Christmas Day.
Luc. 2:1-14.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a commandment from the emperor Augustus, that all the world should be done. And this valuation was the very first, and came to pass at the time that Cyrenius was governor in Syria. And every man went to be appraised, every man to his own city. Then Joseph also departed out of Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, into the land of Judah, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; that he might be esteemed with Mary his familiar wife, which was with child. And when they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she bare her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger: for they had no other room in the inn. And there were shepherds in the same region in the field by the hurdles, tending their flock by night. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came unto them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel
said to them: Fear not: behold, I proclaim unto you great joy, which shall be to all the people: for unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this is the sign: you will find the child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And immediately there was with the angel the multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and goodwill toward men.
(1) Today, the article of our Christian faith is dealt with, when we say: I believe in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary. This article is easy to grasp; and in order that we may become firm in it, we are accustomed today to say and read history, so that every man who wants to be a Christian may know the cause and reason of this article. Now, history is easy, and you almost all know it well; but faith is still lacking. It is soon learned and said: but that the heart believes such things, that will not follow. For when it comes to faith, we are like a full farmer sitting at the table in the tavern: when the whistle blows, he looks up a little, then he falls down again with his head. It is the same with us, that we hear the word in vain, and it is only a sound in our ears, but we immediately forget it again.
(2) It would be well that we should speak of this matter as we ought. But the flesh aggravates our heart, that we do not think kindly of this history and consider it rightly. It is a pity that a man should be so blinded that we do not let this joy move us. Truly, nothing in Scripture should be more joyful to us than this, that Christ is born of the virgin Mary. What is other joy to esteem against this joy? Gold, friends, power and honor etc. cannot make us as happy as the joyful story that Christ was born man. A man's heart cannot conceive it, nor speak enough of it. It must be a great seriousness and God must love human nature very warmly to let us hear such a work, that God not only loves me, but draws so close to me that he becomes a man with me. He enters into nature and becomes what I am; before this, all hearts should melt with love.
3. it would be a joyful game if a prince came and let himself be brought down like that and
lived with a farmer. There his whole friendship would rejoice that they had the prince with them in their house, who was able to do everything. But it is no comparison to this work of God. For Christ does not become my brother-in-law or brother, but he becomes what I am, he becomes our nature and takes part in it, so that it is a greater kinship than between man and woman, although no closer friendship is found on earth. Yes, the heart cannot conceive of it, and it bears its misery a hundredfold more than a peasant can do against a prince. A prince is rich and powerful, and can make us rich and powerful, as you might imagine if a prince were so gracious. But Christ did not come to make us rich and powerful like an earthly prince, but to bring us to eternal riches and glory.
(4) If the heart were to consider this rightly, and to hold up to the play of joy and the image that God has shown us, it would immediately forget all misfortune. If you are afflicted with all kinds of misery and cannot bring this into your heart, you will say: I do not respect what happens to me to shame and sorrow from the devil and the world, because I have such great grace and honor that I cannot comprehend it. For who can understand that Christ has not become our companion and friend, but that he himself is what we are? It is such a great work, which no one can express, but for which one must thank God in deepest humility. But whoever is so ungrateful and forgets it, it is no wonder that Turks, Papists and pagans come upon him and teach him mores. Yea, it is yet far too little that all misfortune come upon him; for we put out of our eyes the kindly, sweet look of joy, and think that a lazy gossip and such like is more agreeable to us. Because this mercy is not accepted, God reproves us.
another doctor, who teaches us with our harm and misfortune. So it goes in the world, one loves money, the other loves his friends, the third loves honor and pleasure etc. Therefore let us go through history for the sake of the young people, so that they may learn this grace and find themselves in it with joy, and let us remain with the milk dish, and leave to the scholars what is sharp and high thing.
The evangelist described the story with all diligence and divided it into two parts: first, the misery in the city of Bethlehem, which mother and child suffered; second, the joy in heaven, which he gloriously explained with words. Therefore, we will look at it in a simple way, as simple and young people should learn.
But it came to pass at that time that a commandment went out from the Emperor Augusto that all the world should be done.
(6) This has been a tax, as in our countries, when one gives tax, a place (quarter) of the money from each head.
And every man went to be appraised, every man to his own city.
Lucas describes all of this with great diligence, and it is so miserable that one's eyes would glaze over when one reads or hears it. It is a miserable poor woman, who is a virgin and yet goes about according to the ways of women. An inexperienced person knows less than nothing about it, how she must have been afraid etc. But God had arranged it all this way. And it seems that she traveled there with her husband out of great poverty. What else would have been necessary, since the man (Joseph) could have done it alone? Yes, it can be seen that she must have been very poor. She is a young person: that she now sets out in the middle of winter and leaves her house, since she is pregnant, is driven by poverty; for it is a long way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, about thirty German miles, an eight-day journey, and desolate inns on the way etc. One should have spread her vain carpets under it around the
For the sake of the child she was carrying in her womb and for the honor she had in heaven, going such a long way in such misery, since her time of birth was so near. What respectable woman among you would do this now? And there were many of them in Bethlehem, clothed in velvet and silk. When she came to Bethlehem, she was much worse off; all the inns were full, and all the people could not find lodging, except Joseph and Mary; for they went about like poor beggars. All the rooms were full, and had plenty to eat and drink: but they must go behind into the stable; that is a shameful inn. So the world is not worthy to give shelter to its Creator. The poor little people have to go to the stable. Perhaps they have been used to it. This may be a more glorious stable than any king's hall, and a delicious ass. Oh that I also might be in the stable where my Lord is lodged. These may be noble beasts, which have had such a guest; for men were not worthy of such.
8 Here still strikes to the case that the time of her birth invades her. Perhaps Mary did not mean that the time of her birth was so near. Now there is distress: she is alone and has no light; perhaps they did not allow Joseph any light. That must have been a great poverty. She is alone in a strange house, and in the stable at that. Then Joseph thought: Oh, who would be at home! And that is the most miserable thing, that she is born in such poverty, and has not so much room where she can lay the child. This is the highest inequity and a damned thing, that the highest child must go into the manger, and its mother should not have so much space that she could sit down and lay down her child. And yet there are so many palaces in the world; nevertheless, she must borrow a place from the animals. If someone wanted to consider this right, that she did not have so much room to put a foot down, indeed, he would dine at castles and all the buildings in the world, in all of which this child did not find so much room. Who should not be hostile to all that is on earth when you consider this birth? And it should think one well, if
he lives in a castle, that he would be in hell, therefore this child must be abandoned. The little animals must be driven away from the manger, so that it finds room.
This is therefore presented to us, so that the miserable poor birth on earth penetrates our hearts, that if it does not live of itself in the heart, that it nevertheless happens that it is so miserable with the mother Jesus and with Joseph etc. This should move us, so that everything in the world stinks of this joy, which we derive from this birth. And yet it is the highest honor for us that this child is born for our good, so that we cannot understand it. But we despise it. Money, gold, silver, with that we fill ourselves; but that is vain dirt, if it is held against this birth. It is a hostile thing around the people that it does not seize the heart. For with us a florin is worth more than the Son of God, who was born so miserable for our sake.
(10) Therefore, since we hold such grace in low esteem, we are not worthy of this honor, but shall remain with the disgrace which we do to ourselves. But let the young people contemplate this joyful play, that we may regard this image as a joyful image; for there is nothing more lovely in the world. If we looked at it rightly, it could not fail to bring us great joy. Well, we know the history, but when it comes to faith, there it is. If you do not imagine that this birth is your own and happened for your sake, it is in vain that you think much about history.
(11) Therefore I have this lovely image and the article where we confess: I believe in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary. Before this, when preaching on this feast, it was required most of all as the noblest thing that one made much praise of the virginity of Mary. Well, this is not done badly, but it is done too much; for one should rather act that Christ was born. For that he was born of a virgin, we are concerned not that she is a virgin, but primarily that he was born, and that this virgin's son was of my nature and being, and yet is God, and is with God.
He has become so close that he is what I am and has taken on what I am. He has not only become my brother-in-law, and has not taken my sister to be his wife; but, as the epistle to the Hebrews says Cap. 2, 16: "He took not the angels unto Himself," for the angels are much more glorious than we sinful men; "but He took unto Himself the seed of Abraha," etc., namely, our human flesh and blood. This is our glory, and this shall make us glad, that our hearts may burst with hope and joy, that he was born, not of the seed of angels, but of the seed of Abraha, and of virgins, without sin: for it is for us.
The other piece is the sermon about this birth. That the woman had given birth to the son, no one respected and no one knew about it. Truly, it must have gone to her motherly heart that she thought it was nothing. And if no one interpreted the history and the work of God, it would be of no use to anyone. That is why the sermon is there, and the angel comes down from heaven and preaches about it. He puts away the darkness and reveals the work, that is, he puts the word to it. All the people in Bethlehem, the shepherds, the householder, knew nothing of this story, except Joseph and Mary. Then the angel came and surrounded the shepherds with a great light and clarity, when they were least aware of it, and said:
Do not be afraid etc.
Then the angels sang so that heaven and earth resounded. This is the other golden piece in the Gospel, namely, the words of the angel. And these words we are to take hold of and learn; for they make this birth our own, whereof thou hast heard that it was done unto thee for good. If he alone had been born, and nothing had been preached of it, neither I nor thou wouldst have known that we should receive him. Although the history is lovely in itself, even if we had nothing to gain from it, because it happened in this way, it would still be a very great treasure and joy, namely, that a man was born to God, and that he was born to you.
that God would be closer to us than father and mother. But it does not remain so. For that God is man is a great work, but it is even greater that the angel says: "He is born to you. With this he preaches a sermon that is never heard when he speaks:
Behold, I proclaim great joy to you, which shall be to all the people. For unto you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.
No one can ever interpret these words. It is a heavenly sermon; we may sing of it, but we will not unlearn it. This, he says, shall be your joy. If we had all the joy in the world, what would it be? Woman's unwillingness. For if we consider the end of all joy, it is sealed with One end, namely, with unpleasure. If you have lived gloriously and in joys, what is the end? Unpleasure. This is the seal on worldly joy; if you have longed, the end is unpleasure; as Solomon says, Prov. 14:13: "After laughter comes mourning, and after joy comes sorrow." The end of joy is sorrow. When thou hast long had thy joy in florins, there cometh unhappiness, as thou shalt keep it. The end of all joy on earth is unhappiness. Therefore the angel says, "I proclaim great joy to you." And this is also a real great joy. If God would have us accept it as gladly as the angel has pronounced it. What is the name of the joy that a Christian should handle? "To you," he says, "the Savior is born." How could he speak more joyfully? He wants to say: Sing, jump, let all joy go and accept this joy. Now ye all have fear and sorrow of heart: but now is born unto you a Saviour, which is not only a man born in your likeness, but also is given unto you, that his birth, and all that he hath, should be yours.
15. now consider a person, how high are
We are ennobled that human nature has come to such honors, the maggot's sack is so gloriously adorned; for this child has taken it upon himself; what can now be improper in man? The flesh has not disappeared for the sake of this honor, because the Savior is here, who also has flesh and blood in Himself. Who then will despise flesh and blood, since it pleases God and all the angels? who announce it to men with joy, as if they wanted to speak: Your unbelief has now come to an end, for your Savior is born. These words should be written with large letters, as the angels speak to men. We have no need of a Savior, for we are already in blessedness: but ye also which are men shall come unto us, and be no more under the devil: for this child is come unto you etc.
16 Therefore we have Christ, who became our flesh and blood; after that he is ours, body and soul, and all that he hath; that we may have boldness, that Christ is my brother, my treasure, and more mine than a man's wife, and a father's son; as he saith, Isa. 8:18, "Behold, here am I, and the children which the Lord hath given me." So now Mary is his mother and the mother of us all, whether he lies alone in her womb. Who would not like to have such a friendly young maiden for a mother? and he shall be the fine child in the womb. If he is ours, we shall be in his place; where he is, there we shall be also, and all that he has shall be ours. And his mother is ours also, and of him we may say that he is our Savior. Therefore we should not learn both the article that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, and the saying and preaching of the angel; for it is the first and best preaching, because it is the first that happened in the New Testament, and from which the others are all taken in the whole New Testament. God let us all share in this sermon, amen.