How one carries out the Lord Christ, Simon carries the cross after him, and the women who go with him weep.
Luc. 23, 26-31.
And as they led him away, they took hold of one, Simon of Cyrene, who came from the field, and laid the cross upon him, that he might bear the cross after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people and women, mourning and weeping over him. But Jesus turned to them and said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For behold, the time is coming when it will be said: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have not suckled. Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us, and to the hills: Cover us. For if this be done to the green wood, what shall become of the dry?
1 These two stories took place when the Lord Christ was led out of Pilate to be judged. And all four evangelists commemorate Simon of Cyrene at the same time, no doubt because it was not a harmless trade, as it is seen, but was ordered by God out of special counsel, so that at the very time when Christ was to go to his suffering, such an example would be presented to all Christians, by which they would learn how they should fare here on earth, so that they would have to help the Lord Christ carry the cross, as Simon did here.
2 The good, pious man knows nothing of the trade that the Jews have in the city, but goes, according to his need and opportunity, into the city, there to carry out what he needs. As the Lord and the other two murderers were led to meet him, and the Lord, because of his weakness, could not leave with the cross that had been placed on him and was undoubtedly quite heavy (since a grown strong man was supposed to be nailed to it), the soldiers ran in and forced poor Simon to take the cross or the tree where Christ was to be commemorated and carry it to the place of election.
This seems to be a harmless trade, but, as I said, it is an image of all Christians, which God wanted to present to His Church at that time, when the Son of God Himself suffered, so that the common offense, which deceives us all, would be reduced. For as soon as God comes with the cross, attacking you in the body, in the goods, with evil children or otherwise, our hearts fall away, so that we conclude that God does not mean well with us; if He loved us, He would probably deal with us more kindly; but because He lets us be so pressed, afflicted and battered, we fear that it is an indication that He is angry with us and does not want to be merciful to us. This image stands here against such annoyance, that first of all the Son of God himself carries his cross, and carries it so heavily that he almost falls to the ground under it and can go away badly. Notice this well. For the calculation is soon to be made, as will follow hereafter: if this happens to the green, fruitful tree, it will happen to the dry and unfertile tree.
fruitful tree shall not nor can fare otherwise.
4 Secondly, you see how the good Simon comes to this from other people's debts; if he had not come to this just when Christ had to carry his cross, he would not have carried a cross all his life. But then he must repay the Lord Christ; because Christ carries the cross, he must also bear it. Notice this. It will never be any different with the Christians here in this world; they must bear with Simon and carry Christ's cross.
5 Now it is no less true that even if God allows the wicked a time, and lets everything happen to them that they desire and love, the punishment is not always absent; they also have to endure here on earth, and suffer that now here, now there is a bump, and does not always want to go on with them; as the 32nd Psalm says v. 10: "The wicked has much trouble, but he who hopes in the Lord will receive goodness. As we see in examples such mightily. The godless Pharaoh with his Egyptians had to suffer fiercely and hard. So the Jews in the desert and afterwards in the land of Canaan, how many misfortunes, tribulations and sorrows they had to endure, until finally the ten tribes were completely devastated by the Assyrians, and for a while afterwards the tribe of Judah also had to suffer, and the whole country was conquered by the Babylonians. But it is unnecessary to introduce many examples. Just consider what you have experienced and learned for yourself and for others. For it is inevitable that where one does not fear God and lives contrary to His word and will, it is impossible that punishment, fear, misery and hardship will not eventually follow.
(6) But you must learn to make a distinction here with this Simon between the Holy Cross and the well-deserved punishment and plague of the wicked. It is no wonder that wicked men have it bad; they would rather not have it. If a thief would stop stealing, he would be safe from the gallows and the executioner. If a man or a woman let go of their fornication, they should remain in good, honor and health. But because one does not want to be unburdened and continue in sins, he punishes them.
God with poverty of goods, with shame, with Frenchmen and all misfortune. The wicked people do not want it, they do not want it better, through their sin and unrepentant life they give cause to all their misfortunes and promote them, yes, they force and drive God, who would like to be merciful and give everything good, that he must be angry, strike into the heap and ward off sin. Therefore Peter, 1 Petr. 4, 15. says: "Let no one among you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or one who takes hold of another's office." Make this distinction, then, so that not all suffering is called and is a cross; for what the wicked suffer is a punishment and deserved reward and not a cross.
7 For the cross is called, when the Christians come to it, as here Simon: he does not carry his cross, but the cross of the Lord Christ, and must pay for the Lord Christ; he comes to it from other people's debts and undeserved. If it had not happened immediately that he had come to meet the Lord Christ, he would have been left alone; but he must pay for it, because he comes just now, when Christ is to be crucified. So should the suffering and cross of Christians be, that they suffer, as Peter says, not as thieves and murderers, but as Christians, that is, for the sake of the Lord Christ, his word and confession. For although all Christians must recognize themselves as poor sinners, and know that through sin they have earned all misfortune, and more than God sends them here on earth, yes, they alone recognize their daily failings, weakness and transgression (for the punishment proper to sins is not this or that temporal misfortune, but eternal death), nevertheless their suffering is not called a punishment for sin, but a right holy cross.
(8) For the evil enemy and the world are not hostile to them because they are sinners, stumbling and falling here and there. Nay, both the devil and the world would well suffer and be content with them; but for the word and faith that they set their hope in the Son of God, take comfort in His death and resurrection, fear God, and desire to live according to His will;
They desire that through their confession others may also come to faith and the knowledge of Christ; neither the devil nor the world can suffer this. For this reason, Satan afflicts Christians everywhere with sickness in the body, as St. Paul himself complains: Satan's angel beats him with fists and spears him; in the conscience and in the heart with sadness, melancholy, terror and the like, yes, sometimes also with damage to property, through weather, hail, fire, as can be seen in Job. But what the world does to this is evident, especially in our own day, when poor Christians are treated so miserably and wretchedly.
(9) That is, to bear the cross of the Lord Christ, as Simon did. No doubt he was also a poor sinner, but what is that to the soldiers? With them he does not pay for it, but he must pay for the fact that Christ is there and cannot leave with his cross; he must have someone to help him carry it. So, even though you are a poor sinner, you recognize how you have acted against God here and there; nevertheless, because you believe in Christ, all crosses and suffering do not come from such sins in the first place; the devil and the world do not punish you for them. It would be their pleasure and joy if you were even with them, and not with God and His Word. The Lord Christ, his word and your faith must be repaid first and foremost and you must suffer for it.
(10) This is the first thing we are to learn here, that Simon bears the cross of the Lord Christ. It serves primarily as a consolation, and makes the hope of salvation and help finely certain, and inspires us to prayer. For those who only want to see, when they are lying under the cross and in misfortune, that they are sinners and well deserve such punishment, such thoughts will make them cold and lazy for prayer. For sin always causes hearts to be frightened, anxious and fearful, and to be unable to provide anything good for God or to comfort themselves. But whoever looks at the real main cause, why the devil and the world are so bitterly hostile to us and heap all misfortune upon us, will have to confess it because of our sin.
They are not hostile to us because of this; they would like to, they deal with it for and for, whether they could bring us into all sin and disgrace; that would be their air and joy. But this moves them against us, therefore they are primarily hostile to us, and do harm where they can, so that we have God's word before our eyes, confess the Lord Jesus, put our trust in God's goodness and grace, and desire to live according to His will and in His fear. This is the reason and origin of such hatred and envy.
(11) Therefore know this, and do not deny that you are a poor sinner, and that you have earned all misfortune. For God is wont to punish sin even in His own; as Peter says, "Judgment sings at the house of God." Therefore, say, Satan and the world are not hostile to me; they would suffer me to be in sins without all repentance, like a sow in dung. What then is the matter? For the sake of the man who bears the cross here, that I believe and confess him for my God and Savior.
If this is true, what should I do now? Should I despair? Certainly not. I shall have certain hope: though I am a poor sinner, yet this I am sure of, that I must suffer for the Lord Christ's sake, that he will not leave me stranded; he will graciously help me. And as I suffer for his sake, so he wills that I should come to grace and be glorified for his sake. But that I may open my mouth confidently, and cry out, saying, Lord, I am a poor sinner, and have deserved far more in my disobedience to thee than I now suffer: but behold the opinion of the wicked enemy. He is hostile to you and your name; therefore, because I had the same, I take comfort in your word, I hope for mercy because of your merit and death, he is also hostile to me. Dear Lord JEsu Christ, avenge your name on him, and help me for your name's sake etc. With such thoughts the heart is finely quickened, and to pray confidently and courageously. That is why the holy prophets also prayed in such a way and always insisted on the name of God; as David says in the 44th Psalm, v. 23: "We will pray for the name of God.
strangled daily for your sake, and are esteemed like sheep for slaughter."
013 Now therefore let this be said of him, that Simon must repay the Lord Christ with the soldiers, and bear his cross; that thou mayest know the difference between the cross of Christians, and the punishment of sins of unbelievers.
14 Second, notice that Simon does not bear the cross of the Lord Christ alone, but he is compelled to do so. For if it had been up to him, he would have gone his own way and would have asked little about where Christ was staying with his cross. But the soldiers seize him and force him against his will to carry it.
15 This is also a fine little piece, where one can learn what is a cross or not a cross. Monks and nuns (who are serious about it) lead a hard life, and let it get very sour. But such is not called Christ's cross, which Simon carries. Cause, they put it on themselves, without God's command, by their own choice. The Anabaptists almost do the same; but as the saying goes, "What one likes to do comes easily. So one can also say of such suffering: Because they put it on themselves and could well do it, it cannot be particularly painful. But where one has to do it and does not like to do it, it comes on sourly and heavily; as the Lord Christ also says to Petro, John 21:18: "When thou wast younger, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst where thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and lead thee where thou wouldest not." For as perfect as Christians always want to be, flesh and blood cannot do otherwise than shrink back from the cross, fear it, and flee from it.
(16) That is why this one has the name Simon, which in his language means one who lets himself be told and follows. For this is a right obedience, where one would gladly be overridden by this or that, and yet willingly gives himself up to it; one follows and allows himself to be led, because one sees that God wills it so. All true Christians have such a name, that they are called Simon. For although flesh and blood would like to have peace and
If they would gladly be subjected to suffering, they still follow, they let themselves be told, and they give themselves into God's will, and help the Lord Christ to carry his cross.
(17) Thirdly, we must learn to distinguish between Simon and the Lord Christ. Simon carries the cross of the Lord Christ to the place of election, then he goes away; but Christ hangs on the cross and dies on it.
18 This is the real difference between the suffering of the Lord Christ and our suffering. We do not earn forgiveness of sins with our suffering; only the suffering of our Lord Christ belongs to this; he alone is the right sacrifice and God's little lamb, who pays for all the sin of the world and does enough, therefore he hangs on the cross. But Simon alone walks under the cross, that is, the cross we bear serves to weigh down the old Adam and to increase sin. But that sins may be forgiven, this alone is the work and merit of our Lord Christ.
(19) So see, your love, how this Simon is an example of all Christians who must bear the cross of the Lord Christ, but because of such bearing their sins are not forgiven them. The old Adam is fed with it, so that he does not become too wanton. But if the cross is to help to forgive sins, it must not be carried by Simon, but Christ must hang on it and die on it. And this is the reason that Simon goes out unharmed. For through Christ's death we are set free from death and come to eternal life. As this is shown in detail in the other history, which we will now discuss.
020 Lucas saith, When the Lord was carried out at Jerusalem, certain women followed him, mourning and weeping over him. But the Lord turned and said that they should not weep over him, but over themselves and over their children; for the time will come when they will say that this is a blessed woman who has no child, and will go, as Hosea says, that they will wish the mountains to fall upon them and cover them. But the cause of such an accident is: If one deals with the green, fruitful tree in such a way, one will be destroyed with the
The way we deal with the scrawny, barren tree is even worse.
(21) Such a sermon, though it is preached to the Jews as it was, is primarily intended to teach us the proper use of the suffering of our dear Lord Christ, and first of all to recognize sin as a terrible burden, since the Son of God Himself must die for our sins, and then to comfort ourselves against sin through such suffering, since the Son of God paid for it on the cross and has done enough.
First of all, the Lord makes a distinction between Himself and the Jews, and is well pleased with such a distinction. He compares himself to a beautiful, young, fruitful tree that should be bought into a garden, not to mention that it should be cut down and thrown into the fire. And yet this happens. God has him cut down, that is, he now has him led to the gallows, where he shall be judged as another transgressor, and yet he is a good, juicy, beautiful, fruitful tree. He is without all sin, he walks along perfectly in obedience to God, and what he speaks and does is noble, delicious fruit; all pleases God well, all benefits us. In sum, it is all grace, life and blessedness that is in the Lord Jesus. In contrast, he compares the Jews to an old, rotten, barren, unfruitful tree, which does no more than wander in the garden, and is good for nothing, except to be cut down and thrown into the fire. and throw it into the fire. For they did not heed the word of God. John preached, but without fruit; they said he had a devil. Christ, the Son of God himself, preached with his apostles, but they did not want him either, calling him a winebibber and saying he had a devil. They therefore seized upon him with such bitter hatred and envy that they could not rest until they brought him from life to death. And nevertheless they went away thinking that they had Moses, the law and the outward service of God in Jerusalem in the temple, as if they were vain living saints and sat in the bosom of God.
23. now the bill is soon to be made.
If the Son of God, who is like a beautiful, fruitful tree, suffers such a harsh judgment, it will be far, far worse for the barren trees, the horrible, great sinners. The Lord wanted the Jews to recognize this now, not to continue in such sins, but to learn from him, who suffered innocently, to fear God's wrath and to escape from it through righteous repentance. But such a warning was of little avail; the dry tree could no longer bear fruit, and must therefore be burned in the fire; as history testifies, that an excellent, severe judgment on the Jews followed safely in forty years after Christ's death, and the whole country was devastated by the Romans because of such sin. Therefore they should have wept over themselves and not over Christ, recognized their sin and repented, as the Lord warns and admonishes them here.
(24) But let this admonition also be told us. For we must all confess together that because of sin we are all like a barren, dry tree, where no good thing is, nor can come forth. What then is fitting that we should do? Nothing else, but weeping and crying for forgiveness against God, and resisting the evil, sinful nature and disorderly lusts with earnestness and not letting go of the bridle. For there is the verdict: because the fruitful tree is in such bad shape and God allows such hard suffering to come upon His dear Son, that we should not be safe, but recognize sin, fear God's wrath and ask for mercy and forgiveness. We are not to laugh, walk in leaps and bounds, and be without all care, as the world is wont to do, when it neither sees nor knows such judgment of God. We should weep and grieve from the bottom of our hearts that we have been so corrupted by sin and have become a barren tree.
(25) This is the first thing we should do, and especially learn from the passion of Christ, that we should fear God and His wrath for sins, and not let sin take hold of us. We should do this for our own sakes, for we are barren, dry wood, good for nothing in itself but the fire.
26 But the Lord teaches us one more thing here. We should weep for ourselves and for our children, but we should not weep for him, but laugh and be merry and of good cheer. For why does he suffer? He is a right, good, fruitful tree and does not deserve such harsh judgment, but he suffers for our sake. And now, on this journey, it is his duty to carry out his priestly office, and not only to pray for sinners, but also to offer up his body and life at the altar of the cross, so that God may be satisfied by such a sacrifice, and the poor sinners may be released from God's wrath and become heirs of eternal life. Therefore, it grieves the Lord, because His suffering is so that we should weep for it; He wants us to be joyful, to praise God, to give thanks to His grace, to praise Him, to glorify Him, and to confess Him, because through such a course we come to the grace of God, are freed from sins and death, and have become God's dear children.
(27) But the one is as little in us as the other. We follow the ways of the world more than the warning and admonition of our Lord Christ. For our part, we should weep that we have been so corrupted by sin, and that we have such a heavy judgment and sentence before us. But no one's eyes are wet, and the deeper people are in the mud of sins, the more they are sure and happy; and as said above several times, their joy, air and life is that they have much cause to sin. A miser cannot get enough of miserliness; the more he can have accesses and advantages, the happier he becomes, and makes himself think that he has then done well. The same thing happens with other sins, with anger, fornication, envy, pride: no one worries about it, nor weeps; everyone has desire and love for it, and can be found willing. But how such things are advised to the Jews is plain to see. Then we should let go of such naughtiness, and on our account, as the Lord so faithfully warns now in his last, be sorrowful and unhappy. For sin must finally be punished with eternal death if one is not delivered from it.
28. equal now as we did in the first not
No one weeps, no one laments because of his sins; so because of the Lord Christ no one wants to rejoice with all his heart. Money, goods, honor, and the like are pleasing to the heart, however little and insignificant they may be; and here, where there is nothing but grace, life, and blessedness, our hearts are almost dead, we have no longing, no desire, no heartfelt longing for them.
(29) Therefore, this sermon is easy and small for those who will listen to the words, but it is very difficult and impossible if we look at our hearts and sinful nature. For it is inborn in us that we turn back. When we should weep for our sins, we laugh; when we should laugh and rejoice with all our hearts that Christ died for us, and purchased eternal life for us, we weep. For either we pay no attention to such joy, before other worldly joy, which loves us more; or, where sin and God's wrath strike us right in the heart, we will and can
not let us be comforted. It does not enter our hearts that Christ says here, "Do not weep over me." We weep, lament, tremble, as if Christ had not died, as if he had not paid for our sin, had not satisfied God's wrath, and had not delivered us from the devil.
(30) For this reason, both parts require prayer. First, that God, through His Holy Spirit, may stir our hearts, disgust us with sin, draw us away from it, and ward off all certainty. Secondly, that He may kindle comfort against sin in our hearts and strengthen our trust in the Lord Christ's sacrifice and satisfaction; so that we may render God His right service, fear Him as poor sinners and stand in constant repentance, and trust in His goodness from the bottom of our hearts, as He does not mean us any harm, since He gave His only begotten Son to death and let Him die on the Cross as payment for our sin. May our dear Lord Christ grant this to us all, Amen.