Luc. 24:13-35.
And, behold, two of them went that same day unto a place which was sixty leagues from Jerusalem, whose name is Emmaus. And they talked with one another of all these things. And it came to pass, as they thus spake and consulted one with another, Jesus drew nigh unto them, and walked with them. But their eyes were stopped, that they knew him not. And he said unto them: What are these sayings which ye do among yourselves in the way, and are grieved? Then answered one, named Cleophas, and said unto him, Art thou alone among the strangers at Jerusalem, who knowest not what is done in these days within? And he said unto them: Which? And they said unto him, That of JEsu of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; as our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified. But we hoped that he would redeem Israel. And of all this this day is the third day that it hath come to pass. We were also frightened by some of our women, who were at the tomb early and did not find his body, but came and said they had seen the visions of angels, who said he was alive. And some of us went to the sepulcher, and found as the women said; but they found him not. And he said unto them, O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did not Christ have to suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them all the scriptures which were spoken of him. And they came near to the place where they were going, and he stood as though he would go on. And they urged him, saying: Stay with us, for it will be evening, and the day has come. And he went in to abide with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave it unto them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he disappeared before them. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, when he spake unto us in the way, when he opened unto us the scriptures? And they arose at that hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the ephah gathered together, and them that were with them saying: The Lord is risen indeed, and Simoni appeared. And they told them what had happened on the way, and how he was known of them when he broke bread.
This gospel teaches us how our dear Lord Jesus Christ revealed his resurrection from the dead. The evangelist Marcus writes that the Lord, having risen from the dead, appeared early on the first day of the Sabbath, that is, yesterday, to Mary Magdalene; and afterward he manifested himself in another form to these two disciples, as they walked together in the field. Such a story and revelations have happened among others and have been written for the true testimony and certain proof of our faith from the same article. You will hear about this at another time.
2 Now the main part of this gospel is about the preaching of Christ, which he did to the disciples from the Scriptures. For
*) Held in the parish church, 1534.
As these two disciples were talking about him on the way, and chatting with one another, he joined them on the way and gave them a beautiful long sermon, as the text says: "He began from Moses and all the prophets, and expounded to them all the scriptures which were spoken by him." This was such a glorious sermon that the disciples themselves confessed afterwards in the village or in the house that their hearts burned when he spoke to them on the way and opened the Scriptures to them.
Now I would like to know what Scriptures the Lord has brought forth from Moses and the prophets, so that they are inflamed, strengthened and convinced in the article that Christ had to suffer and enter into his glory, because so little, indeed, can be seen,
There is nothing in Moses that says anything about it. For the Jews also trusted in Moses as to what God had spoken, and yet they could not find such things in Moses; indeed, they still read Moses today, and yet they cannot see such things in it, but see the contradiction. How can this be? Christ refers to Moses and all the prophets, and says that they testify of him; and the Jews have and read Moses and the prophets, and yet can see nothing of Christ in Moses and the prophets. How does this rhyme? Answer: These two disciples resolve it by saying, "Were not our hearts burning within us when he talked with us on the road, when he opened the Scriptures to us?" It is certain that Moses writes of Christ; but this is because those who read Moses also understand where Moses speaks of. For St. Paul, 2 Cor. 3, 14, says that to this day, when the Jews read Moses, the covering or cloth hangs before their eyes and hearts, so that they cannot see it. And Christ, Luke 8, says to his disciples, v. 10: "To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables, that they may not see it, though they see it already, nor understand it, though they hear it already."
4 Therefore the Scripture is such a book, which requires not only reading, but also the right interpreter and revealer, namely, the Holy Spirit. Where the Holy Spirit does not open the Scriptures, they remain misunderstood, even if they have already been read. Today it is still like this in the world. We have the teaching as clear as the apostles. We prove the articles of the pure doctrine from the Scriptures, so that our adversaries cannot misjudge it. But what is the use? No article of faith was preached by the apostles that was not challenged by the heretics. What wonder is it that the pure doctrine we preach is contested? Therefore, it is not the Scriptures, the reading or the preaching that is lacking, but the interpreter; as the common saying goes, "It all depends on a good interpreter.
(5) After this, right disciples also belong to the Scripture, who are glad to be taught and instructed. For Moses and the prophets are
Such teachers, who make fools of the wise and prudent and put out the eyes of reason, where they are to be understood and believed otherwise. Where this does not happen, one is offended and annoyed by it or contradicts it. Therefore it will not be otherwise: He who is to understand and grasp the Scriptures must become a fool. Whoever wants to be clever here, and measure it with reason, as it rhymes and is suitable, is lost with him, he remains an inept student.
(6) The Bible and the Scriptures are not such a book as flow from reason or from the wisdom of men. The jurists' and poets' arts come from reason, and may in turn be understood and comprehended by reason. But Moses' and the prophets' teachings do not come from reason and human wisdom. Therefore, whoever dares to understand Moses and the prophets with reason, and to measure and reckon the Scriptures according to the rhyme of reason, will get away with it. For even all heretics from the beginning arose from the fact that they thought that what they read in the Scriptures they would interpret as reason teaches. St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 1, v. 23, 24: "We preach Christ crucified, an offense to the Jews and a foolishness to the Greeks. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ, divine power and divine wisdom." To the Jews," he says, "we preach vain tarnishing, which they take offense at and become mad and foolish about; they can neither hear nor see it. To the prudent Gentiles we preach vain foolishness, whereof they become fools, because it is contrary to their reason, which cannot endure it. But which are simple-minded sheep, among Jews and Gentiles, which say: God has spoken, therefore I believe it; they can grasp it and understand it.
7. and Christ himself, Matth. 11, 25, gives thanks to his heavenly Father with a glad heart, that he has hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to babes, fools and children. I praise our Lord God for this, that he may do it. If he had not done it, I would ask him to do it yet. For one can not ask the wise people
and do not instruct the high reason nor mean in divine things of baptism, of Christ, of faith, of salvation and eternal life. When reason hears about baptism: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved"; item, baptism is a bath of regeneration etc., it immediately recoils and says: "Should you be born again and saved immediately if you let yourself be washed with a little water? Should rebirth be so easy? Dear, consider how sour it is for a woman before she gives birth to a child, and you should gain eternal life and victory over sin, death and the devil if you let yourself be washed with a little water? Well, what can you make of it? Water is water. So reason enters. Likewise, when it hears of Christ, that God became man, died, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God, reason says: "Should a virgin bear a child and yet remain a virgin? and should the same child be the Son of God and God from eternity? How does that rhyme? Item: Should a man rise from the dead and sit at the right hand of God? This is impossible. Therefore, it is our Lord God's good pleasure to put such things before the eyes of reason, whereupon it is offended and angry. And if reason does not become God-fearing, allows itself to be caught and believes badly, it becomes a fool and cannot understand anything.
8. Behold, what kind of people does God take here, to whom He reveals the resurrection of His Son? He takes unwise women and poor fishermen. The women are real jackdaws, they make such food, they buy specie and precious ointments; and when they have bought them, they go there as in a sleep and dream, and do not signify what they do or what they undertake. When they come to the gate, they first say among themselves, "What are we doing? Do we not know that a great, heavy stone lies before the door of the sepulcher? If they had known beforehand in the city that the stone was lying on the tomb, sealed and guarded with guards, they would have
have not gone out. They are such foolish jackdaws that they dare to anoint the Lord in the tomb, since the guards are in front and the tomb is closed and sealed. Still these jackdaws and foolish women become the first to whom Christ reveals his resurrection, and whom he makes preachers and witnesses of it. And the disciples are poor fishermen; nor does Christ give them such understanding of the Scriptures as all the highly knowledgeable and learned chief priests and scribes do not have. So God wanted to reveal this supreme work, that he raised his Son from the dead, only to the unintelligent, foolish, simple-minded and fools.
(9) For so he does with his word and works, that he reveals it to babes. It is impossible to reveal to the wise and prudent. What did it help that God spoke and wrote everything in the clearest possible way? as all the articles are set forth clearly and brightly enough in Scripture. God created heaven and earth, and proved the article of creation in the best possible way, both by Scripture and by deed; nor have more than twenty, even thirty heretics been found who have disputed this article. What did it help that Christ himself preached clearly and publicly among his own people, confirmed his sermon with great and excellent miraculous signs, raised the dead? Nothing everywhere. For they went to him, and most shamefully perverted his words and works; as the Pharisees said: He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. Luke 11:15 Therefore God must go on to say, "Because they want to be wise and can do no more than blaspheme My words and works, My word also shall be hidden from them and not understood. I will write and preach my word clearly, but I will place everything in the revelation of the Holy Spirit for a few simple-minded people who do not dispute or quarrel, but believe badly. To the rest it shall be and remain a vain and palpable darkness. For it is of no avail: though I set it most clearly before their eyes, yet they can do no more than blaspheme and contradict. Therefore they shall teach Moses
and hear the prophets, and read for themselves, and yet understand nothing of it.
010 Even so Christ here openeth the eyes of the simple disciples, and openeth the scriptures unto them, that they look on Moses and the prophets with other eyes, and confess, saying, Behold, we have read and heard these things so long before, and have never understood them. But the highly knowledgeable Pharisees and scribes remain blind, even though they have read and heard Moses and the prophets, yet they understand nothing of it, run over the words, and do not know what it is.
(11) Moses is the first from whom the Lord begins to interpret the Scriptures that were spoken by him. He was well known to the prophets, for all the prophets spun their books and writings from Moses. And I, if I were so rich in spirit, would take Moses and make a whole New Testament out of it, where it was not already made. Peter and Paul write little of the stories and works of Christ, but the gospel of Christ they lead mightily. See what only Paul spins out of the history of Abraham's sons, Isaac and Ishmael, Gal. 4. What do Peter and Paul do in the histories of the apostles? since they take little sayings (as they are to be regarded) of the Old Testament before them, and make such mighty sermons out of them that one must marvel at it, and say: It is right; but I would not have seen this in Moses.
(12) What does Christ do when he shuts up the Sadducees (who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and kept no scripture but that of Moses) and convinces them of the resurrection of the dead? Matth. 22. There he takes the most common word, which they had, and was known to all Jews and daily in custom, that God says: "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" etc. What does Christ conclude from this? The Sadducees do not believe that there is a spirit, angel, devil and eternal life; but Christ makes Moses, who was dark, blind and dumb to the Sadducees, manifest, seeing and speaking, and thus concludes: God is a God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
and Jacob's, says Moses, 2 Mos. 3, 6. and you Sadducees cannot deny it. If then you consider God to be a God of the dead, what kind of God is he? But if God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as Moses says, then Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must live. For if Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not alive, how would God be their God, since He is not a God of the dead, but of the living. Therefore Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must live, even though they have died and been buried.
13 Thus Christ convinces the Sadducees of the resurrection of the dead. For what is said of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is to be understood also of David and all the holy fathers and prophets, who must also live as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived, since God is their God as well as Abraham's, Isaac's and Jacob's. God cannot be a God that is no more, but must be a God that is. Now if GOd is a GOd of Abraham and all believers, Abraham (who is now under the earth) and all believers must be before Him and live. Before our eyes they are dead, but before God they are alive. For God says, "This is my name forever, that I should be called by it for ever and ever, that I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all who believe. Who would have thought of glossing over the short, common words that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob must rise from the dead and not remain in death? and that the Sadducees should be convinced of the resurrection of the dead by these common words? which words they knew well, and yet did not think that a word could be found in all of Moses about the resurrection of the dead, let alone that these common words should give the same article so powerfully.
14 Therefore it is all in the revelation. These two disciples also read Moses before, but did not understand it. But when Christ comes and opens the Scriptures to them, they look into them with different eyes and understand what they did not understand before.
15. But what will Christ have introduced in this sermon to the disciples from Moses? Without doubt the first promise
of the grace which God gave to Adam and Eve after the fall, when he speaks to the serpent, Gen. 3:15: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." These words the Jew, Turk and Gentile reads, but does not see or understand what is inside. But when the revelation of the Holy Spirit comes, they understand what is said.
16 In the Scriptures, the seed of man is called a child or fruit in the Hebrew way. The seed of the woman is called the natural fruit of the woman, or a child born of the woman. Serpent here means the devil, who through sin wrought death and eternal wrath of God in Adam and Eve. The head of the serpent is the devil's power, authority and kingdom, as, sin, death, hell, God's wrath and eternal damnation. So now this text says: A child born of a woman will take away the devil's power and authority, so that he will no longer be a mighty lord of sin and death, nor will he be able to keep man under sin, death, God's wrath and damnation. This is what the child born of a woman shall and will accomplish; he shall and will crush and destroy the devil's head, that is, his kingdom of sin, death and hell. But the serpent, the devil, will prick the child in the heel, that is, torture and kill, bodily.
(17) From this saying follows the whole New Testament of Christ. For first of all, it indicates that this seed must be a true, natural man. For if he were not a true, natural man, he could not be a woman's seed, that is, a natural woman's fruit and child.
18) Secondly, this seed and serpent treading must be a holy, righteous man, conceived and born without all sin. For Moses names no man, but gives this seed or child to the woman alone. He saith not, The man's seed shall bruise the serpent's head: but saith, The woman's seed shall bruise the serpent's head. Now all the seed of man or children are otherwise ascribed to men in the Scriptures.
Therefore, because this seed and serpent is given to the woman alone, it must come from the woman alone, that is, be born of the virgin, without man's help and work. Otherwise, he could not be the seed of the woman, but Moses would have to call him the seed of the man, according to the custom of the Scriptures.
(19) Everything that is born of man and woman is sinful, under God's wrath and curse, condemned to death. For it is conceived and born in sins; as Scripture testifies, Ps. 51:7: "Behold, I am begotten of sinful seed, and my mother conceived me in sins." This flesh and blood is so thoroughly poisoned and corrupted with evil desire and disobedience against God that nothing pure nor holy can come or be born from it. Therefore no man can come from man and woman without sin, but all men born of father and mother are children of wrath by nature, as St. Paul Eph. 2:3 testifies. No one can work his way out of it. Therefore, for the conception and birth of the promised seed, which was to be the head of the serpent, our Lord God took only a woman, who becomes the mother of this child without a man, through the Holy Spirit, who works such conception and birth in her: That this seed, though it were a natural man, of our flesh and blood, yet should not be conceived and born in sins, as other Adam's children; but should be without all sin, to whom the devil had no right nor power, and could bruise the serpent's head.
20 Thirdly, this indicates that this seed must be the true, eternal God. For if he is to crush the serpent's head, that is, to be a lord over sin and death, to throw the devil under himself, to snatch us out of his power, to restore righteousness and life, then a divine, omnipotent power must be involved. For it is not a human power and strength, even if he were completely pure and holy in body and soul (as Adam was first created), to crush the serpent's head, to overcome sin, death and hell, and to be saved from the devil's power.
make. There must be a greater power and strength than human, yes, greater than angelic power. Therefore it follows that this seed must not only be the son of a woman, whom no man has touched, but also the eternal son of God. Who could have found that in this saying? No one. But because the revelation of the Holy Spirit and the light of the New Testament are added, Moses gives this fine.
(21) It also follows from this that if this seed is born of a woman, it is also mortal and, like the others, must also die in the flesh. And because he promised Adam and his descendants that a man would be born for their sake, and was sent by God to save them from their fall, he had to take our place and let himself be tortured and killed for us. But because he was to tread under the devil and overcome him, he did not have to remain in death, but rose from death and lived forever, and through his resurrection and life began to reign mightily, so that he might finally bring his own who believe in him out of and over sin, death and the devil to eternal righteousness and life.
(22) All these things our Lord Christ undoubtedly expounded to these two disciples out of a rich spirit, from this principal saying in Moses, as from the first promise made by Him, from which also flowed the others that followed, and from it powerfully proved His suffering and resurrection from the dead. These seem to be hard and dark words, which human reason, when it comes across them and hears them, mocks and laughs at. But when simple hearts come over it, to whom the Holy Spirit reveals it through his preaching, so that they believe in it from the heart, they give such strength and fire that they cling to it firmly, stay with it, and allow themselves to be tortured and choked over it.
23) And from such preaching and revelation the dear apostles Peter, Paul and the others studied and learned in such a way that they made whole sermons, even a whole book and New Testament out of a single saying in Moses, which the whole world with all its reason, wisdom and art cannot understand. Thus speaks St. Peter,
1 Pet. 1, 10. 11.: "That the prophets, which prophesied of the grace to come, sought and searched after salvation, and searched what time and what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them pointed unto." Where is it written in Genesis about the Spirit of Christ? Or who told St. Peter that Christ was before all the prophets, together with the Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit of Christ prophesied of Christ in the prophets and through the prophets? Are these the words of a fisherman of Bethsaida, or of a highly knowledgeable scribe, or of a wise pagan? No, but they are words of revelation, by which the Holy Spirit, who prophesied of Christ before in the prophets, has stirred and enlightened Petro's heart, so that he understands the prophecies of the prophets, and can interpret and interpret them to others. Likewise, when he speaks, 1 Pet. 3, 21. 22.: "Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has ascended to the right hand of God in heaven, and angels and mighty men and powers are subject to him." Where did he get that from? Admittedly, he has it not from his own reason, but from the holy Scriptures of the Old Testament; but not without revelation of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he concludes thus: If Christ has risen from the dead and has ascended to the right hand of God in heaven, he is certainly Lord over all angels. Every angel is so mighty that all the kings of the earth with all their power are but sticks compared to him. But Jesus Christ, the seed or fruit of the woman, is Lord over all angels, not only over the evil and damned, but also over the good and blessed. This is what St. Peter says in Revelation.
24. but if Jesus Christ, the natural child of the woman, has ascended to the right hand of God in heaven, and has become Lord over all angels, then he must be like God, even God himself. For our Lord God sets no one beside Himself who is a creature and not like God; as it is written Isa. 42:8: "I the Lord, that is My name; and I will not give My glory to another, nor My honor to idols"; and Ps. 71:19: "God, who is like unto Thee?" and Ps. 86:8: "Lord, there is none like Thee.
1er to the gods." Since Jesus Christ, the Son of Mary, sits next to God, he must be like God and be God himself. So I wanted to take Moses, the Psalter, Isaiah, and the Holy Spirit, which the apostles had, and make as good a New Testament as the apostles made. But because we do not have the Holy Spirit so richly, we must drink from their fountains.
(25) Therefore this was a beautiful and glorious sermon which our Lord Christ preached to the disciples, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, and expounding to them all the scriptures which were spoken by him: by which their hearts were rightly kindled and inflamed. For it will have been very merry and sweet to hear that he thus opened the Scriptures, which before were dark and shut unto them. As, the first promise of the woman's seed is dark and gloomy to human reason, and the words remain vain hard pebbles and sharp thorns, from which nothing can press it, but continues to be confused and angry in it. But when the revelation comes, the mind follows, as said, that the natural child of the woman or the virgins is true God and man, who overcame the devil in his own body, took away sin and death, and brought back righteousness and eternal life.
But such preaching is only for the foolish and simple. The wise and prudent do not belong to them, nor can they stand them; as is seen in the Pharisees and scribes, who most venomously pervert all the words of the Lord Christ, who also speaks as he pleases. If he performs miracles and signs, they say that he does it through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils, and that he is a sorcerer. This is why this sermon is given to the foolish women and jackdaws who have bought specie, go to anoint the Lord, and do not think that the tomb is sealed and guarded; and to the poor fishermen who do not want to be wise, like the Pharisees of the Jews or the philosophers of the Gentiles, but take their reason captive to the obedience of Christ, and say: This is what God has said, therefore I believe it.
Even though it seems foolish to reason, it pleases me and sets my heart on fire; therefore, I stay with it and leave life and limb above it.
(27) Let every man therefore see to it that he be a simple student of the Scriptures; for wise men do not enter therein, the Scriptures remain closed to them. St. Augustine complains that he first went into the Scriptures with free reason and studied them for nine whole years, wanting to understand the Scriptures with his reason; but the more he studied them, the less he understood them, until at last he learned to his detriment that one must put out the eyes of reason and say: What the Scriptures say, I leave unexamined with my reason, but believe them with a simple heart. If one does this, the Scripture becomes bright and clear, which was dark before. So also St. Gregory says (that I wonder how the man came to the good saying): Scriptura sancta est fluvius, in quo agnus pe- ditat, et elephas natat: The holy scripture is a water, in which an elephant swims and drowns, but a lamb goes through, as through a shallow brook. In sum, it does not do to read the Scriptures with reason. But when the revelation comes, as it happens here to the disciples, it does.
(28) Moses is the first, as I said, in whom the Lord begins to open the Scriptures to the disciples. He not only took the first promise of the woman's seed from Moses and interpreted it, but also undoubtedly took other main sayings with him. As when God promised Abraham with an oath and said, Gen. 12, 3. and 22, 18.: "Through your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed"; item, the saying Gen. 49, 10. 11. 12.: "The scepter of Judah shall not be taken away, nor a master from his feet, until the Shiloh" (that is, hero) "come. And to him the nations will cling. He will bind his fill to the vine, and his ass's son to the noble branches. He shall wash his robe in wine, and his mantle in the blood of the vine. His eyes shall be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk." The words
are dark and closed, especially that which is written about the washing of the cloak, red eyes and white teeth. But when a preacher and interpreter comes upon them, as Christ did here, they become light and manifest.
29 He will have taken from the prophets the saying 2 Sam. 7:12, 13, 14, where Christ promised David: "When thy days are fulfilled, when thou shalt lie down with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall come out of thy womb, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will confirm the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son"; and Ps. 132:11: "The Lord hath sworn a true oath unto David; from it he will not turn: I will set on thy throne the fruit of thy womb."
(30) These and other sayings our dear Lord Christ expounded to the disciples from Moses and the prophets, so that the Scriptures, which before were to them rock and darkness, became light and fire to their hearts. This shows that the understanding of the holy Scriptures includes the revelation that the Holy Spirit, as the right interpreter, transfigures the word by heart through oral preaching, and inwardly through illumination in the heart. To the Jews, the word preached by Christ was stone; but to the disciples and others who heard and received it with earnestness and simplicity of heart, it was light and fire, by which their hearts were awakened, kindled, comforted, and rejoiced.
(31) We should gladly learn, hear and act upon the Holy Scriptures and God's Word. For the Holy Spirit, who is powerful through the Word, gives understanding to this; as we see here in these disciples: they speak on the way from
of the Scriptures, and would gladly enter in, but cannot. Then the Lord joins them and gives them a glorious sermon, taking sayings from Moses, the prophets and the Psalter, and transfiguring them so that they understand the Scriptures. So shall it be with us, if we treat the Scriptures earnestly, that we shall find joy and gladness in our hearts, and know Christ aright, how he bare our sins, how we shall live with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for ever: only that we also remain simple disciples and fools, as these disciples and women were.
For in this book, which is called the Holy Scriptures, there is no wise master or brawler. God has given other arts, grammaticam, dialecticam, rhetoricam, philosophiam, jurisprudence, medicine; there be wise, quarrel, inquire and ask what is right and wrong. But here in the Holy Scriptures and God's Word, let the quarreling and questioning cease, and say: God has spoken this, therefore I believe it. Here it is not a matter of disputing and questioning, how or what? but it is said: Be baptized, and believe in the Seed of the woman, JEsum Christum, true God and man, so that you may have forgiveness of sins and eternal life through His death and resurrection. Ask not, Why and how can this be? If thou dost, thy heart shall burn, and thou shalt have pleasure and joy. But if thou wilt quarrel and ask, How can these things be? then thou art already from the truth and right understanding of the Scriptures. These disciples do not quarrel and question, but bind themselves to the word of the Lord Christ, and hear what he says. Then the word also comes to them with all power, and their hearts are so enlightened that they have no doubt about it; they are merry, hot-tempered, and joyful, as if they had passed through a fire.