So that we may give thanks to our Lord God and earn our bread, let us read and hear today's holy gospel.
For God Himself says that it pleases Him when one preaches and hears about Him. Thus writes St. Lucas
Luc. 14:16-24.
And he said unto him, There was a man that made a great supper, and invited many. And sent forth his servant at the hour of supper, to say unto them that were bidden: Come, for everything is ready. And they all began to excuse themselves one by one. The first said unto him, I have bought a field, and must go out and see it: I pray thee, excuse me. And the other said: I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to see them; I pray thee, excuse me. And the third said: I have taken a wife; therefore I cannot come. And the servant came and told his master again. And the master of the house was wroth, and said unto his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, and the crippled, and the lame, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, that is done which thou hast commanded; but there is yet room. And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and by the fences, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. But I tell you that none of the men who are invited will taste my supper.
This gospel is too rich and has too much in it at once for the young people; therefore we cannot do all the pieces in one hour. But yet you hear that Chri-
*) Held in the house, 1534.
stus here models for the simple a likeness of a householder who invites many to his supper, and those invited do not want to come. Each one who is invited takes something else that is dear to him, so that the householder finally has to send for the
country roads and force strangers to come in. They do not come willingly, but the father of the house must take a rod. Finally, the father of the house passes a terrible judgment on those invited who do not want to come to the supper, and says: "Well then, those who are invited do not want to come to my supper, which I have prepared so deliciously and everything has been prepared; so they shall never taste it. The sentence is terrible, for it is said this much: Let them go, I will prove to them again something that will not be dear nor useful to them: they shall not taste my supper. They have separated themselves, and despise my supper, to which I have invited them: they shall not be worthy of it, neither shall they ever come to it.
(2) The common man can understand this similitude, and the Lord himself interprets it. For when the one guest who sits at the table in the house of the chief of the Pharisees (where the Lord heals the dropsy) says, "Blessed is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God," the Lord Christ answers by this parable of the Lord's Supper, and draws out how the kingdom of God is to be understood.
3 For the two kingdoms are far separated, the earth kingdom and the heaven kingdom. In this earthly and temporal kingdom, one must set the table, eat, drink, and sleep, so that one may feed the belly and sustain the body; and there one comes willingly and gladly to the Lord's Supper, even uninvited and uninvited, especially if the host is rich, mild, and free of charge, and serves enough and feeds for free. But in the kingdom of heaven there is another supper and other food: there is a householder and host called Heavenly Father, Creator and Lord of heaven and earth. He has prepared a supper, which is a great supper, and there is other eating and drinking than in the fleshly kingdom, and many are asked and invited, and yet those invited despise such a great supper. The other guests are forced to attend, and so the house and the table of this father of the house are filled.
4 The Lord Christ points to this likeness of the Lord's Supper, first of all praising the great, abundant goodness and the greatness of the Lord.
Grace of the heavenly Father, who has prepared such a great and delicious supper, and calls us poor beggars and people on earth to eat and drink with him over his table in the kingdom of heaven. After that, he shows and punishes the great, horrible stubbornness of those invited, that they despise such a rich and delicious meal, from which they could be full forever, and cling to the earth so firmly that they leave God his kingdom of heaven above it.
Spiritually, our dear Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the Lord's Supper. The heavenly Father is the rich man and the father of the house; he prepared a supper, made his dear Son Jesus Christ man, born of a virgin, and made him suffer, choke, mangle, and prepare, as one prepares food, and as one chokes a chicken in the kitchen, puts it on a spit, and roasts it: So the heavenly Father caused his dear Son, as the true paschal lamb to be sacrificed for the sin of the world, to be choked, crucified and roasted in hot love.
6. but just as a chicken or other roast meat is not put on a spit and roasted, so that it remains on the spit forever; but when it is roasted, it is taken off the spit and put on the table to be eaten, and to be fed and satisfied, to grow and increase: so also Christ, who suffered and was roasted on the cross, was then taken off the spit, taken down from the cross, laid in the grass, risen from the dead etc. And all this was done so that the food, Christ, might be presented to the whole world. For it is to be proper food for the whole world, both Jews and Gentiles.
7 This food, prepared, mangled, chopped, and roasted on the cross, is served and presented to the whole world. Where there is a Christian assembly, there is the table. The preaching of the Gospel is the dish. The commissioners are the preachers. Christ is the food. It is put on the table and presented by the mouth of the preacher; for in the preaching of the Gospel this food is put on and presented; for the food is in the Word alone, and is served to the whole world.
heard with the ears of young and old, learned and unlearned, rich and poor etc. One gets as much as another, in the whole world, if he only believes; for it is one food, which fills and satisfies all, yea, the whole world could be filled with the food. All believers eat of the Christ, and each one gets him whole, and still remains the Christ whole. This does not happen in bodily food, chicken or capon.
(8) But this food is presented in this way: the gospel is preached, how Christ suffered, was crucified, and died for our sins. And to this end all men in the whole world are invited, that they may come and not remain outside, eating of this food, gladly hearing the gospel of Christ, and believing as Christ is presented in the gospel. For to the offering and presenting belong three things: first, the dish, which is the word of the gospel; second, the minister, which is the preacher's mouth; and third, to believe it from the heart. When these three things come together, man's heart and soul begin to eat, saying, "Here is a deliciously roasted chicken and capon; here is the preaching of Christ; I see and hear the food, the roasted Christ; I am to eat of it; I am thus to believe it, as it is preached and taught in the Gospel. Whoever believes this from the heart eats of this Christ.
Now it's up to the taste. What does this dish give? How does it taste? A properly roasted chicken gives a sweet taste, brings body and soul together, as they say, satisfies and strengthens the body. So also here: if I believe the gospel, I eat of Christ, and my soul feeds and is strengthened, tastes of forgiveness of sins, eternal life and blessedness. When we are in death, sins, pestilence, troublesome times, dangers, terrors, fears, and all kinds of miseries, this is our hunger and thirst; then we need this food. And it is precisely those who are in such distress that this food tastes good to. When such frightened and anxious hearts and consciences hear in the gospel that Christ
He suffered, was crucified, and died for their sins, and was prepared, offered, and presented as food for all hungry and thirsty souls, that is, for all frightened and anxious hearts, and believe this without any doubt: their feeble hearts, afflicted consciences, and troubled souls will be strengthened, comforted, and refreshed.
(10) Through such faith one must take hold of forgiveness of sins, righteousness, eternal life and blessedness in Christ. For Christ alone can quench this hunger and thirst of the soul, chase away and drive out the devil and death, so that they can no longer harm. Therefore, if you eat this food and believe in Christ, who is presented to you through the gospel, you cannot be afraid, but have a free and joyful heart and can say: Christ lives, he is my food, I believe in him. Therefore, if Christ lives, let sin, death and the devil throb. Christ roasted on the cross and died for me, he is my capon, he is presented and set before me in the gospel, I eat of him, believe in him. If he is in me and I am in him, how can I be afraid of sin, death and the devil? That is right to present, eat and taste this food. And whoever eats this food in faith will live forever.
(11) This food therefore redeems from death. Whoever tastes this food and believes in Christ, it is promised to him and he shall have it, that he shall not die, but through faith in Christ be a child of eternal life, as he who has overcome death in Christ. Although death still lives in his body and he must die, yet it shall not hurt him; but when he is buried and eaten by worms, he shall rise again from the dead, and the body shall come forth again at the last day; for his food, Christ, to whom he is implanted through faith, lives; "he is raised from the dead, and dies not henceforth; death shall not have dominion over him" (Rom. 6:9), and shall make all things alive.
12. of this food Christ says to the Jews, Joh. 6, 53-56.: "Truly, truly-.
I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is meat, and my blood is drink. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him." This is saying that whoever believes with all his heart that I have given my flesh for him and shed my blood for him, he shall be safe from death. Though death devours him, yet shall he come forth again. As I live, so shall he live; though he die in time, yet because he believeth on me, I am in him, and he in me, and shall have power that he should not die. Death shall not have dominion over him. I will be his eternal food, and will give him eternal life. For in me there is no death, but life itself.
013 So also, in Christ there is perfect righteousness, and no sin: sin is not in him. Whosoever therefore hath Christ, and eateth of this meat, being all righteousness and no sin, is righteous also by this meat. Sin shall not accuse him, nor provoke the wrath of God against him; for Christ is his food: because he believes in him, sin must be gone. Even though he still feels sin, he should nevertheless confidently look up to Christ at the right hand of the heavenly Father, and firmly grasp the word of the Gospel, in which Christ is presented. If he does this, let sin be evil afterward: it shall not avail at all; for Christ our food is greater than our sin. Therefore also our righteousness is not called ours (though it becomes ours through faith), but Christ's righteousness.
14 So also, in Christ there is joy, yea, everlasting joy: he mourneth no more, neither travaileth any more, neither sweateth drops of blood, as he did in the garden; but in him is joy and gladness. And the same Christ, in whom is all comfort and joy, has become our food, presented in the Word and eaten through faith. Therefore, when we on earth are forsaken, downcast, and distressed, and something is troubling us, we are to go to
We should run to Christ for this food, and there we should be refreshed, uplifted and strengthened. If Christ, our food, has joy, gladness, life, we shall have it too. Now when sorrow, gloom, and temptation come, and what may come, I shall lift up my heart cheerfully, and say, I look upon Christ, in whom is neither sorrow nor gloom: for my faith doth bear me witness, that he suffered for me, was crucified for me, and for my salvation died, went to hell, and rose again from the dead etc. Even though I do not yet feel these things, but unhappiness and sadness are stirring in me, such unhappiness and sadness should not win me over. For in Christ there is eternal comfort, joy, peace and happiness. The same is presented and given to me in the Word; in faith I have grasped it, and there I rely. And even if everything in this world turns around and death and worms devour me, I will rise again and live, just as Christ rose and lives.
(15) That is, a great supper, which the heavenly Father and eternal host has prepared and gives, not to one, two, or three people on earth alone, but to the whole world. And if two or more were still in the world, they could all be fed and satisfied, that is, redeemed from sins, death and the devil, and be saved, if they would only believe the gospel and eat of this food. Such a great supper it is. Bread and meat, a roasted chicken or capon lasts for a day, until evening. Perishable food does not last longer than the grave. This is a small, small supper. But this is a great, eternal, true and everlasting supper, which nourishes, strengthens, gives comfort, joy, life and blessedness. Therefore it is called a great supper, because it is infinite and incomprehensible, and gives eternal righteousness, joy and life, as surely as Christ himself has these goods. Only that we come to this supper, accept this food, and eat and drink at this table in the kingdom of God. And so we feed and eat the bread in the kingdom of God. This is a different food than that which is eaten in the earth, in this world.
16 So we are taught and admonished by our
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, in this likeness of the Lord's Supper, that we should exercise faith well, and grasp it rightly, that it is and will be our food, righteousness, comfort, joy and life, so that we may not soon be terrified by sin, death and the devil, for he can easily take all these away. And this is our only true comfort. For we all have sin and death before us, and cannot escape. There is therefore no other counsel, but that we come to this great and delicious supper, and let our dear Lord Jesus Christ be presented to us in the gospel, and eat of him; that our hearts may be comforted and strengthened by faith in him, and that we may be able to say, when sorrow or terror cometh: Ha, Christ is undaunted; comes sickness, that we may say, Christ shall not die therefore; comes sin, that we may say, Christ shall not become a mischief and a sinner in heaven. If I am evil, it is without harm to our Lord Christ; if I am sad, Christ is joyful; if I am hungry, poor, sorrowful, Christ is full, rich, and full of comfort. Therefore, because he is righteous, holy, and alive, I also am righteous, holy, and alive. Because neither hunger, nor poverty, nor affliction harms him, neither shall it harm me: for he is mine, and I am his. And this is enough of the first part of this gospel.
The other part of this gospel is that our dear Lord Jesus Christ complains about the great hardening of the world, that people do not like this food and seek other food, despise this rich, great, delicious supper, do not like the preaching of the dear gospel, in which Christ is put on and presented; and this is what the great saints do, who cannot accept the gospel of Christ nor come to this supper before their buying fields and oxen, taking wives etc.
Now it is not evil nor forbidden by God to have temporal goods, to buy fields and oxen, to take a wife. For one must have a wife and child if God provides them; and they must eat and drink, for which one must have cows, oxen, fields, meadows etc. Therefore, this is not the pity that
they have field, ox, wife and child (for they would have all these things, if only they did not despise this supper); but this is the complaint, that they will not come to the supper, and so cling to the field, ox, wife, that they despise and miss this supper over it.
19 And this is that Christ gives this journeyman, who wanted to be clever and speak highly of the matter, a beating, so that he has to pull in his pipe and shut up. For when he says, "Blessed is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God," Christ answers him with this similitude, as if to say, "Yes, it is good, you speak rightly and well; all the world would be blessed and would eat bread in the kingdom of God. The supper is prepared, and the bread and the food in the kingdom of God is served and presented; if only they did not despise it. Yes, you and your kind, you Jews, would be blessed before others, if you would only do it. For you are invited to the supper of the kingdom of God; if only you would come to it. The food is on the table, John the Baptist points with his fingers and says, "Behold, this is God's Lamb, who bears the sin of the world." But where do we take guests who come to eat and drink? Those who are invited and asked to this supper, they do not eat; those to whom Christ is promised and promised, they do not want to accept him.
20 Therefore these two shall be well distinguished: To have fields, oxen, wives, and to come to the supper of the kingdom of God, and let each go in its own order. Buying fields and oxen, taking wives, is permitted to everyone. God does not ask anything about it, yes, he wants everyone to have his wife to avoid fornication, 1 Cor. 7, 2. But this is what Christ is complaining about here, that people do not want to come to his kingdom for the sake of fields, oxen and wives, and do not ask anything about his great, glorious supper. In the Lord's Prayer we pray first: Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done; then we pray: Give us this day our daily bread. This is right and well asked. For Christ Himself has made this prayer, and has also commanded it,
to pray in this way. But if one were to reverse the Lord's Prayer and seek and ask for daily bread first, regardless of where the first thing, namely, God's name, kingdom and will, would remain, this would be wrong and wrongly asked. So also we should first hear and learn the gospel, and then feed the belly. But to forsake the gospel for the sake of the belly is forbidden and criminal.
(21) Now the Jews did so, remaining with their fields, oxen, and wives, and forsaking Christ and his gospel. Our clergy under the papacy do the same today: they do not want to eat the roasted Christ, but instead run into a monastery, vow poverty, chastity, and obedience, and thereby think they will go to heaven. But where is Christ? These leave the great, eternal food, and cook themselves food, toads, snakes and other vermin; as jackdaws are wont to bring food to their young. And what do our people, who call themselves evangelicals, do, to say nothing of the Pabst and his? Peasants, burghers, and nobles cling so tightly to the temporal and transient that they forget about the Lord Christ and his Gospel. Now they would have enough of Christ; they could well stay with wife and child, but they do not want to come to Christ. So they should say, "We will eat and drink in time, but in the meantime we will not despise or neglect the great supper, and let Christ be our true food. If they did that, they would be blessed. But they do not.
(22) Therefore, let us be careful not to be deceived by the world's goods, pleasures, and honors.
All the world hears the gospel now; but when they have heard it, everyone seeks his courage more than before. This is the complaint here, that no one asks about the gospel; but everyone remains with his bugs, caterpillars, vermin. But whoever wants to be a Christian, let him beware that he does not let this meal pass by.
(23) The father of the house pronounces a terrible judgment on those who are invited but will not come, saying, "I tell you that none of the men who are invited will taste my supper. This is what is said: They shall burn forever in the fires of hell, they shall not be comforted nor strengthened. For there is no comfort, joy, life, blessedness, righteousness, without Christ alone. If one has lost Christ, sin, death, the devil, hell, misery and woe must remain. Therefore the Lord warns us, saying, "Take heed to yourselves. Those who despise my word and gospel shall never taste my righteousness, life, salvation, peace and joy, but shall abide in sins, death, hell, strife and sorrow forever.
24 But the world despises all these things, and will not listen to them. But we are to be warned, for we are told not to become crude, but to believe in Jesus Christ, who is presented to us in the gospel. He who has the right faith in Christ has eternal life; even though he still feels sin, death and sorrow, he still has righteousness, life, comfort and joy through Christ in heaven. To this end may the Father of the house help us, through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, praised forever and ever, amen.