First sermon.*)
Luc. 2, 33-40.
And his father and mother marveled at the things spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this man is set for a fall and a rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be confuted (and a sword shall pierce through thy soul), that the thoughts of many hearts may be made manifest. And there was a prophetess, Hannah, the daughter of Phanuel, of the family of Asher, who was well bedded, and had lived seven years with her husband, after her virginity, and was now a widow of four and fourscore years, who never came out of the temple, serving God with fasting and prayer day and night. She also came at that hour and praised the Lord and spoke of Him to all who were waiting for redemption in Jerusalem. And when they had finished all things according to the law of the Lord, they taught again in Galilee, in the city of Nazareth. But the child grew and became strong in spirit, full of wisdom, and God's grace was with him.
This history took place when the infant Jesus was six weeks old and was carried into the temple according to the way of the law, to be presented to the Lord, as the firstborn infants were used to be, and to be redeemed with a sacrifice, that is, with a local florin (quarter florin) and a pair of turtledoves etc. As your love will listen to the feast of the sacrifice of the baby in the temple.
(2) Then old Simeon, prompted by the Holy Spirit, came into the temple, took the infant Jesus in his arms and preached about him. He had received an answer from the Holy Spirit that he should not see death, because he had seen the Christ of the Lord before. The same answer is fulfilled at that time. For Simeon sees the Christ of the Lord, and sings of him that he shall be the Savior and light, which shall not only shine in Judaism, as in a lantern, but shall also be a public light to all the Gentiles. But of the song of old Simeon we shall hear in his time.
3 The same song is followed by today's Gospel. Simeon sings that the child is a savior, whom God has prepared before all peoples, and a light that will illuminate all the nations.
*) Held publicly, 1531.
shall illuminate the Gentiles. The child, he says, shall not be a small, secret light, as before God shone with his light only in the Jewish people; but a great, public light, which shall shine as the bright sun in the whole world. Mary and Joseph marveled at such singing and glorious testimony, which Simeon gave to the child. And this is why the evangelist says: "His father and mother marveled at what was said of him.
(4) That the evangelist calls Joseph the father of the Lord Christ, he does not mean that he was his true, natural father; but as other men looked upon this child, and as other men called Joseph, so he speaks of him. For above he has made a mighty enough reproach, saying that he was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin Mary. The holy scripture has the way that it sometimes speaks of a thing as other people speak of it. So the evangelist also speaks here as other people spoke of it and as Moses used to speak. The Virgin Mary also speaks in this way, as we will hear hereafter: "Your Father and I have sought you with sorrows." It was a secret work of God that the Virgin Mary was with child, which Joseph himself had to believe after the angel in the
The dream had revealed this to him. Otherwise he did not know, just as we do not know, but must believe it, because the Scriptures teach and the Christian faith testifies that God's mother is a virgin. This should be noted, so that no one is offended by the fact that Lucas here freely says that his father was surprised; but know that this is said according to the common speech of the people. He speaks as Moses used to speak, who also calls the stepfather father, and as other people have spoken of this child.
(5) Now this Gospel has been set apart for this Sunday, because it says here, Joseph and Mary marveled at what was said of the young child. This has been interpreted from the teachings of Origen that it refers to the angel's speech to the shepherds, which we heard about during the feast. But it is said on the speech of the old Simeonis. The old father Simeon comes along and can hardly see the way in front of him for half an age; nevertheless he sees so clearly that he recognizes this child and praises that he is the savior and light of all the world. All emperors, kings and princes, he says, are darkness, but this child is the light of all the world. All the world is in death and condemnation, but through this little child the world will be saved. Summa, this child is the one of whom all the prophets prophesied. The words are briefly written by the evangelist, but Simeon undoubtedly finely deleted them. This was such a sermon, says the evangelist, that his father and mother marveled at it. For they had not heard this part, that he should be the light of the Gentiles, from the angel himself as clearly as Simeon speaks it. The others, who had heard it in the temple, would have despised it as a fool's speech, and thought that Simeon was drunk, or that old age was making him mad, and therefore he was speaking as a mad old man. How could this little child be the savior and light of the whole world, who is poor and has nothing but little wind, and his mother has hardly a penny in her purse? So the other people will have despised the speech of old Simeonis and thrown it to the winds. But Mary and Joseph were astonished.
Mary has heard much about this child, both before, when the angel brought her the message that she should give birth to God's son, and afterwards, when the shepherds tell her what they have heard from the angels. Nevertheless, she also had to wonder about this speech of Simeoni. She thought: "The angels said that this child would save his people from their sins; but Simeon made it greater and said that this child would not only be a savior prepared for all nations, but also a light to enlighten the Gentiles. They marvel at this.
(7) What shall we say to this? Did his parents also sin and do wrong, that they marveled? For it would seem that wonder is a sign of unbelief. Answer: No. For the fact that they marvel is a sign and indication of great, mighty faith and high understanding. Thus it is written of Abraham, Gen. 17:15 ff: "God said to him, 'You shall no longer call your wife Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. For I will bless her, and of her I will give thee a son." When Abraham hears this, he falls on his face and laughs, saying in his heart, "Shall a child be born to me a hundred years old, and Sarah ninety years old?" Although both he and his wife had grown old, and Sarah would be barren, yet it pleases him so well what God says to him that he believes firmly and surely, and through such faith becomes righteous before God; as the Scriptures testify: "Abraham believed God, and this was counted to him for righteousness," Gen. 15, 6; as St. Paul refers to this, Rom. 4, 3, and praises such faith of Abraham, saying: "Abraham did not doubt the promise of God through unbelief, but grew strong in faith and gave glory to God, and knew in all certainty that what God promises, he can also do."
(8) Therefore, just as Abraham, out of a righteous and strong faith, laughed with joy, so Mary and Joseph marveled, not out of unbelief, but out of a mighty faith and a high understanding. For this is the
The more firmly a man believes a thing, the more he marvels at it and becomes happy about it; but where he does not believe, he does not accept it and has neither joy nor desire for it. As if this were certain in my heart and I believed without any doubt that the infant Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, is my closest friend, my brother, yes, my flesh and blood, and his righteousness is my righteousness, his life is my life, as we have heard these days about the birth of Christ - if I believed this, I say, from the bottom of my heart, I would be so amazed and happy about it that I could not rejoice and be amazed enough, nor think enough about this infant.
9 With these words, St. Lucas praises both the mother's and the father's faith, that the mother was happy and of good cheer and could not have wondered enough that this child should be a light to enlighten the Gentiles, while all other kings and princes are a noisy dark night, even stuck in sins and death, silent that they should help others out of it; and she should be the mother of this excellent son.
(10) We should also have such astonishment at the gospel that we would be hopeful and joyful and boast about it: I am a Christian and have been baptized; I have no doubt that through the Lord Jesus I shall be and remain ruler over sin and death, that heaven and all creatures shall serve me for my good. If a prince gave me a whole skirt or a village, such a thing would make me so happy that I could not marvel enough at it. But what is it against this? Yes, even if I had the crown of the Turkish emperor, it is nothing against the fact that I am baptized into the inheritance of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he will say to me on the last day, and now already says to me: You are my dear brother; everything that is mine is yours, you shall live with me forever.
(11) But where can you find one who believes it and takes it to heart? We can all say we believe it, but that we do not believe it, we are soon to be convicted of that; for it follows
No joy, no wonder, no change in us. If this is called faith, then it is truly a cold and half-dead faith, otherwise we would not be frightened or angry, but would be happy and hopeful. For a Christian is a cheerful, hopeful, blessed man, who asks neither for the devil nor for all misfortune. For he knows that through Christ he is master over all these things.
(12) Therefore, in this amazement, the Virgin Mary will undoubtedly have had a particularly good and holy pride and hope, which was not in her, but in God's grace and mercy and in the infant Jesus; as Lucas finely indicates with these words: "She was amazed"; not because she was a mother of the child (although the same also belonged to her joy), but of that which was spoken of him. As all Christians do: they do not look at what they are and what they are able to do, but at what has been given to them; for this reason they do not boast about themselves, but about Him who has given and bestowed everything on them by grace.
(13) We preach this every day, and many of us, unfortunately, think that they can do it all too well. But God willing, we learned it with all our hearts and certainly believed it to be true, that through Christ we are made lords over all things. Everyone can well think of St. Petro and Paul that they share in the inheritance of Christ and live with him for eternity. But that I believe this about myself and you about yourself as strongly as we should believe, is lacking, because we do not yet see, feel or sense it in ourselves. So we think: St. Peter, Paul is a lord and prince over heaven and earth. But whether I am also a lord and prince over heaven and earth, I do not know. But what does it mean to believe? Because I do not believe of myself that I have become a lord and prince over heaven and earth through Christ, I certainly do not believe this about St. Peter and Paul. Item, because I do not believe that the heavenly inheritance was given to me through Christ, I also do not believe that Christ became man and was born to me and that I was baptized into Christ.
(14) Therefore Lucas the evangelist spoke of the faith of the father and mother in a faraway way, saying that they marveled at it. For where there is righteous faith, the fruit follows, that one marvels and rejoices at the great grace and blessing that has come to us through this little child. But where this fruit does not follow and the heart does not marvel or rejoice, there is either no faith at all or not as strong faith as it should be. For if there were such faith, which would certainly believe that we poor sinners are placed in eternal life and righteousness, this should be felt with the least bit, so that the heart would be glad and courageous, so that we would not be so despondent in temptation and persecution, but would defy both the devil and the world and say: "Let sin, death, the devil, the world, the pope, the emperor, however wicked and angry they may be, what do I ask of them? If the pope and emperor take my life, they will have to suffer much more and have lost more than I have. They take from me the shell and the husk, but they cannot take from me the core and treasure, that through Christ I am freed from sins and have escaped eternal death and the wrath of God. If only this little child remains to me, then the other things that I cannot keep are gone. For a Christian is not set on this temporal and perishable life, as the world is set on it; but on the life to come, which is eternal.
(15) Therefore we should be amazed at what we hear about Christ and be confident and undaunted. But that we are still so frightened and afraid is a sign that we do not believe firmly enough that through Christ eternal life and the kingdom of heaven have been acquired and given to us. Well then, he who can, can; he who cannot, let him learn. There will be some who will marvel and rejoice at the abundant good acquired and given to us through Christ. To them this sermon is an eternal food, which they can never be satisfied with; as St. Peter says, that even the angels delight to look upon it. But a discontented, lazy spirit asks nothing of it, but turns to the fleshly
Consolation. If he has his god Mammon, wine, grain, food and drink, he thinks he has everything. Now let us also look at the prophecy of Simeoni.
And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this one is set for a fall and rising of many in Israel.
16 This is also a strange blessing. After old Simeon had said that this child would become a mighty and excellent man, a savior prepared for the salvation of all Christendom, and a light of blessed radiance to the Gentiles, at which high words Joseph and Mary marveled, he now goes on to say: This child will also be a fall and rise of many in Israel. That is, many, not only from the Gentiles, but also from the people of Israel, will be offended and angry at the Lord Christ, so that they will run and fall because of him; in turn, many will also be reformed and rise because of him. Now this is the title of the child of our dear Lord Christ, and this is how it shall be with him, and this is how he shall be kept in the world, so that many shall come to grief at him and fall, but many also shall keep him and rise up in him.
Therefore, whoever wants to be a Christian must act accordingly. For here one has no power to force anyone to believe. God has commanded the princes, mayors and executioners to compel; they shall compel in their regiment and drive by force all those who do not want to abstain from stealing, murdering, lying, deceiving and other vices. But here in the kingdom of Christ it is not so. If you want to believe, all right; if you don't want to believe, you can leave it; you will not be driven or forced with your hair. But another will come afterward who will force you in his time, so that you will no longer be able to resist.
18 "Yes," they say, "if I have so much time left, give me the shirt to go with the skirt. Well, that is decided: If you want to be a Christian and be saved, you must accept this king, who (as Simeon says here) is an angry king in the world, and over whom a great crowd, both among the Gentiles and in Israel, will be angry.
But let no one doubt it, for there will always be those who will accept it and to whom it will not be annoying but rather beneficial.
19 This is a very necessary lesson, that we should not only consider Christ to be an offense to the Jews and a foolishness to the Greeks (1 Cor. 1:23), but also that he is a resurrection of many in Israel. We must not suppose that the great multitude will fall from him and most shamefully abuse his gospel; as we now see before our eyes that peasants and citizens unfortunately improve themselves on the Lord Christ in such a way that they do as they please. In the world it will never be any different: where this king is with his word and kingdom, most of the people will be angry and fall. You must get used to this and let it go, if you want to remain a Christian in any other way; and besides this, look at the little group and keep to it, which does not fall, but holds on to this king and looks like him. If then it happens that people often tumble and fall, let it go; for this is how it goes, as Simeon says here.
(20) The first part especially is a grievous image, that Simeon saith the young child Jesus is set for the fall of many in Israel. The pope, and all that is great and high in the world, blasphemes our gospel, calls it heresy, and opposes it vehemently: not that they are offended at it, for they know very well that it is the truth; but that they rage and fight against it out of pure malice and courage to preserve their position and splendor; they do not ask much about Christ and his word, for the belly is their god. Therefore we will not count them here among the multitude that rebels.
(21) But they are the ones who are angry, who fight against it out of ignorance, that is, who become angry and displeased when they hear that this child alone is the Savior and light of the world. For they will not accept that our works and everything a man does to praise and honor God should be nothing. Shall all those be damned," they say, "who have lived for hundreds of years according to the old doctrine and faith? Do you think that God will keep the church so long?
I don't believe that anymore. That is the right main annoyance, since Simeon says here about.
(22) When thou seest it thus going, then say, It goeth aright, as it ought. For it is written that the babe born of the Virgin Mary, who shall be the Savior of all the world and the light of all the Gentiles, is set for a fall, not to those who know nothing of God, but to "many in Israel," that is, to those who are God's people, who have His word etc. It is precisely to them that this child is set as a stumbling block, over which the worldly wise, the prudent and the saints run and fall and break their necks. For they cannot bear that their wisdom, their own righteousness and holiness should be nothing. Therefore, if they do not want to accept the infant Jesus, we must let him go, close our eyes and ears, and stand as if we did not see this case. For this child shall have the title that his gospel is called heresy, and this is one of his hopes, that many shall offend and be offended at him.
(23) The Jews also were exceedingly vexed, when Christ preached unto them, saying, Joh 8:24, 31 ff: "Ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins"; item: "If ye continue in my sayings, ye are my true disciples, and shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. As if to say, "If you are to live, you must have life through me and in me. Then they thought: What does the fool say? We have the prophets and Moses; we know what is right and what God wants from us, and this servant and fool wants to punish us all in such excellent ceremonies and ways, appointed by God Himself? It is vain heresy with his preaching and teaching. They went there, crushed their heads against Christ and fell.
(24) So now the Carthusians and monks (I am speaking of the best, for the majority of them, as I have said, are belly servants), call our teaching a devil's lie and heresy, say: I have prayed and fasted in my order for thirty years and let it go so sour, and the monks have not yet been able to understand it.
Lutheran heretics may now say that all this is nothing? Well then, if fasting and praying do not please God, let us eat, drink, fornicate, and thus please God and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. These also take offense at the infant Jesus and fall down, so that they never get up again.
(25) If then thou wilt be a Christian, send thyself into it, and only be sure that thy Lord Christ, thou, thy doctrine, and all thy works shall not please the world. For here thou hearest that thy Lord Christ himself is a stumbling block and a rock of offence to those who are God's people, and that all who want to be great, mighty, wise and holy fret, stumble and fall over it. If you want to be taken for a fool, heretic and deceiver by them and their followers - for nothing else will come of it - then accept this Lord and King and be a Christian; if not, then you may be idle and still go to the devil; then the world will praise and honor you. So that whoever wants to be a Christian and live eternally after this life, must be an offence in this world with his Lord Christ and a fall to others, and be considered a devil's child, a heretic, a deceiver and a fool. This is the first image.
The other part is again a beautiful, comforting image, that Simeon says he is not only set for the fall, but also for the resurrection of many in Israel. They are the ones who accept this king, rise up to him and, if need be, lay down their life and limb for his sake. They fall from their worldly nature, their own wisdom, power, righteousness and holiness. For they know that they cannot help themselves by their wisdom, works and merit. But if they are to be helped, he alone must do it, of whom it is written that he is the Savior and Light of the world. For this reason Christ is a desired man for them, and they are raised up in him and are saved through him.
(27) Now this child has two images: an angry image and a beautiful, comforting image. To some it is a fall, like a stick put in the way, over which they fall; to some it is a rising, like a rock on the
Ways to lean on and align with. The proud, hopeful and wise saints run headlong against him, recoil, blaspheme and curse him. But the fools, fools and poor sinners stand up against him and believe in him. What lies rises in him; what stands falls in him; what is lost and corrupt becomes blessed through him; what is foolish becomes wise; what is sinful becomes righteous and holy. Take comfort in this, for this child will not go out in any other way.
For many years I have worked diligently on this block, thinking about how I could preach about the Lord Christ in such a way that everyone would like it, and neither the pope nor the emperor nor the princes nor anyone would be offended by it. But it will not and does not do so. Therefore we may get used to it and learn here how to answer those who say that in the papacy everything was quiet and no heresy or dissension was heard; but after this doctrine arose, all misfortune was found, so that little or no good came of it. You may answer such blasphemers from this gospel and St. Simeon's prophecy, that wherever the pure doctrine of Christ goes, it will certainly follow that some will fall, and that there will be mobs, sects, and all kinds of misfortune. But nevertheless the doctrine shall also produce the fruit again, that some will hold on to Christ and rise up in him. These are, as I said, the poor afflicted consciences, who will be redeemed and comforted by him.
(29) Such things the clever and the blasphemers will not look at, but only look at the fall and the trouble, which is not a happy look, but cannot be avoided, not because of the doctrine, which is pure, right and good, but because of men, who do not send themselves right into it and do not want to follow it. But consider the matter rightly, and freely admit: Is it not true? it would have been much better in the papacy that the falling away and trouble had gone, as now; for that it was all so quiet, and the devil ruled in all places with idolatry and false doctrine, and to hell with heaps.
has driven. For who would not rather suffer temporal harm than eternal harm? As it was an unspeakable, even eternal pity that there was no real preaching, knowledge of God, nor worship to be found in the papacy.
(30) We have heard many times over the years that this has been discussed at many kingdom meetings, and that we would have liked to have everything settled and agreed upon, and to have preached in such a way that everyone would be pleased and no one would be offended. But it is certain that if you take away the trouble and the fall, Christ is already lost. For where a man comes into the world and lets himself be seen, there soon arises a tumult and a fall. Yes, say the pope, the bishops and the wise and mighty men of this world, we do not want to suffer this. Well then, if thou art wicked, resist it. Christ came to the Jews, did not ask them beforehand whether he should come or not, and caused a tumult in their land, and they could not prevent it. Now he has come to us through his gospel, without our knowledge and will, and is also causing a great commotion. If thou art wicked, ward it off; or if thou art wise, counsel the matter. There are many who dare to help the cause by human wisdom, but I will watch them. If they will end it, put an end to all division and strife, and make peace and unity, as they pretend, I will scratch out this text. Christ himself says, Matt. 10:34: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." Therefore it will remain as Simeon says here: Many in Israel will fall in him; again many will also rise in him and be saved. Those who try to counsel this matter with human wisdom will not achieve anything else, except that they will not only fall and never get up, but will also have to fail. For they want to make Christ different than God the Father has ordered and placed him.
31 But where there is disagreement or other misfortune
The blame for this does not lie with the doctrine, but with the people who misuse the doctrine and the wise men who want to master and rule over Christ. If a stone or block is placed by the way, so that one should lean against it and stand up in case of need, what does the stone or block care that most of the people who are so foolish and foolish do not want to hold on to such a stone or block, but run against it with their heads and bump against it? This is not the fault of the stone, but of such foolish, blind people who do not walk right. So, too, what is the cornerstone Christ and his gospel doing that the great multitude is offended by it, falls and even shatters on it? but it was placed there by God, as it is written in Isa. 28:16, that they should believe in him and not be put to shame.
(32) Therefore let not the gospel be thought to be such a doctrine, which causeth nothing but strife, dissension, and all manner of mischief in the world, as the pope and bishops reproach it; as though they were altogether pure, had never muddied waters, nor given occasion to all manner of punishment and calamity by their sin and idolatry. If they would let this doctrine go and be made free, such disunity and other plagues would also remain behind. But now, because the great multitude oppose this doctrine and will not let it have its own way; some also fall with their wisdom and will not let Christ be a case, but preach him in such a way that no one is offended by him: what wonder is it that God does not do with them in all ways as they would like?
This is the teaching of today's Gospel, from which we should especially note what Simeon prophesies about Christ, namely, that many in Israel will be offended and offended by him, but many will also be improved and raised up by him; so that we will not only not be offended by him, but also be prepared against the cry of murder, since all the aversions of the world will be laid on the dear Gospel through no fault of his. To this end, may God grant us His grace through Christ our Savior, amen.