From the prayer of Christ on the cross and the thief to the right hand.
Luc. 23:32-43.
And there were also brought two other malefactors, that they might be taken away with him. And when they were come to the place which is called the place of the skull, there they crucified him, and the malefactors with him, one on the right hand, and one on the left. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do. And they parted his garments, and cast lots thereon. And the people stood and watched, and the rulers with them mocked him, saying: He has helped others, he helps himself, he is a Christian, the chosen one of God. The soldiers also mocked him and came to him, bringing him vinegar and saying: If you are the king of the Jews, help yourself. The inscription was also written above him in Greek, Latin, and Ezraic letters: This is the king of the Jews. But one of the malefactors who were hanged blasphemed him and said, "If you are Christ, help yourself and us. And the other answered and rebuked him, saying, And thou fearest not God, who art in like condemnation? And we are justified in this, because we have received what our deeds are worth; but this man has done nothing unjustly. And said unto JEsu, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And JEsu said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
The holy evangelist Lucas reports here two pieces that are excellently comforting. Therefore, although Matthew and the others have omitted them, we will include them, so that we may have the history of the passion of Christ in its entirety. The first is that Christ, when he was nailed to the cross and the cross was raised with him, begins to pray immediately and above all things, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." The other of the thief, who heard such prayer, and learned so much from it, that this Jesus of God
Son and the true Christian, therefore desires that he will not forget him when he enters his kingdom. Let us now take these two things before us, for they are very comforting and can never be sufficiently considered or explained by us. So it is necessary that we not only look at the works this man does and at his suffering, but also listen diligently to the words he preaches. For by this he explains his doings and sufferings, why he is there, and what he does.
2. but above all we must do this
Suffering is distinguished from all other people's suffering. Not only because of the person that Jesus Christ is the eternal God, through whom heaven and earth were created and all things were made, but also because of the cause of his suffering, and because of the benefit or fruit that follows from such suffering, and otherwise from the suffering of no man, angel, or other creature. For he suffers (as you have heard next) not for his sake, but for ours, that we through it might be delivered and set free from sin and death. We also hear this here in his words, which every Christian should take note of and keep in his heart as the highest treasure and consolation.
(3) For that he saith there upon the cross, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do; such words clearly testify, as he dwelleth in the air upon the cross, that he is in his right priestly office, and doeth his work, wherefore he came upon earth, not only with his suffering, that he offereth himself, but also with prayer. For both are priestly works, sacrifice and prayer. The sacrifice actually means that, as He said in John 17:19, He wanted to sanctify Himself for us, so that we would be sanctified in truth and right; item, John 10:12, that He would lay down His life for His sheep. You will find many more such sayings, all of which testify that His suffering is called suffering for us, not for Himself or for His own sake. He performs this work and sacrifice with such earnestness that he also asks the Father to forgive those who crucify him, not to punish sin but to remit it, so that everyone may see why he came to the cross and be comforted by it.
4 Therefore you should first learn from this prayer that our dear Lord Jesus is a priest, and that he performed his priestly office on the cross. For to pray for sinners belongs to the priesthood. If then thou askest what priestly adornment or garment or altar he had (since Aaron in the law had his special priestly adornment, which was an adornment for splendor), thou mayest look here at the cross; there he hangs naked and bare, full of wounds, and has
not a thread on his body. And nevertheless he directs his priestly office to the very best and most diligent, that he also prays for his enemies. Whether this is unpriestly, do not be offended. Because it has with this priest absolutely another opinion, as with the Mosespriests.
5 Thus you see how above his head is the inscription that he is the king of the Jews, as he himself publicly and clearly confessed before Pilate. Such a title also rhymes badly with the outward appearance. For instead of purple, his whole body is bloody and full of wounds and welts, and instead of a golden crown, he wears thorns smitten into his head. You find such a priest and king on the cross, of which the world is ashamed, despises him, does not want to think of him as king or priest; as Isaiah says: "We saw him, but there was no form that we could have desired him. He was the most despised and unworthy, full of pain and sickness. He was so despised that people hid their faces from him; therefore we regarded him as nothing." But let it be seen in the sight of the world and with carnal eyes, as one pleases, yet let it be to us the dearest, most beautiful, most blessed ornament, that this priest offered up his own body and blood there on the cross, in a dishonest, even in an unconsecrated and accursed place. For the oxen, cows, calves, which were offered in the temple, were offered on a consecrated altar. But Christ sacrifices Himself on an unconsecrated and cursed altar. Just as gallows and raven stones are still abominable, dishonorable oerters. For thus it is written in Moses, "Cursed be he that dieth on the wood."
(6) It is blasphemous and dishonest in the sight of the world that this priest should not be allowed the place for his sacrifice that cows and calves had. But it is all done for our sake and for our good, that we may learn that he has made a full and sufficient atonement for our sins, as also reported in the next sermon. For just as our sins could not be atoned for nor paid for except through this priest, who was the eternal Son of God, so this priest did not make any atonement for our sins.
ner honest altar nor more delicious ornament can have.
7 But this does not hinder his ministry. He not only sacrifices his life and limb, but also prays for poor, ignorant sinners. Therefore we should take hearty comfort in this priest and his ministry. For just as he suffers, so he also prays, not only for those who were present at that time and laid their hands on him and nailed him to the cross (such would be interpreting Christ's prayer much too narrowly), but also for us.
(8) For they were servants and bondservants only to our sins. If your sins and mine had not nailed Christ to the cross, they would have had to leave him satisfied. But because Christ is here as the true priest and the little lamb of God, to pay for the whole world's sin with his sacrifice or death, this makes it possible for Jews and Gentiles to do violence against him. Therefore, when he prays for those who crucify him, he prays for all of us, who with our sins give cause for his cross and death.
(9) For this reason we should not look upon the gallows and the cross on which Christ suffered as anything other than an altar, where Christ offered up his life and carried out his priestly ministry by praying that we might be freed from sin and eternal death. For he that taketh away sin taketh away death also. Cause, death has no more power, where sin is gone; so also hell. This is what Christ, our only and eternal priest, accomplished on the cross, reconciling us to God without our works, through his own suffering, becoming a curse for us, dying on the cross for our sins, and finally interceding for sinners. Remember that you also thank him from the bottom of your heart.
10 In the papacy they also preach this. But regardless of the fact that the text is so clear and the story so true, that Christ sacrificed himself on the cross and suffered for us, they preach that we ourselves should be priests, that we should sacrifice ourselves, and that we should acquire eternal life by our own works. But our doctrine, that we teach that Christ, the one, right
Priests, have redeemed us from sins and earned eternal life, they curse and condemn as heresy.
(11) But is not this a pitiful bargain? Is this not an abominable wrath, blindness and punishment upon the ungrateful world, that the papists preach that Christ sacrificed himself for us on the cross, and yet they rage against us and shed innocent blood, because we teach such doctrine and point people to such comfort? This is called (as Isaiah threatens the despisers of the word of God) being blind with seeing eyes and not hearing with open ears, and having an obdurate, incomprehensible heart. Otherwise, how could it be possible that they should pay so little attention to this sacrifice, and besides that, take comfort in their own works, in indulgences, in a lousy monk's cap? Why do they not take comfort in the fact that Christ sacrifices his life and limb and prays for us, saying: "Father, here I am, a mediator between you and poor sinners; I die for them, I sacrifice myself for them, be merciful to them?
12 Our adversaries hear and see these things, and yet they still cry and rage against them, and condemn us as heretics. Well then, it is a terrible wrath of God, so may God mercifully protect us from it. But if he will ever let us fall, let us fall into such sin as we feel and confess, and not into that which is contrary to grace, and yet is adorned and praised for holiness.
(13) Therefore let us open our hearts, and look upon our priest Christ in his proper adornment. You will find no ornament in him under the eyes, for you can see how miserable and wretched he hangs there. But look into his heart, and there you will find such adornment and treasure that you will never be able to thank him enough.
14 For first of all, he is adorned with great, heartfelt obedience to his Father, so that in his honor he allows himself to be spit upon, scourged, and bruised. Such adornment is impossible for us to see here even in this life; but still, so much we can see that all the pearls,
all the velvet and golden piece is nothing against it.
The other ornament is the great love for us, that the Lord takes so little notice of our life and suffering, and almost does not think of it, because our cause and need are so dear to him, and he prays for us rather than for himself. Who can sufficiently understand or grasp such love, that the Lord has such a heart towards us, so full of fire, that in his greatest suffering, torture and shame he stands as if he sees or feels nothing; but he only thinks, sees and cares about your and my misery, distress and heartache? This can ever be a great, serious love, that he lets himself be commanded to such an extent that he even forgets about his ride, harm and suffering. Just as it happens with children that father and mother run through a fire to save them. There the love is so great that the heart does not think of its own need, and only cares how the child is helped. In the same way, let us see, our dear Lord Christ's heart burns, so that through suffering, as through a fire, he tears through and saves us in all love and mercy.
(16) Now this is the proper adornment, since our high and eternal priest is adorned with it. Outwardly such adornment is not seen, but inwardly it is seen, as his words sufficiently testify.
(17) Therefore, in all things pertaining to suffering, we should look to the chief article, grasping it firmly, and not be deprived of the fact that Christ sacrificed himself for us, and has nothing so warmly in mind as that he should save us, reach out to us, and run after us through all suffering, as through a fire. We need this article not only to comfort us, but also to strengthen us against the devil's poison, which the pope pours into people and wants to bring them to heaven through their own righteousness, works and merit. But if we could have accomplished this with our works, why should Christ, the Son of God, have suffered? But now he stands here, offering his sacrifice, his own body and life, in all obedience and patience, and in addition asks his Father to be merciful.
and forgive. This is enough to show that we can do nothing of the kind by our works, for the forgiveness of sins is not so easy a matter as the papists think. It soon happens that you put on a cap, watch a lot, fast, sing, all this is still easy to do: but to receive forgiveness of sins, there belongs a far different and greater thing than your own works; God will hear you slowly because of your fasting, watching, praying; but so it is, as Isaiah says: "For our iniquity he was wounded, and for our sins he was bruised. He has borne the sickness of us all."
18 Now the papists themselves must confess that the suffering and death of the Lord Christ is something else than my prayer, my good works, my suffering, my almsgiving, and my fasting. Whoever then wants to put such things to sin, will achieve nothing. It takes another man, other works and merit, as Isaiah clearly says. But he that will exalt his own merit, and use it against sin, blasphemeth the death, sacrifice, and prayer of Christ: for he thinketh as much of his own sacrifice and prayer, as of the sacrifice and prayer of Christ. One should diligently guard against such abominations.
Nineteen Now the Lord does not pray evil in the multitude, but sets apart them for whom he prayeth, saying, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Will thus indicate two kinds of sinners. Some know that they do wrong, and yet they do it without any shame. This is called sinning against the Holy Spirit, when one persists in such knowing sin, does not confess it, does not desist from it, nor ask forgiveness for it; as our junk lords, the papists, are doing now. They know that our doctrine is right, that Christ has commanded the Sacrament to be received in its entirety, has not forbidden marriage, has not commanded anything about the Sacrifice of the Mass; and yet, for the sake of such things, they condemn us as heretics, and punish their subjects when they know that they need our doctrine and Sacrament.
20 These do not sin ignorantly. The-
he nature of such sins is such that they cannot be forgiven, for they go directly against the forgiveness of sins, since one does not want to desist from them and confess them. For forgiveness of sins wants both, that one confesses the wrong and desists from it.
(21) The rest are sinners who sin ignorantly. Not as if David did not know that it would be sinful to take Uriah's wife and have him slain. He knows it very well. But sin and the devil drive and chase him so violently that he falls into such sin before he really thinks about what he is doing. Afterwards, however, he confesses, is sorry, would that he had not done it, and desires mercy.
(22) We all carry such sin on our necks, that we are easily and unawares carried away, and fall sometimes through fear, as Peter did, sometimes through imprudence and weakness, sometimes through presumption. Christ carried such sins with him to the cross and asked for them, because they are naked, mere sins that are not against grace, since one recognizes and confesses them and asks for forgiveness. Thus it is seen that often harlots and knaves, murderers and other wicked people come to grace; for they know that they have done wrong, and will not answer for it. Such confessed sins have the sacrifice of Christ between them and God; therefore God will not impute them to us. But those who knowingly and willingly do not want to do otherwise and still defend their sin, sin against the Holy Spirit and deny the grace of God. Christ does not pray for them here, but for those who do not know what they are doing and fall because of weakness. They should take comfort in this sacrifice and prayer, and know that their sins are forgiven. For this is what Christ asked for here, and it has certainly been heard; so we should not doubt it, but take comfort and rejoice in it.
(23) Let this be said briefly of the prayer of Christ on the cross, that he might show why he suffered, that these sinners, who sin ignorantly and are sorry, may have a gracious God for the Lord Christ's sake, who will forgive their sin.
Now let us look at the story of the right-handed thief. This is such a splendid example, the like of which cannot be found anywhere. For first of all, it is to be wondered at: the poor man cannot deny his sin; he knows that he has sinned and that he must suffer death because of his sins. For this reason he cannot boast of any good work or merit against God; as he says to his journeyman when he speaks evil of the Lord Christ: "We," he says, "are justified in such punishment, for we receive what our deeds are worth. This one, however, has done nothing unskilful." Here you hear what he confesses about himself, that he well deserved such an ignominious death. This is one thing to wonder at, that he has cause to fear God because of his sins; and yet, as we shall hear, he conceives the thought that he will yet enter God's kingdom.
(25) Secondly, it is also a great wonder that this one man does not allow himself to be challenged by the great offense that the whole council of Jerusalem, secular and spiritual, mocks the Lord Christ and blasphemes him. The rulers of the spiritual government said: "He has helped others, let him help himself, if he is Christ, the chosen one of God. The soldiers also said: "If you are the king of the Jews, help yourself. For the superscription was written over his head, "Jesus Nazarene, King of the Jews. So the one murderer who was crucified with him also said, "If thou art Christ, help thyself and us also." He did not say this because he wanted help, but because he wanted to mock Christ and thus ridicule him. In sum, all the world resents Christ hanging on the cross and thinks nothing of him. For the disciples themselves, though they stood by the cross for part of the time, had no more hope.
(26) But the poor murderer on the right hand tears through the trouble and is allowed to call Christ, who hangs next to him on the cross, a Lord and King. For this reason, he tells lies to the whole world, does not consider what other people think or say about him, and proclaims him to be an eternal king. For so
his words are: "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom". He calls him a "Lord", and says that he has a "kingdom"; and desires, when he shall be in the same kingdom, that he should remember him. Now it was ever about the time that no one could reach the evening with his life. Therefore he believes that Christ is the Lord of another and eternal life. Let this be to me a great, excellent faith and a glorious confession, since otherwise all the world rejects Christ and thinks nothing of him.
27 Here you may think to yourself, "Where did this murderer get such abundant and clear knowledge that he recognizes and proclaims Christ as the Lord of eternal life, and from whom did he learn this? But there is no doubt that he learned it only from the prayer that the Lord made on the cross. In the prophet Isaiah, in the 53rd chapter, it is both indicated that the Messiah will suffer and be counted like the transgressors, and will bear many sins and pray for the transgressors. When such a thing is found on the cross, the pious Lord, who had done nothing wrong, hangs there between two murderers and begins to pray, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. For people do not speak to God in this way; Christ alone is able to speak to God in this way, and he has taught us to do so. Therefore, the thief concludes that he is the Son of God. And because he prays for sinners, he recognizes him as the true Christian. And no doubt these sayings of Jesus and other similar prophecies, which he may have heard in the church but did not understand, will have come to him here. He now sums them up, and the Holy Spirit makes such prophecies light and clear in his heart, so that he cannot hold on to them any longer; he must come out and confess with his mouth what he believes in his heart, saying: "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. As if to say, "You are the Son of God; here on earth you suffer for our sins and must die for our sins; but afterward you will rise again into an eternal kingdom, and be Lord over all. O Lord, remember
mine. I will gladly suffer death now, for I have well deserved it: only do not leave me when you come into your kingdom. Behold, such a rich knowledge of the Lord Christ this man draws from the short prayer of the Lord; this is the sermon in which he learns this art. Just as this murderer on the cross recognizes and confesses Christ, God wants to preserve His Christian church even today. Even if all emperors, kings, popes and bishops were to fall, God still wants to preserve a small group that will have His Spirit and confess Him before the world. If the disciples, along with others who are related to the Lord Christ, do not confess or believe, but deny out of fear and run away, then a murderer must come forth, confess this Christ, preach about him, and teach other people what to think of him and what to comfort themselves with; for our Lord God does not want to leave Christ without people, even if it is only a thief on the gallows or a murderer on the wheel.
28 Therefore this is a comforting history, since we first see what kind of people Christ has who come to him and to whom he wants to show all grace, namely, those who are sinners and confess their sin and ask for mercy; they will find grace and mercy. For just as he asked before, so he proves here by deed that he is there and wants to forgive sins. And now this is his first work, that he redeems and saves a scoundrel and murderer from sins and eternal death, so that one may be sure and not doubt, because he sacrificed himself on the cross, that this is not done for the sake of the saints and the pious, but for the sake of sinners. For it was for their sake that he came to call them to repentance and not for the sake of the righteous, as he himself tells us, Matth. 9, 13.
29 Therefore whosoever thinketh that he shall go to heaven a holy man, without all sin, is deceived. For he who does not want to be a sinner has no need of the Lord Christ, for he did not die for his own sake but for the sake of sinners.
30 Therefore, this history is to be taken as an example, since Christ with the deed
proves what he sought and obtained with his suffering, because he makes a murderer a saint on the gallows, and does not want him to remain in sins or to perish. But he does not do this because he is pleased with sins, or that we should remain and continue in sins. No, because he suffers for sinners, he does not want them to remain so, but to be pious and holy and to convert. As is seen here in the case of the thief, he turns back and accuses himself of his sins, but hopes that he will enjoy the Lord's mercy, so that his sins will not harm him in eternal life.
Thus he becomes a different man, and his death, which he deserved shamefully, now becomes a service to God, so that he no longer suffers as a murderer, but as a true saint. For he dies in true confession and heartfelt trust in the grace of God through Christ, and is heartily sorry for his sin; and if God left him longer on earth, he would never do what he did before. Such faith in Christ not only makes him a saint, but also brings him to paradise and eternal life; as the Lord Christ promises him: "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.
(32) We are to follow this example, and not think, as crude, ungodly people do: I will sin, that Christ may save me, and prove his grace upon me. No, not at all, but think: I was born in sins, I am full of filth and evil desires, therefore I must not begin to sin at all, so that I may boast that I am a sinner; I am a sinner before, I am ready for sins and death. For this reason, I will hold on to Him who paid for sinners through His suffering, and through His innocent death redeemed me from the well-deserved death I had long since been guilty of and reconciled me to God.
But whoever abuses such a sermon of grace, does not refrain from sins, does not confess them, nor does not want to be sorry, let him look at the other murderer on the left, the rulers of the Jews and the soldiers, and consider how they have been advised to do this and what they have earned with the unrepentant life. For if you want to enjoy the Lord Christ and his suffering and prayer, you have to follow the way of the other sewer, who confesses his sin, asks for mercy, and confesses the Lord Christ, that he is a Lord and King of eternal life. May our dear Lord Christ grant us this, amen.