Matth. 2, 1-12.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, the wise men came from the east to Jerusalem, saying: Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was afraid, and all Jerusalem with him; and he called together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, and inquired of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem, in the land of Judaea. For thus it is written by the prophet: And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah art by no means the least of the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come to me the duke that shall be lord over my people Israel. Then Herod called the wise men secretly, and learned diligently of them when the star appeared, and directed them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye find him, tell me again, that I also may come and worship him. When they had heard the king, they went. And, behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they were greatly rejoiced, and went into the house, and found the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him, and opened their treasures, and gave him gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And God commanded them in a dream that they should not turn again to Herod. And they went again by another way into their own land.
On the holy day of Christ, your beloved heard from the prophet Isaiah about the infant Jesus, who he was and what his own ministry was, for which he came to earth; that he would bear his reign himself, that he would counsel and save us against sin, death and the devil, that he would be our eternal Father and Prince of Peace; as he began this ministry on the eighth day, when he was circumcised. For for his person he needed circumcision no more than he needed the incarnation; both were done for our sake. For since God had so decreed with the patriarch Abraham, and made a covenant with him, that he would be his and his descendants' God, and commanded circumcision as a sign and signet of such a covenant, the infant Jesus also had to be circumcised. For we do not have to follow the Lord JEsum.
to what he is to himself. For he is God, and does not need to make a covenant with himself; but we must look upon him according to his office. According to the same he is the greatest sinner. For if other Jews, each for his own sins, needed to enter into such a covenant and God to be satisfied with him, the infant Jesus needed it even more, since he alone had taken upon himself the sins of the whole world. In such a hideous and unpleasant garment, the infant Jesus came before God on the eighth day, and requested the sign of the covenant, the circumcision, so that God would take him into his covenant of grace. There we see that God does not throw him away because of this hideous garment. He accepts him and attaches his covenant sign to him, so that we may learn that God will forgive our sins.
He wants to be satisfied with us, because he is satisfied with the infant Jesus, who put on all our sins like a garment and wore them before God. Your love has heard these things from the Child Jesus during these holidays.
But on today's feast we hear about the discipleship of this child and how we should behave towards him, since we enjoy him so highly that we should be free from sins and have a gracious God. Lucas in his history indicates how the angel was the first preacher who made this child known to the shepherds in the field. These were good, bad people who had no special office or name, like King Herod, the chief priests, Levites and scribes. When these shepherds heard such a message, they did not delay, but set out, went to Bethlehem, looked for the child in the stable in Bethlehem, in the crib, worshiped him, and announced to everyone what had been announced to them by the angel and then by the hosts of angels. Then they go back to their herds and to their work.
3 This is the right service, so that one should and can serve this child: that one first believes the revelation of what is preached in the holy gospel of this child, seeks it and believes in it; and then brings others to faith through public confession. In this way this child is properly served. After this, let every man be diligent in his office and station. For this is not why this child came, that he should make a change in his outward, civil nature. He leaves all ranks and offices (for his kingdom is not a world empire), and commands that one should keep himself in good conscience and in the fear of God, so that God will also put up with such an outward, civil life and accept it for a service and obedience; as the fourth commandment testifies.
(4) Thus it is seen in part what kind of people this little child is: among the Jews the poor shepherds, and beside them some other pious people, Zachariam, Elisabeth, old Simeon, old Hannah: they are almost a small, poor crowd.
The child is little, since it is not accompanied by worldly splendor or glory. For as we shall hear hereafter, what is glorious in the sight of the world, this little child will not accept. As the Lord also says in the Gospel, that those who have fields, oxen, and a ready-made household will not come to the wedding; therefore the Lord commands the poor beggars, the lame, the blind, and the crippled to be invited. These are the people of our Lord God, the infant Jesus, who are glad and glad to come to him.
But in today's Gospel we hear that this child is also made known among the Gentiles and very much by a miraculous means. For God has made a new and unusual star appear in the sky to them, and because they were people who were unfamiliar with the course of the sky and the stars, the Holy Spirit enlightens their hearts through this star, so that they recognize that a child has been born among the Jews, who is the king of the Jews, and yet a lord of the whole world, through whom alone forgiveness of sins and eternal life can be granted to us. For this reason they set out, and since they had not previously inquired about the kings of the Jews or other nations, they took the child, sought it in Jerusalem, and found it in Bethlehem; there they worshiped it, and were only dear and pleasant guests of the Lord Christ.
(6) We should let such history be dear to us. For there we see the great consolation that God takes care of the Gentiles, the poor sinners, and also wants to have them with this child, through whom he forgives sin and wants to make them blessed. So the work is very finely and actually in harmony with the word and promise of God. For although God had ordained that Christ should be born among the Jews, and that a Jew should be born, yet such a child did not belong to the Jews alone, they were not to enjoy him alone; the Gentiles also had to be in this company. For thus the words to Adam and Eve in paradise are: "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." This could by no means have been fully accomplished if God had not also helped the Gentiles from sin, death and the tyranny of the devil through this seed. So
God says to Abraham: "Through your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Here the Gentiles are also included: through Abraham's seed, the Lord Christ, they shall not be forced to circumcision and the law, but shall be blessed, that is, come from the curse to the grace of God and become blessed.
(7) We see this promise at work here, since God made this child, His dear Son, known to the Gentiles through a miraculous means, and drives them through the Holy Spirit to seek, worship and honor this child. For if God had not decreed nor granted this treasure to the poor sinners, the Gentiles, he would have them sit and know nothing of this child. But he will not do so, and rather a new, wonderful preacher, a star in the sky, must appear and make this child known to the Gentiles, and also show them the house in Bethlehem where the child was; as Matthew especially reports. God in heaven does this to the Gentiles. The child on earth, our dear Lord Christ, does the same. When these Gentiles, who were poor sinners, and until now had known nothing right from God, had not served Him properly, and otherwise had lived in all kinds of sins, come to the infant Jesus, and worship Him and sacrifice to Him, the infant gladly lets this happen, does not reject them from Himself, and allows Himself to be honored by them, as if He were their King and Lord, and they His people and His subjects. Let us take note of this and learn that this child accepts the poor sinners and wants to be merciful to them, if they only seek him and find themselves in right trust with him. This is the first and most important part of this history: the glorious, rich comfort that this child accepts the Gentiles and sinners.
(8) The other is a lesson on how we should behave toward this child and follow the example of the wise men. For we also have this blessed star, the holy gospel; we should not despise it, nor let it shine for us in vain, but accept it with faith, and seek the infant Jesus and worship him. That is, we should know that he is our God and Lord,
and ask and hope for forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit and eternal life from him. This is the first and highest service which this child wants to have, that we should cling to him with all our heart, seek forgiveness of sins and eternal life from him.
The other ministry is, as we heard above from the shepherds, not to be silent, but to preach about this child. No doubt these Gentiles also did this, and were the first evangelists or preachers among the Gentiles, who taught others about this child, taught them and comforted them.
The third service is that they open their treasures and worship the poor child Jesus. So we (who are able) should spend money and goods so that the kingdom of our dear Lord Christ may be preserved and increased and this child may have its nourishment in misery. That is, we are to help with money and goods to have fine church ministers and schoolmasters; that the poor, who cannot provide their food because of illness or other hardship, are preserved; and especially that young boys, who are capable of learning, are raised up, so that our descendants can also have righteous preachers and church ministers. In such a case, we should act like a prudent, careful gardener who always produces young trees, so that if an old tree dies in the course of a year or two, another one will soon be planted in its place and bear fruit.
(11) He who so invests his money and goods gives and sacrifices to the dear child Jesus, as do the wise. For there we have first the testimony of Christ himself, that he saith, Inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these that are mine, ye have done it unto me. It must be especially pleasing to him, however, when people gladly help to see that the churches are well provided for and ordered. For with the same work, first of all, God's honor is promoted and His name is praised. Secondly, the people are helped by it, so that they can be saved from the tyranny of the devil. But how could one invest the money wisely and create more benefit with it?
(12) Therefore, they must be wretched, blind people whom God has made into a great food and a great blessing.
The money that has come from the people's wealth, and yet does not help in such Christian work, so that young boys who are capable of studying, but cannot continue because of poverty, are kept in proper discipline and brought up in learning, so that in time they may also serve other people, teach them, comfort them, strengthen them, and guide and raise them up in all kinds of hardship and challenge. It must also be an unholy, cursed money, because there will be little luck, which one does not want to use gladly and willingly for such blessed work.
(13) Thus your beloved see what kind of people the dear little child Jesus has and how he is served. Among the Jews, it is the poor shepherds to whom God sends an angel from heaven to preach about this little child and to direct them to this little child; they are glad of this message and praise God because of it, while in Jerusalem Herod, the high priests, and the Christian scholars are concerned about other things and do not ask anything about this little child because it is so poor and miserable. The Gentiles are much less than the Jews, but God still calls them to this child, even though through a lesser messenger. For though some teachers say that this star was not a star, but an angel, yet the Gentiles have seen only a star, and have mistaken such a vision for a star. Now this is this little child's people: poor, despised, wicked people among the Jews, and then the great sinners, the Gentiles; they accept such a revelation, look for the little child, find him and preach about him. But the preaching of the shepherds is despised, for they have no standing before the people; so the Gentiles are sometimes thought to know nothing of Christ; if there were anything to it, the chief priests and scribes should know it much better and sooner. So it is still going on today. Popes and bishops have the name and the prestige; but those who have the gospel right and preach it are silly, bad, even infirm people and poor sinners; therefore the world does not want to believe them. But what does it do? Then hear further of.
14 When the wise men come to Jerusalem and speak of the star and ask about the newborn king of the Jews, Herod is frightened.
and all Jerusalem with him. These are especially perverse hearts and disciples, that they are afraid of the little child, who came on earth for this reason and was promised to them so long ago, that they should be delivered from sin, death and the devil through him. They should be the first to take care of this child, become happy with him, help him, yes, serve him with whatever they can and want. So they turn it all around: they do not want it, they are afraid of it, they think about how to bring it from life to death. And even if they are not able to do so, they chase it out to the country and push it among the strangers, and hinder its kingdom with whatever they can. This is what Herod, the chief priests and scribes did, as we see here.
(15) What then is the cause? Nothing else, but that they are worried: if this child is to rule, they must become beggars; if this child is to be held high, they must come down. Therefore Herod rages, wants to know nothing of this child. The chief priests and scribes also do the same. So it stands together through and through: This child is the Son of God, and brings with him forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit and eternal life; but at the same time he is poor and miserable before the world. The world does not like this about this child, and therefore becomes hostile to it, and thinks that this child will stay where it wants, if only it can stay with its glory, splendor and power.
(16) The world began such a thing with this child when he was still in the cradle and not yet two years old; therefore it does so with him and his word. For who are they who today are so bitterly hostile to the gospel and neither know nor want to hear it? Are they not the great lords of the world? and after that, those who have the name and want to be praised for the Christian church? As there are pope, cardinals, bishops, monks, priests, and the same swarm? These are not happy about the Gospel; they are afraid of it and are worried: If it is to come among the people, their splendor and power must come to an end; so they help and incite the herodem, that is, secular authorities, so that they may
should persecute the dear word and eradicate it as a heresy.
(17) The evangelist has indicated this for our comfort and for our learning. For consolation, that we should not be frightened when this happens, but know that with this child and the holy gospel it will not be any different on earth. And for a lesson, that we should not allow ourselves to be seduced by such trouble, and that we should not follow great lords, especially those who have the name of being the Christian church, nor believe as they believe.
18 For here you see both parts. On the one hand, the poor shepherds and the sinful Gentiles, both of whom have no standing before the world; the former because of their lowly nature, and the latter because they were Gentiles and poor sinners. On the other hand, the king Herod, in a high and great office and position, and the chief priests and scribes, since it should be presumed that they should know about Christ, hope in him, be glad of him and find their way to him. But you see the contradiction before your eyes: those whom no one considers to be God's people, they are; and those who are considered to be the noblest and the head of the church, they are not only not, but are also the worst enemies and persecutors of the church. Who then would have looked upon Herod and the chief priests and scribes, where would he have gone and what would he have believed? To
He would have gone to the devil and persecuted Christ.
(19) On the other hand, the shepherds, and after them the wise men, do not let the blessed revelation of the infant talk them out of it; they hold fast to it, seek the infant, and worship it; Herod and the chief priests believe it, and do what they will. We must do the same: we must not believe what the pope or worldly rulers believe, but what the Word tells us, we should believe and keep, and not let other people's unbelief hinder us, yes, we should also gladly suffer what God sends us to suffer. For in the world it will never be any different: Herod, the high priests and the scholars of Christ cannot stand Christ, but persecute him and inflict all kinds of misfortune on Christians for the sake of the Gospel. But God will not sleep, nor will He hang everything on His enemies. Since Herod had in mind to perhaps also kill the wise men when they returned, God warned them through an angel that they should travel another way and no longer come to Jerusalem. Thus God will be with those who seek and confess the infant Jesus, and though they have much trouble, fear and distress, yet He will save them, and at last make them blessed, and thus make all misfortunes sufficiently happy. May our dear Lord Christ grant this to us all, amen.