First sermon.*)
Luc. 2, 21.
And when eight days were expired for circumcising the child, his name was called Jesus, which was called of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
From circumcision.
This is a short gospel, therefore we will also preach short sermons about it. This day is called the new year's day, according to the Romans. We Christians begin our new year's day on the holy day of Christ, as the year shows that it is written: In the year after Christ's birth etc. But the Romans begin the year on Calendis Januarii, that is, on the first day of January. The same way has remained with us Germans, because we are under the Roman Empire; as we have then much else from the Romans, as, the whole art of jurisprudence, item, a large piece of the Pabstthum, item, the Horologium, or the pointer, item, the names of the days in the week: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday etc. The same new day of the year and other things we have from the Romans, we now leave aside.
002 Now because the feast of the circumcision of Christ was set on this day, it is expedient that we should preach of it this day. There are two circumcisions: an old circumcision of the Jews, and a new circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ; they are far different. For although both circumcisions
*) Held in the parish church in the morning, 1531.
The circumcision of Christ and the circumcision of the Jews are so different, as far as heaven and earth are from each other. Cause, the persons are completely unequal and different. The person who is circumcised on this day surpasses all the others. For those who are circumcised in Judaism are as the earth; but this person, who is circumcised today, shines like the heavens, indeed, is above all the heavens.
3) The circumcision of the Jews has its origin in the Scriptures, as can be seen in the first book of Mosiah, Cap. 17, 10. ff. It also has its definite time, how long it should last, namely, until this child, who is circumcised today. It first began with Abraham. God commanded him that he and all his household should be circumcised, and that whatever children were born of Abraham's seed from then on should all be circumcised on the eighth day after birth. God made such a covenant with Abraham that everything that was male and had the sign of circumcision on its body would be in the assembly where God was; God would be their God and take care of them as His people.
Now it was not without the counsel of God that not only Abraham and his blood friends, but also all his household servants who were male, Abraham's seed or Gentiles, had to be circumcised, so that the Jews could not boast that they alone were God's people, and that the promise made to Abraham belonged to them alone. For as soon as the covenant with Abraham is established, it is included that Abraham's servants, both those who were born at home and those who were bought from all kinds of foreigners who were Gentiles, would also be counted in the number and multitude of the people and the children of God, since Abraham's blood children and body heirs belong to them; indeed, they are added to them sooner than Isaac, to whom the promise is made, is born. As soon as the covenant is established, Ishmael, born of the maidservant, and the purchased servants with their children, are circumcised. The right heir of Abraha, namely Isaac, comes over thirteen years later. Therefore the Jews must not boast so highly.
(5) Of this circumcision we have nothing today but the mere interpretation and example of faith. Just as other histories that have passed and been accomplished serve only to teach us the examples of faith. We must not do the same works that the circumcised Jews did, but we must have the same obedience and faith that Abraham had. So we preach of circumcision, not that we should be circumcised, but that in circumcision we should learn to be obedient to God, as Abraham was obedient. For because the Savior is born, who is Christ the Lord, as the angel announced to the shepherds, circumcision has now ceased. But if Christ had not come, we would still have to be circumcised today, if we wanted to boast otherwise for God's people. For there the command is clear: "Whosoever is not circumcised, his soul shall be cut off from among my people." Christ has lifted up this command and commanded that we be baptized and believe, if we want to become God's children and be saved.
6. but the example we have from the old
God lets us see here how foolishly he attacks his cause, since he wants to help people, if one wants to judge according to reason; raise such a covenant that one could not conceive it more foolishly. Among the proud Gentiles it was the most ridiculous and foolish thing that ever happened on earth, that God, the eternal wisdom, should lay such a ridiculous commandment upon men (since we do not like to speak of it, indeed, we do not like to think of it), that a child of eight days, and especially Abraham, who was now ninety-nine years old, should be circumcised in that place, and afterwards all who wanted to join Judaism had to be circumcised. This was a very annoying thing among the Gentiles, hence the mocking, derisive names that the Gentiles gave to the Jews, called Recutitos, Apellas, and the like, only that they mocked them with it.
This is an example that God makes the world a fool. Everything that he prescribes shall not please the world, and again what the world prescribes does not please God either. This is how it is with all laws and commandments of God, that reason is offended and annoyed by them, as St. Paul says, 1 Cor. 1, 21: "Because the world through its wisdom did not recognize God in His wisdom, it pleased God through foolish preaching to save those who believe in it.
(8) What is more foolish, if reason should judge, which is also less rhyming with it, than that in the Lord's Supper, under the bread and wine, Christ's true body and blood should be eaten and drunk for the remission of sins? What good is a morsel of bread, says reason, or a drink of wine? Wait until you go to heaven with it. But if reason is to judge in the matters of God, Abraham also might have said to God, "Have you no other sign of the covenant between me and you than this foolish work of circumcision? But the Scripture says thus, Rom. 4:11: "Abraham received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of faith."
9 It is the same with holy baptism. That a child who is baptized according to Christ's command is
If a man is immersed in water, or water is poured on him, he is to be washed of sins and moved from the devil's kingdom into God's kingdom; then reason speaks blasphemously: How can water cleanse a man of sins? Yes, if sin were a black or red stain on the body, it would be believable; but because sin is in the heart, marrow and legs, the water will slowly come in and wash it away. So Abraham, too, could have said, when he received the command to be circumcised, "Dear man, what good is it for salvation to cut off such a little skin from the body on the eighth day after birth? Reason can neither say nor think otherwise, if it wants to be the wisest.
But when one comes to the question: Why God commanded this or that, the devil has already won; as one can see from Eve in Paradise. She was ordered not to eat from the forbidden tree. But when she left such a command out of sight and listened to the devil, why God should have forbidden such things, she went away and fell into the terrible disobedience that we all still have to bear.
(11) Therefore, we are to learn diligently from such a command of circumcision, and we are to live diligently by it. When God says or does something, you shall shut your mouth and fall on your knees, ask nothing else and say nothing else, but do what he tells you to do, listen to what he tells you to do, and let yourself like what he does. For God has decreed that all men are fools, blind, lying, wicked and so utterly depraved that they cannot see their own ruin; as Jeremiah says, Cap. 17, 9: "Man's heart is so hopeless and treacherous, who can fathom it?" Be silent, then, that they should or could understand God's word and work. Since we are of such a naughty nature, we should lay down our wisdom and believe his words straightforwardly. As in the Lord's Supper, when Christ says: "This is my body, which is given for you; this is my blood, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins; we are to believe the words immediately. So whoever needs the Lord's Supper, and believes Christ's words, has,
as they are, namely, forgiveness of sins, and will be saved. He who does not do this, but says, "Why should I be a fool? God must act according to my wisdom and do as it pleases me: he is lost.
12. So the old circumcision is an example of a fine faith, that Abraham and his servants were not astonished about such a command, but followed it straight away; they did not think: It is a foolish thing, if we old people let ourselves be circumcised, God will not mean it that way, it will have a different understanding, that it should be interpreted from the flesh to the spirit (just as our enthusiasts do); but have thus thought: God commands us a work, which seems foolish before our eyes; but if we want to be wise, we must become fools and let God's word be the eternal truth. From this you can understand how fine a bishop and preacher Abraham will have been, and how many servants he will have had from his own house and from the nearest Gentiles, who believed with him in God, who gave them such a foolish covenant. And let this be said of the old circumcision, which is an example of a fine faith in Abraham and his servants, from which we are to learn that we also do such things, not letting our wisdom and reason be deceived by the word of God.
(13) We must also speak of the new circumcision. The old circumcision was not to last longer than the law, that is, until Christ. This is clearly indicated by the fact that infants were not to be circumcised until the eighth day. For in the law there is a succession, as the third commandment teaches: Six days thou shalt work; on the seventh day is the Sabbath, and thou shalt feast and keep silence. After the Sabbath is the eighth day, when a new week begins, there is another and new circumcision, of which this gospel saith, that the young child Jesus was circumcised the eighth day.
14 This is a different circumcision than the old circumcision of the Jews. For with this circumcision our dear Lord Jesus Christ began to lead his ministry.
and to fulfill what the angel and Simeon preached about him, namely that he should be the Savior, who is Christ the Lord, and the true light, not only for the Jews in the narrow corner of the Jewish land, but also for the Gentiles in the whole world. He begins the ministry with this first work, that he is circumcised on the eighth day according to the law. For herewith he reaches into the law and annuls with his circumcision not only the old circumcision, but also the whole law. Circumcision, just like the law, was given to those who were conceived and born in sins and were guilty of eternal death because of their sins. Now neither law nor circumcision had anything to command Christ. For he was without all sin and a master of the law. The servants, that is, the people who were conceived and born in sins, belonged under the law of circumcision. But Christ was a Lord of the law and without all sin. Therefore the law had no right to him. But because he is circumcised as another sinful child, in the same way the law takes hold of him, and Christ in turn takes hold of the law and takes away its power. He could have reached into the mouth of the law by divine power and authority, as the lord of the law, and no one could have interfered with him, but with love and humility he wanted to make it good for us, so that we would accept it and be comforted by it.
(15) For his own person he had no need of circumcision, any more than for his own person he had need of obedience to his mother, or of dying on the cross. For his own person he would have had the right and justification not to be subject to the law. But he does it for our sake. For we need such a man, who would be without sin and fulfill the law for us and thus appease the wrath of God, or else must remain under the curse of the law forever. For this reason He put Himself under the law, and with His service and work He gained our freedom from the law; as St. Paul says, Gal. 4:4, 5: "When the time was fulfilled, God sent His Son, born of a woman, and put Him under the law,
That he might redeem them which were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children." That he put himself under the law he did not do for his own sake, for he had all the righteousness and holiness required by the law, even without that obedience which he rendered to the law. But he hath put himself under the law for our sakes, and such victory and right as he hath obtained in the law he giveth us, saying, Whosoever believeth on me, neither circumcision nor law shall bind him: for I was not guilty of keeping it, yet I put myself under the law, and kept it: and for this cause both circumcision and law are become debtors unto me, because they trespassed against me their Lord. Therefore whosoever shall cleave unto me with a right faith, both circumcision and law will I help him, that it shall not condemn him.
16 Therefore notice this difference, for all things are involved. Abraham comes under circumcision as a sinner; but the infant Jesus comes under circumcision not as a sinner, but innocent, and as the Lord of the law, who takes away the law's right and authority, even tears up the law, so that those who believe in him can no longer be condemned or caught.
(17) Therefore the feast of the circumcision of Christ is a rich sermon, of which there are hours enough to say that Christ, circumcised on the eighth day, put himself under the law, that he might redeem us, who were under the law, from the law. But because he redeemed us from the law, it follows that he also redeemed us from sin and death. For where there is redemption from the law, there is also redemption from sin and death, as St. Paul teaches, 1 Cor. 15.
18) That it was necessary for us to be redeemed from the law is taught by St. Paul, Gal. 3, 13: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law when he became a curse for us. But that circumcision does not make you blessed, he teaches, Gal. 5, 2. f.: "Where you are circumcised, Christ is of no use to you. But I testify to every one that is circumcised, that he is yet under obligation to do the whole law." And Gal. 6:13: "Those who are circumcised,
do not keep the law. These are proud sayings, especially the last: "Those who are circumcised do not keep the law; they have been circumcised according to the flesh, but they do not keep the law. What else is this said, for by circumcision no one fulfills the law? The false apostles urged people to be circumcised and wanted to help people to salvation by keeping the law, which is impossible. For even if one is circumcised and talks a lot about keeping the law, God's commandment is still there, saying: "You shall love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind"; item: "You shall not let yourself be lusted after. Give me a person who has kept it or can keep it. Take the pope with his cardinals, bishops, monks, nuns, virgins; they say: They love God with all their heart, they are obedient to God with all their heart, they have no evil desire. But what does God say? O shameful hypocrite and false saint! You say you love me, but saying and doing are far apart. I do not ask for your saying, I want to have the doing.
19 What then is it that people are driven to the law as necessary for salvation, because the teaching of the law comes no higher, nor can it come any higher, than that it casts a curse on us? as St. Paul shows in Gal. 3:10 from the fifth book of Moses, Cap. 27, 26, where it says: "Cursed be every man that continueth not in all things which are written in this book of the law, that he should do them"; concluding therefore that all those who do the works of the law are under the curse. 21: "If there were a law that could give life, then righteousness would truly come from the law"; that is, if there were a law that could give life, then righteousness would first have to come from the law. For where life is to be, there must first be righteousness. But righteousness does not come from the law, for the Scriptures have decreed it all under sin. Therefore the law is not given, that it may
If the law does not make me alive, it cannot give life. If righteousness came from the law and the Scriptures did not resolve me under sin, I would just as soon say: I have kept the law and will be saved by my works, as the Pope and his followers say, who now curse and condemn me and my teachings. But no one keeps the law, as Christ also says to the Jews, John 7:19; indeed, as St. Paul says in Romans 4:15: "The law only causes wrath," shows us sin and condemns us; and 2 Corinthians 3:6, 7: "The law kills, the office of the law is an office of death and condemnation.
(20) Therefore there must be a higher and better preaching than the preaching of the law, which cannot do more than command, "Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself," for we have kept none of these. Item: "You shall honor your father and mother." But where is such a child on earth who keeps this commandment with all his heart? An obedient child is not beaten with a rod. Since every father must discipline his child with a rod, as the Scriptures testify and say, it is a sign that there is no child on earth who keeps the fourth commandment. Now if you do not bring the teaching higher than the law, then we are all lost. If I had been given a law to keep, I would have said to Christ, "I have no need of you, for righteousness comes to me from the law. But there is still a long way to go. And even if we did the works commanded by the law, we could not stand before God with them.
(21) Therefore there must come a higher and better preaching than the law, namely, as this gospel reports, that Christ, the Son of God, allowed himself to be circumcised like other sinners, and yet was not guilty of it. Therefore, because the law transgressed against him, it lost all its right against him; and this victory he gives us, saying, "Since all you men cannot keep the law, much less be saved by it, for your sakes I have been pleased to give myself to you.
under the law and redeemed you from the curse of the law.
(22) All those who are under the law do not know how they are with God. Let a man do what he will, but he must always say: I do not know if it pleases God. For the law cannot satisfy the heart. Indeed, the law has a disgusting effect, because to satisfy the conscience, namely, it reveals sin and kills. Therefore David prays, Ps. 143, 2.: "Do not go into judgment with your servant, for before you no living man is righteous"; and Ps. 130, 3.: "If you will, O Lord, impute sin, O Lord, who will stand?" No one can say, "Lord, I am well with you because I have done this and that work;" but everyone must be anxious and fearful. Because the law holds us captive and is our master, and we are its servants, it does not give us joy or a good conscience, but always hinders the joy of the heart. Therefore we must have something higher, greater and better to satisfy us. Now this is the gospel of Christ, who gave himself under the law to redeem us.
(23) The same gospel teaches us that because neither Jews nor Gentiles keep the law, though the Jews are circumcised, Gal. 6:13, and therefore all men are servants and captives of the law, Christ comes and says, "Dear people, I will submit to the law for your sake and be circumcised, so that I may gain a cause against the law and be able to say to it: Hear, law, I owe thee nothing, yet thou assailest me innocent; I am thy lord, yet thou makest me a servant, and takest away my innocence and right; well then, thou must serve me again, be my servant and prisoner; I will also take away thy right which thou hast to all men. But because I have no need of my right for myself, but have another right, that the law hath trespassed against me; the same my right, that I owe nothing to the law, I give to all them that believe on me.
(24) Therefore, those who believe in Christ will not be punished by the law of snowmaking.
They are not condemned by any law, but have Christ, who is the Lord of the law, who clothes and adorns them in his works and in his fulfillment of the law. By this the conscience is made right, as St. Paul says, Rom. 5, 1: "Now that we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"; item, by this the law is fulfilled in us, Rom. 8, 3. 4."That which was impossible for the law (because it was weakened by the flesh) God did, and sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, condemning sin in the flesh through sin; that the righteousness required by the law might be fulfilled in us, who now walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
(25) Therefore, when the devil afflicts me and troubles my conscience and terrifies me with the greatness of my sin, I say, "My circumcision, my keeping of the law, and my diligence and obedience to God do nothing for me. But my Lord Christ's righteousness and innocence do. In spite of the law, that it may rebuke him, because the Father himself has said from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." In my piety and righteousness I completely despise. But I do not despair of my Lord Christ's righteousness, for he bears a testimony from the Father down from heaven. If I do this, I build on a certain foundation and am not put to shame.
(26) When I am thus clothed and adorned in Christ's fulfillment and righteousness, I come to love God and my neighbor; and where I still lack and lack, I have a precious shield in Christ, who overshadows me with his fulfillment and sustains me in grace. Earlier I thought I had to keep the law, but now I know that it is impossible for me to keep it. Therefore I hold fast to him who has kept it so purely that not a letter nor a tittle is missing on it, that it is not all done and kept. Because I have him, I do now what is to be done, love God and my neighbor; even if I fall and fail at times, it still harms me.
not if I only believe in Christ. Demi under the umbrella, which is Christ, I am covered. So I am pure and innocent, like the sun. But all for the sake of Christ, in whom I believe. Because I am found in Him, I speak cheerfully to the circumcision and to all the law: I am free from you through Christ, I must not give account to you; for Christ, who is Lord of the law, stands for me. Since I still live in the flesh and blood, I say with Paul, Rom. 7:23: "I see another law in my members, which is contrary to the law in my mind, and takes me captive to the law of sin, which is in my members." But according to the inward man and faith I do it not. When the flesh is angry or commits other sins, faith is lifted up and will not have it.
27 Thus Christian righteousness becomes whole and remains pure, so that I recognize myself as a poor sinner who can never do enough for the law. But for this reason I do not despair. For here I see that my Lord Christ took care of me and gave himself up for me under the law and did enough for the law. Then it follows that my heart must say: Listen, you must be obedient. For if God, my Lord, has done so much for me out of pure mercy and has given me his dear Son, should I not love him again with all my heart and be diligent to do what he has asked of me?
want to have me? Thus man becomes airy and friendly towards God and his neighbor, and thus follows after righteousness, so that he is clothed in and through Christ, the right fulfillment of the law, which is not forced but willing. Even though this fulfillment of the flesh is not yet complete but imperfect, the remaining sin in the flesh is swallowed up in Christ, who redeemed us from the law according to conscience.
28 And because I believe in Christ, I may be circumcised with the Jews, or remain uncircumcised with the Gentiles, but with a free heart, for the service and pleasure of others, as St. Paul circumcised Timothy. But that I should rely on circumcision I will leave; neither will I be compelled to be circumcised, as Titus was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek, Gal. 2:3. And as I do with circumcision, so do I with all the laws: because I am a Christian, and have him that is the Lord of the law, I keep no law compelled. Sayest thou: Yes, thou art condemned; I say, No; for I hold to him who has fulfilled the law wholly and perfectly, and know that it is the will of God: He that believeth on him entereth into the commonwealth with him, and hath the fulfillment of the law, and walketh not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. May the dear Lord Christ grant us this, amen.