From the prayer of Christ on the cross and 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. There
The inscription was also written above it in Greek, Latin, and Ezraic letters: This is the king of the Jews. But one of the malefactors that were hanged blasphemed him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. And the other answered and rebuked him, and said, Neither art thou afraid of 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.
Since the history of Christ's suffering is so rich that it cannot be fully described in a day or a week, we will therefore stick to these two pieces today, and first speak of Christ's prayer on the cross for his enemies, and then of the example of the pious thief. For one should not only look at the works that the man does, but also listen to his words that he preaches. For with them he explains his actions and suffering, why he is there and what he is doing.
(2) For this is to be above all things, that this suffering may be distinguished from all other men's sufferings. Not only because of the person that Jesus Christ is 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, which fruit no other suffering can produce. For he suffers, as you have just heard, not for his sake, but for ours, that we might thereby be delivered from sin and death. We see this also here in his words, which every Christian should rightly remember and include in his heart as the highest treasure and comfort.
3 For thus says Lucas: When Christ was crucified, and the evildoers with him, he said thus: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. These are short words, but very comforting. For we must look at Christ hanging in the air on the cross, that he may be in his right priestly office, and spend his work, for which he came on earth, also in prayer. For this is why He came, as He said in John 17:19, that He might sanctify Himself for us, that we might be sanctified in truth and right; item John 10:12, that He might lay down His life for His sheep. Such
You will find many more sayings, all of which testify that his suffering should be 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 here to the cross and take comfort in this.
4 Now this is the proper priestly adornment of our dear Lord Christ, that he not only suffers, but also intercedes for sinners. Aaron in the law also had his priestly ornament, which was an ornament for splendor. But this priest's adornment is that he hangs there and has not a thread in his body. And yet he does his priestly work to the best of his ability and diligently, so that he may minister even to his enemies. \ He prays even for his enemies.
005 So there was a title above his head, saying, He is the king of the Jews. But whoever wants to know what kind of king he is, let him look at him diligently, and he will find that instead of purple his whole body is bloody and full of wounds and welts, and instead of a crown he wears thorns smitten into his head. We 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 they hid their faces from him; therefore we esteemed him 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,
sacrificed 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 abominable, dishonorable altars. For thus it is written in Moses, "Cursed be he that dieth for 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 which 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 satisfactory sacrifice for our sin. Otherwise, at least people should have had compassion on him, as one sees when condemned people are executed: if someone can help a little with refreshment, with a friendly promise, then everyone is willing. But with Christ no one has such compassion: when he desires drink, they give him vinegar and myrrh; when he cries out to God for help, they pervert his words and mock him, saying, "He calls on Eliam"; so evil and unjust is he held.
(7) So should this priest's sacrifice be, that he should be considered the worst, most wicked man, and judged like other thieves and murderers, and yet the people are still so bitter that there is no pity nor mercy. In sum, all curses were to go upon him, and he was to be executed as never an evildoer, and to make his sacrifice in the most shameful place. For our sake all this happened, because our sins deserved it.
(8) Therefore, since he is in such distress and torment, he is more concerned about our distress than about his suffering. For you hear that he prays for us sinners rather than for himself, that God may be merciful to us and forgive our sin. Of such prayer, the epistle to the Hebrews reports in chapter 5, v. 7, that Christ offered up prayer and supplication in the day of his flesh, with strong cries and tears, to Him who was able to save him from death, and was also heard, because he honored God.
(9) We should take comfort in this suffering and prayer. For as he suffers, so
He also prays, not only for those who were present at that time and laid hands on him and crucified him, but also for us. For those were only servants and slaves of our sins. For if your sins and mine had not nailed Christ to the cross, they would have had to leave him satisfied. But because Christ, as the true priest and lamb of God, is here to pay for the sins of the whole world with his sacrifice or death, Jews and Gentiles have power over 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.
(10) 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.
11 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, should sacrifice ourselves, and by our own works earn eternal life. But our teaching that Christ, the only true priest, has redeemed us from sins and earned eternal life, they curse and condemn as heresy.
12. But is not this a miserable bargain? Is it 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 un-.
guilty blood, because we teach such doctrine and point people to such comfort? This means (as Isaiah threatens the despisers of the word of God) to be blind with seeing eyes and not to hear with open ears, and to have an obdurate, incomprehensible heart. Otherwise, how could it be possible that they pay so little attention to this sacrifice, and besides that, they should 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?
13 Our adversaries hear and see these things, and yet they still cry out and rage against them, and condemn us as heretics. Well, 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.
14 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.
(15) 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 pearls, all precious stones, and precious stones are nothing compared to it.
The other decoration is the great love for us, that the Lord takes so little care of his life and suffering, and almost does not think of it, because our cause and need is so dear to him, and he rather asks for us than for himself. Who can sufficiently understand such love, or who can sufficiently
How can it be that the Lord has such a heart toward us, so full of fire, that in his greatest suffering, torture and shame he stands as if he sees or feels nothing; but he thinks, looks and cares only for 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.
(17) Now this is the proper adornment, since our high and eternal priest is adorned with it. Such adornment is not seen outwardly, but inwardly it is seen, as his words sufficiently testify.
(18) 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 to forgive. This is enough of an indication that we can do nothing of the kind with our works, for the forgiveness of sins is not as easy a bargain 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 forgiveness of sins, there belongs a far different and greater and more difficult trade.
God is slow to hear you because of your fasting, watchfulness, and prayer; but as Isaiah says, "He is wounded for our iniquity, and bruised for our sins. He has borne the sickness of us all."
19 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, 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; because 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.
020 Now the Lord prayeth not evil in the multitude, but setteth a difference between 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.
21 These do not sin ignorantly. Therefore the nature of such sins is such that they cannot be forgiven, for they are contrary to the forgiveness of sins, since one will not desist from them and confess them. For forgiveness of sins wants both, that one confesses the wrong and desists from it.
22 The others are sinners who sin ignorantly. Not as if David did not know,
that it would be a sin 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. But afterwards he confesses, is sorry, wishes he had not done it, and desires mercy.
(23) We all carry such sins by the neck, 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.
(24) 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 thief on the right hand. 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 do any good work against God.
nor boast of merit; as he says to his journeyman, when he speaks evil of the Lord Christ: "We," he says, "are just 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.
26 Secondly, it is also a great miracle 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 did the same: "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.
(27) 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 thus his words are, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." He calls him a "Lord," and says he has a "kingdom;" and desires, when he shall be in the same kingdom, that he may 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 me have a big one,
The first thing must be a good faith and a glorious confession, otherwise the whole world will despair of Christ and think nothing of him.
Thus, God wants to preserve His Christian Church this very day. Even if all the 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.
29 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 prove all grace, namely, those who are sinners and confess their sin and ask for mercy; they shall 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.
030 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.
3l. Therefore, this history is to be considered an example, since Christ proves by deed what he sought and obtained with his suffering, since 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 as if he were 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, who turns back and accuses himself of his sins, but hopes that he will enjoy the Lord Christ, 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.
(33) We should follow this example and not think about it as crude and ungodly people do.
sins: I will sin, that Christ may redeem me, and shew forth his grace in me. No, not at all, but remember: 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. Therefore, I will hold on to Him who paid for sinners through His suffering, and through His innocent death redeemed me from the well-deserved and long-suffering death 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.