5TH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

Lord God, heavenly Father! From among the lost and condemned human race, you have gathered about yourself an eternal Church composed of your elect saints and according to your amazing grace you have called and received us into this Church. Oh, therefore grant us also the grace not to let the glitter of the

false church blind us and entice us into its fellowship, but remain with your true Church, with the sheep who hear your voice, with those who love you and keep your Word, with your true disciples who continue in your Word and in your disgrace so that as children of your kingdom we will not be rejected but be gathered into the granary of heaven. To that end bless your Word also in this hour for the sake of Jesus Christ, your dear Son, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

The so-called Roman Catholic Church has so many and such well known errors that everyone who has studied the Catechism can easily recognize them, yes, one might even say, that a blind man can grasp them.

By praying to the Virgin Mary and other departed saints the Roman Church commits the plainest idolatry, whilst God's Word says, "Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Mt 4:10. "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I Will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Ps 50:15. "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man." Jer 17:5.

In the Roman Church the Holy Supper is shamefully mutilated and the communicants are robbed of the cup, whilst Christ clearly says, "Drink ye all of it." In the Roman Church the so-called Mass is offered every day, whilst God's Word says, that in the Old Testament priests often made the same sacrifice, but that in the New Testament Christ "by one offering hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." Heb 10:14.

In the Roman Church the priests, monks, and nuns are forbidden to marry, whilst in God's Word forbidding marriage is called a doctrine of devils; the Roman Church teaches that by his works, repentance, confession, and satisfaction man can and must merit justification and salvation, whilst God's Word says, "To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Rom 4:5.

In the Roman Church the priests and bishops with the Pope at the head rule over the people and over their faith, whilst God's Word in warning says to the servants Of the Church, "Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock," l Pet. 5:3. Even the apostles say of themselves, "Not for that we have dominion over your faith but are helpers of your joy." 2 Cor 1:24.

The Roman Church teaches that there is a purgatory in the world to come, in which believers must first be cleansed in order to be able to enter heaven, whilst God's Word says, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth." Rev 14:13. "Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise." Lk 23:43. Moreover, "It is appointed unto men once' to die, but after this the Judgment." Heb 9:27.

The Roman Church considers the reading of Holy Scripture a dangerous thing for the ordinary Christian, because the Bible is supposed to be dark and easily misunderstood, whilst in the Prophet Isaiah the whole Jewish nation is commanded, "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read." Is 34:16. Moreover, Peter cries to Christians, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light." 2 Pet 1:19. Again, Christ says, "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me." Jn 5:39.

However, when would I finish today, if I wanted to relate to you merely the grossest errors of the Roman Church?

How is it possible that in spite of its countless manifest errors and abominations the Roman Church has misled so many people?

The chief means for misleading people is its doctrine that it is the true church. It draws the following deceptive conclusion: Because it is the old, the first, the only true Church, it also cannot err, and because it cannot err, nothing which it teaches and which one could regard as error is error but must be the truth. If a person has let himself be deceived by the cry, The Roman Church is the true church, then he has fallen into a trap from which there is no way out. This deceived person is like one who can no longer see the wrong road he is on, because he has let his eyes be blinded.

How is the deception revealed? In this: One dare not consider something as the truth because the supposedly true church teaches it, but rather one can consider only that as the true Church which proves that it teaches the truth; truth does not become the truth because the church says it is the truth, but turned around, a fellowship is, the Church because it speaks the truth. An error is not truth because the supposedly true church teaches it, but a church is not the true church because it teaches error; a person cannot prove that he has not stolen because he is honest, but he must prove that he is honest because he has not stolen.

In brief, my friends, a church which teaches error cannot be Christ's true Church but must be a false one. Our today's Gospel also speaks of one such sign of the false church, when Christ forbids his true Church the pulling out of the weeds, that is, persecuting and killing heretics or false teachers.

The text. Matthew 13:24-30.

On the basis of our today's Gospel let me therefore present to you:

A CHURCH WHICH PERSECUTES AND KILLS HERETICS

CERTAINLY IS NOT CHRIST'S TRUE CHURCH

I. Because then it Acts Contrary to Christ's Express Word and Command,and

II. Because then it Acts Contrary to Christ's True Spirit and Mind,

I.

My friends, Christ in our Gospel compares his kingdom of heaven or his Church on earth to a person who sows good seed in his field; by this, according to his own explanation, he wants to indicate that all the children of the kingdom, that is, all true members of his Church are such through the good seed of God's Word and therefore carry it within them. But at the same time Christ also reveals that the devil tries, to sow his tares amongst the wheat; by this Christ, secondly, intends to show that by Satan's instigation children of wickedness also arise amongst the children of the kingdom; they arise because of the weed seeds of false doctrine and likewise carry that in their hearts;hence they are heretics and false teachers.

Now what should happen to these tares? In reply to the question of the servants, "Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?" v.28b, the lord says, "Nay; let both grow together until the harvest." v.30a. Christ does not say that the field in which one should let the weeds grow is his Church,but he expressly says in the explanation of his parable, "The field is the world," v,38, therefore not. the Church. So when Christ forbids the tearing out of the weeds of false teachers and heretics and says, "Let both grow together until the harvest he very clearly says in these words, that the weeds of false teachers and heretics should be removed from the Church but not from the"world;" they should not be killed.

This teaching that the Church should not use the temporal sword to kill, false teachers and heretics is found not only in our Gospel but in all Scripture, the Old as well as the New Testament. It is predicted of this very kingdom of Christ that he should rule in it as a "prince of peace," and in Isaiah 2 we expressly read that the members of his Church "shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks." Daniel prophecies even of the antichrist, "He shall be broken without hand." Dan 8:25.

If we turn to the New Testament, we find the same teaching. Christ solemnly says before Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence." Jn 19:36. Therefore, when Peter drew his sword when Christ was arrested and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, Christ reprimanded him and said, "Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." Mt 26:52. After the apostles had finally been fully enlightened by the Holy Ghost, they declared, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Cor. 10:4,5.

It is indeed true that in the Old as well as the New Testament Christ's Church is pictured as constantly fighting and struggling against its enemies, never able to live in rest and peace in the presence of her enemies; but the weapons which she uses are according to Scripture only God's Word, faith, love, patience, prayer, and tears. True, in the Old Testament a staff, yes, an iron scepter is ascribed to Christ with which he strikes his foes, but this is explained in Isaiah 11, "He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath, of his lips shall he slay the wicked." Is. 11:4b. But what are the rod of Christ's mouth and the breath of his lips? This simply is his Word.

Although in the New Testament a sword and shield, a helmet, a breastplate, and a girdle, in short, a complete system of weapons, is ascribed to Christians with which they carry on the conflict, yet these are*not a sword of iron but the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and not a shield of steel but the shield of faith with which they can extinguish all the fiery darts of the devil, a helmet of salvation, a breastplate, of righteousness, a girdle of truth.

Hence there is no doubt: When in our text Christ says that one should not root out the weeds of heretics and falseteachers from the field of the world, but expressly commands, "Let both grow together until the harvest." he forbids persecuting false teachers and heretics with physical weapons and punishing them with death.

A church which does this acts contrary to Christ's express Word, therefore cannot possibly be Christ's true Church but must be a false church, a church against Christ, or the church of the antichrist. Christ clearly says that only that is his true Church which is obedient to his Word. He says, "My sheep hear my voice." Jn 10:27. "If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Jn 14: 23. "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Jn 8:31,32. A church which will nevertheless kill heretics contrary to Christ's express words, "Let both grow together until the harvest." is therefore not the flock of Christ's sheep, which hear Christ's voice; it is not the divine dwelling place of those who love Christ and keep his Word, not the fellowship of true disciples of Christ who continue in his Word, hence not the true Church of the children of the kingdom but the false church, the satanic school of the children of wickedness.

II.

My friends, a church which persecutes and kills heretics certainly is not Christ's true Church not only because, it goes against Christ's express Word and command, but also because it acts contrary to Christ's true spirit and mind. And secondly, permit me to speak to you of this.

In our text Christ not only forbids killing heretics but he also indicates the reason when he adds, "Lest while ye gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them." V. 29.

Christ means to say: As he who wants to root up the tares which are in a wheat field amongst the wheat can do nothing else but root up the good wheat also, so he who kills heretics can do nothing else but also kill children of the Kingdom.

And that is true. First, it can very easily happen that those who consider themselves the true Church kill as heretics the very witnesses of the truth. Or has that not actually happened many times according to the writings of the Old and New Testament? Did not the Jews who considered themselves the true Church persecute all the prophets as heretics and kill most of them? Does not Christ, therefore, call the Jews of his time, "Ye are the children of them which killed the prophets." Mt 23:31. And did not also Stephen cry to the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted and slain?" Acts 7:52. And what did the Jews during the very times of Christ and the apostle do? Did they not nail Christ to the cross as a heretical Samaritan and a deceiver of the people simply because he preached the truth? Did they not stone Stephen as a blasphemer of Moses and their temple because he preached their Messiah to them? Did they not hurl the Apostle James from the pinnacle of the temple, stone, and club him to death as a heretic simply because he would not blaspheme Christ but confessed him? You see, they wanted to root up the tares and instead of that rooted up the good wheat.

This is not to be done, secondly, because many a one who is really a heretic can come to the knowledge of the truth later on and still become a blessed witness of the truth. Before his conversion Saul without a doubt was a heretic, for he murderously persecuted the truth and its confessors; what would have happened if Saul during this time would have been killed by the Christians? With the tares the best wheat would have been rooted up, for this same Saul was later converted and became a Paul, the greatest of the apostles, who filled the whole world with the Gospel and through whom hundreds of thousands were brought on the way to salvation.

Before his conversion even the church father Augustine was a member of the infamous sect of the Manichaeans and a fighter against the Christian Church; what would have happened if Augustine would have been killed as a heretic during this time? With the tares the most precious wheat would have been rooted up; for Augustine was later converted and became a light in the Church which shone forth brightly through all the centuries and still shines today through his wonderful writings.

Finally, we read that the Samaritans refused Christ lodging when he wanted to stay with them, because he was on the way to that, as they thought, heretical Jerusalem. Infuriated by this, John and James said, "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?" But what did Christ do? He rebuked them and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." Luke 9:55,56. What would have happened if Christ would have let the Samaritans be consumed by fire from heaven? With the tares, wheat would have been rooted up; for in Acts 8 we read that after Christ's ascension

many of these Samaritans were converted by the testimony of the Christians who fled there and by the preaching of Philipp, Peter, and John, and from them was gathered a wonderful Christian congregation.

My friends, this therefore is certain: To kill heretics is not only against Christ's express command and Word but also against Christ's true spirit and mind; for Christ's spirit and mind is not to destroy men's souls but to rescue and save them.

Therefore, a church which persecutes and kills heretics cannot possibly be Christ's true Church. Though such a church in horrible blindness may always think that it serves God, it by this mind reveals that Christ's spirit is far from it; for Christ expressly predicted to the apostles, "The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me." Jn 16:2,3.

My friends, now compare these things with the Roman Papal Church, which more than others wants to be the true, yes, the only saving church. Under the pretence of having to punish and root out heretics, it has through the ages shed whole rivers of the blood of Christians whenever it had the power. When in the 13th century the so-called Waldensians and Albigensians rose up against the papal errors and abomination, the popes, instituted not only the so-called court of inquisition which had to hunt them out, through the use of the most frightful torture had to extort confessions from them which oppressed them, and judge them; but by the threat of the ban they also compelled the princes who had to punish those allegedly sentenced by the church, arrest them, drive them out of house and home, confiscate their property, take all civil liberties from them, or even to kill them; yes, they forced the princes to equip a regular army against them, begin a so-called crusade as against the Turks, and execute all who did not want to recant and swear: complete obedience to the pope and his church.

When in the year 1572 a wedding was to be celebrated at the king's court in Paris, the most important Protestants, there called the Hugenots, were invited for the occasion; but in the middle of the night a bell sounded, which as agreed upon was the signal to fall upon and murder all Protestants, men and women, young and old. This was the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve. When Pope Gregory XII heard of it, he ordered that a celebration be held with all the bells ringing and struck a commemorative medal, the one side of which carried his half-length portrait and the other pictured the St. Bartholomew Eve's Massacre.

When about this time the bloodthirsty Catholic Duke Alba had in the course of time executed 1800 Protestants in the Netherlands, Pope Pius V. sent a hat and sword consecrated by him as his reward. Only by the greatest tortures did the papal church again suppress the work of the Reformation which began also in Italy and Spain. True, in Protestant countries where they are suffered, the Roman Catholics try to gloss over this, yes, deny it completely, and place the blame on the government; but in this they act like the Jews who also say they had not crucified Christ, even though they were the ones who compelled Pilate to crucify Christ by their "Crucify, crucify him," and by saying, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend." Jn 19:12.

Therefore, in conclusion, be warned against the bloodthirsty papacy and the church which obeys it. It is the spiritual harlot which the Revelation of St. John has foretold would become drunk from the blood of the saints; whilst Mohammed and his followers, who also spread their religion with fire and sword, are the antichrist of the East outside the Church, the Roman Catholic Church of the West is the real Antichrist within the Church.

Let us therefore remain with our dear Lutheran Church, which not only has

the signs of the true Church, the pure Word and unadulterated Sacrament, but also has never spotted herself with the blood of heretics and whose weapons are only the Word of God, her prayers, and her tears.

Though the weeds may grow ever so high, there will finally come the day of the harvest when they will be tied into bundles and cast into the furnace of hell; the good wheat, on the other hand, will be gathered into the granary of heaven. This grant us Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.