Lucas writes about the signs in the 21st chapter [v. 25. ff]. The sun is Christ, the moon is the church, the stars are the Christians, the powers of the heavens are the prelates or planets in the church. Now, the bodily signs certainly signify how things have long since gone and are going in Christendom, for they follow after the merit of sins, foreboding and showing the punishment upon the same. That the sun loses its light is no doubt, it means that Christ does not shine in Christianity, that is, the gospel is not preached, and the faith goes out, that there is no more worship. This happens and has happened through the teachings and works of men, and the pope sits in Christ's place in the church, and shines like a mud in a lantern. He with his bishops, priests, monks, they are the ones who have darkened the sun for us, and instead of the right worship they have erected an idolatrous worship, with plates, robes, garments, whistles, ringing, ringing, singing 2c. O darkness! O darkness! From this it must follow that the moon also gives no light, that is, since faith is extinguished, love must also be extinguished, so that no more Christian works would be seen, no example would be found, since one would serve the other; but the people would only be led to idolatry and pottery, to establish masses, vigils, altars, chapels, chalices, bells, and the jiggery-pokery. O darkness again!
I interpret the fall of the stars as when a person is baptized and becomes a Christian, and then becomes a priest or monk.
Believe me whoever will; whoever will not, let him be; I know what I say. I do not say that they will all be lost; God may well preserve in the fire whom he wills. But I say that whoever becomes a priest or a monk in the name of accepting a blessed state, steps from Christian faith into unbelief. For the fall of the stars does not mean the grosser cases, such as murder, unchastity, theft, but the fall from faith. The priests and the monks (where God is not particularly surprised) are certainly apostate and disbelieving Christians because of their status, so that there is no worse people on earth. The Turks are also unbelievers, but in two respects they are better than these. First, that they have never been Christians or stars, neither do they step away from the faith. Secondly, they do not sin against the sacraments. But these people make of the mass a sacrifice and a good work, and do it daily and innumerably, which is the most abominable perversion that is shone on by the sun. In short, whoever wants to become pious and blessed by works and spiritual status, steps away from faith and falls from heaven; for Christ's blood alone must make us pious and blessed. Therefore, when you see a star fall, know that it is called becoming a priest, a monk, or a nun.
(3) That the people faint because of the throng is the torment of the saints of the Pabst and of the stars that have perished. For they do great things, and yet their conscience is never at peace, as all Scripture calls their nature toil and labor.
4. the roar of the winds and rustle
of the waters are the worldly estate, supreme and inferior. There is no ruler, no country at one with the other, no loyalty, no trust among each other, each directed to his own; so that there is also no punishment, no discipline, no fear on earth, and all the world goes free in eating, drinking, unchastity, and in all vices, so that it roars and roars.
The powers of the heavens are our planets, our spiritual squires and tyrants, pope, bishops and their companions, the high schools, who are so deeply seated in the worldly regiment, good, honor and pleasure 1) with all certainty that they meant they were not planets, that is, errones. For planeta, in Greek, means an errant who walks no right way, but only behind him, that is, to both sides, as planets in heaven also do. The Germans interpreted this with a proverb, and say: The learned, the wrong; that is, the spiritual regiment is vain planets. But when the gospel breaks open and shows them their virtue, and colors them with their own color, that they are unlearned idols and seducers of souls, they want to become angry, move, and make them angry.
1) In Walch's old edition: ingesessen.
But it will and will not help; the day is dawning, and it will not be thrown under a bushel as if it were a wax light.
The likeness of the fig tree looks to me as if it were the holy scripture, which until now has lain under the bench; it strikes out, has gained leaves, that is, its word breaks out. For in twelve hundred years it has not been so far away, nor have the languages been so well known. But there is no doubt in my mind that the Scripture is a fig tree, as this is easy to prove. For these are the fig leaves, since Adam and Eve covered themselves with. For the scripture always needs the old Adam to adorn himself with it. So the book must come out, the leaves must green, and does not help that the planets move much around it. But the summer is not far away. If God wanted the fruits to follow the leaves, too; 2) I worry that it will only stay with the leaves. For we talk a lot about the right faith, but do nothing. That is enough of the interpretation.
2) Walch: according to.
C. Luther's Sermon on the Text Luc. 2, 35. *)
1537. (?)
Luc. 2, 35. so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
1 Audistis, quomodo Simeon benedixit Mariae, et pertransit gladius. Causam addit: Ut revelentur hominum cogitationes ex cordibus. If one is to see what is good or evil, right or wrong, then we must have a split foot, and separate God's teaching from human teaching. This cannot be done, for if one preaches of Christ Jesus that he is our salvation, But here Simeon says: "Now it cannot be understood that the child should be so great. No one sees it for this
There is a small group, Simeon, Anna, and perhaps Elizabeth. This Anna confirms, it shall thus happen to Mary, that a sword 2c. shall be given to her. Mary shall have great sorrow, that one may see what the people have in their hearts. This is a strange child, which shall give so much light, that one shall recognize all people's thoughts. When Christ suffers and the mother suffers, one learns what people have in their hearts. Christ was born for our benefit, say the enthusiasts; he died for original sin, but for actual sin, real sin, he does not do enough, but we must do enough for it. This is
*This sermon belongs to the twenty-one sermons from the library of St. Andrew's Church in Eisleben mentioned in Col. 842 of this volume. It is found in the Hall volume, p. 401; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 609; in the Erlanger, I. Aufl., vol. 18, p. 74; 2nd Ausl., vol. 19, p. 368. We give the text according to Walch's old edition, comparing the Erlanger.
It is foolishness to give Christ one thing and take another. Paul says [Min. 5, 10] that he died for us enemies; how should he now leave us if we are friends? God forbid that we should believe that Christ now leaves us in his hands; he never leaves his own. We are still sinners, that is why he gives us credit.
Therefore, let each one see that he does not lose the child, otherwise there will be no salvation. This child birth is a divine birth, therefore it must break out and become announceable. The angels announce, Simeon says it, Anna confirms it. When Jesus began to preach that he was gaining followers, the sword went through the virgin heart. Then the Pharisees, the great multitude of holy men, come and open their poisonous hearts, that they reproach Christ's doctrine and work of heresy; and it is seen that they are blasphemers and murderers, and worse than all murderers and adulterers. So the child opens that one sees how pious people of God become evil-doers, and execute their bloody thoughts, that they are murderers; since they crucify Christ, one recognizes what the holy people are, as in Stephani's stoning one saw. Before, no one would have believed that they were so evil.
Who wanted to tell us that the pope and bishops were soul murderers? The child revealed it. Before, we thought it 1) was all wholesome doctrine and pious people. But now, if we believe the prophetic word (as Peter says [2. Epist. 1, 19.]), it is a light in us that enlightens us, so that we know for sure that there is no forgiveness of sin except Christ's blood. We had masses read, crawled into the cloisters, went into the dens, founded churches, and all went like blind dogs, all were deceived. But when the light rises that Christ has died for us, is our salvation, the holy monks and bishops get excited with murdering, burning, persecuting 2c. that no one would have believed. What is the fault? It is their fault that they do not love the light, but their poison. They are the conturbant Israel, as Elijah says to
1) wes -we them.
Ahab [1 Kings 18:18]. Who can be kind to those who desecrate and hasten our Christ? We would tolerate their evil life and pray for them, but because they preach poison and are murderers of Christ, we cannot keep silent. We must confess how we have received much good from him. As for the doctrine, there is no silence, but only barking, as dogs bare their teeth and bark at them. So the wicked shall be killed spiritu labiorum, i. e. verbo Dei. We can do nothing further.
(4) If every man also take hold of his bosom, the prophecy will come true. We used to rely a lot on letters of indulgence, as if we were to be free from pain and guilt. St. Barbara should give me the sacrament, the saints have been our surgeons and apothecaries for the bullet, for a bad thigh. This child is born in us, then I cling to the child like the polypus, and put his nature to me, and now fall from our previous thoughts of calling the saints, mass trust 2c. and believe that Christ is our mercy seat; but how we place ourselves, that is also well seen. Nothing is forgotten so soon as benevolence. God created us with a rational soul, gives us Christ with His gifts as our own, redeems us from so many pieces of idolatry, and when God once comes and punishes us with a little poverty, illness 2c., then all good deeds are already forgotten. Fie on us for our shameful ingratitude! For God will also reject us one day; if we do not take hold of the staff and complain to Him about our weakness from the bottom of our hearts, we are already finished. Who then could be comforted if Christ were thus blasphemed with his word, so that we would know that it must be so, it is prophesied! This is the benefit we get from knowing people's hearts and our thoughts, which we held sacred before in Foundations, Mass 2c. Now we reject it as poison, and cling to Christ. Whoever cannot tolerate it, let him remember that Simeon's prophecy is still true. This is the repentance preached, that we recognize ourselves for it, frail as we are, as we still lack the child, and ask him for help and comfort.