says, "my heart rejoices, and my honor is glad; my flesh also shall lie secure. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor wilt thou suffer thy saint to see corruption. Thou wilt make known unto me the way of life: before thee is fullness of joy, and sweetness of life at thy right hand for ever." These are all words of a dying or dead man. "Keep me," he says, "I am going away." And after that, further, "My flesh shall surely lie." This is a bad king. In sum, these are words from one who is dead, yet lies in such hope that he shall not decay. If these words are true (as the Psalms are all true), he must die, and yet not remain in hell, that is, he must come forth again, and before he decays he must live again. He then goes on to say: "You will make known to me the way to life"; there he boasts that he will be brought back to life. Whoever speaks in this way is in death. Nevertheless, he says, you will bring me back to life and shower me with joy; there will be joy and happiness. As Paul also boasts Rom. 6:9, "Christ died once, and dieth no more." Lastly, "In thy presence is goodness at thy right hand for ever." There he also boasts that he will sit at the right hand, like God. For to sit at the right hand means to sit like God, that he has equal power with God; this must be a transfigured man. Now this is a certain and strong testimony that the man Christ is to be a right natural man; and yet he boasts that he wants to sit at the right hand. This can neither be done nor is due to anyone but God. For God clearly says: "I will not give my glory to anyone else.
10 The other psalms agree with this one, namely the 110th Psalm v. 1: Dixit Dominus ("The Lord said: Sit at my right hand"). Item the 2nd Psalm v. 7: "You are my son, today I have begotten you." There Christ is clearly given the honor that he is true God and equal to the Father. In the 110th Psalm, v. 4, he makes the following statements
He makes him also a man: "You are a priest forever after the manner of Melchizedech. There he makes Christ an eternal priest, and yet a priest after the manner of Melchizedech, who was a man. So Christ also was a true natural man, and died for us, as his priesthood requires; wherefore he also was a priest, and offered another sacrifice than the Levites in the law.
(11) Christ told and interpreted these and other sayings to his disciples. If one now lets these go, then this is also lost and dropped immediately, that Christ is God. For this will soon be concluded: Do you also think that there is more than One God? Therefore the Turks and the Jews cannot bear the name of Christ, and call us bad idolatrae, that is, people who worship a god but an idol. For, they say, there is only One World: so there must be only One God. And I will tell you, if we are not well armed against this, it would be easy for us all to become Turks. For it truly appears that there is only one God, and it is not fitting that Christ should be God as well as the one God. So let us be our Lord's master according to reason, and teach him what rhymes and what does not rhyme. If it does not rhyme, ei. Dear, put out the article. So also, it does not rhyme that one waters the children with the baptismal water: thwart the article. With this manner we wanted to establish a true faith. Thus the Turk has made all articles to be grasped; as our enthusiasts also do with the sacrament, and say: It is strange that in the bread there should be Christ's flesh, and in the wine Christ's blood. Well, dear, where are we then? According to reason, we are as wise in these matters as a cow; if it were true, I would be better able than you. We are not in a tabernacle here; we are in the Christian church, where we must believe: not what reason thinks right, or what pleases me or you, but what the Scriptures tell us. Who will be against it when the Scripture says: "The Lord said to my Lord"? There you see
you clearly and brightly that he speaks of two who are God. And let the word "Lord" not be God, nevertheless it follows: "Sit at my right hand. God speaks of another who sits like him on his throne and is an heir to the kingdom; and even if I want to gloss over the first word "Lord," I am not sorry for the other. So also in the 8th Psalm he says: "What is the Son of Man, that you remember him, and that you look upon him? Thou wilt make him a little lacking in God"; and soon after follows: "But with honors and ornaments shalt thou crown him." The man who thus suffered "thou hast made lord over the works of thy hands," takes nothing away from the fact that the Christ is lord over all that God has created, over us and over the angels. Now, over the angels there is nothing but God: so Christ must also be God; otherwise he would also have to be counted among the works of his hands. So now he wants to say that he is as high in glory as God himself; for above and apart from all creatures God alone is. This is a strong, powerful text.
012 If therefore one abide by the word, the devil is nowhere to be seen; but as soon as one comes from the word, and the thoughts come that one knows what God is, what a man is, then one is already caught; for one is not at home there, he is in the devil's tabernacles. But if a man stands according to the word and says, "How this or that is possible, I am not to know, nor am I commanded to reveal it; I only open the book and see what he says about it, the rest I am not to know. So one can stay with the pure word and faith. But those who do not have enough of the sacrament must worry about how bread and a body and God rhyme together, as the Jews also do. For it is a foolish sermon that God should lie in a virgin's arms, in her breasts. But, dear one, will you not believe it, who asks for it?
13 Therefore, my friends, I have told you all these things this time, so that you may understand them.
Learn the word of God diligently, and do not think that you can. If any man know how to read, let him take before him in the morning a psalm, or any other chapter of the Scriptures, and let him study a while. When I get up in the morning, I pray with the children the Ten Commandments, the Faith, the Lord's Prayer, and a psalm of some kind. I do this only because I want to keep myself with it, and I don't want to let the flour grow on it, so that I can do it. The devil is a much greater rogue than you think; you don't yet know him, what a fellow he is, and how you are such a desperate knave. He truly dares to make you weary and thus take you away from the word; that is where he wants to go out. Therefore, there is no position that pleases me so much, nor would I rather accept one than to be a schoolmaster, so that I would force myself to believe the Ten Commandments and pray the Lord's Prayer, so that the devil would not make me so frustrated.
For this reason I have taken this sermon before me, for the simple ones, so that they could learn the Catechism and say: here is this article, there is that article: I believe in God etc. These are the right high articles, and are so placed that one can learn them. Those who think that they can already do it: in the name of God, let them go. But the devout hear the Scriptures, learn the Lord's Prayer and the faith, and say that they cannot learn them sufficiently. It is not in vain that Christ says in the Gospel, "O you who are slow of heart"; and yet he says to those who are burning with devotion. Where will we be? We will be as cold as ice against them. The devil leaves the others, who despise it, alone, but he would like to make us, who desire to keep it, weary. So he has moved the pope, the Turk, the enthusiasts around. But, dear friends, let no one be ashamed of the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments and the faith. Let us stay with the children, and we will certainly not be lost. God help us, amen.