Martin Luther (1483–1546) on John 1:29

Behold, the Lamb of God!

This is an excellent and splendid testimony of John regarding the introduction of the new rule and kingdom of Christ. It is a powerful statement. The words are clear and lucid; they tell us what one should think of Christ. John’s earlier words (John 1:17), “The Law was given through Moses,” can hardly be called praise of Moses. But in this passage John virtually chides him, as if he were saying: “You Jews sacrifice a lamb every Passover, as Moses commanded you. In addition you butcher two lambs daily, which are sacrificed and burned each morning and evening. It is a lamb, to be sure. But you Jews make such a display of it, you praise these sacrifices and boast of them so much, that you eclipse the glory of God, push God into the background, and deprive Him of His honor. Compare the true Lamb with the lamb which the Law of Moses commands you to butcher and eat.¹²⁸ One is a lamb procured from shepherds. The other, however, is an entirely different Lamb; it is the Lamb of God. For It has been ordained to bear on Its back the sins of the world. Compared with this Lamb, all the lambs you butcher in the temple, roast, and eat count for nothing.

“The paschal lamb of the Law was, indeed, splendid child’s play, as well as a ceremony instituted to remind you of the true Lamb of God. But you exaggerate its significance and assume that such butchering and sacrificing were done to remove your sins. Don’t give way to that illusion! Your lambs will never accomplish that. Only the Son of God will. Those lambs in the Law were merely to be the people’s toys, to remind them of the true Paschal Lamb, which was to be sacrificed at some future time.” But they had nothing but contempt for all this and supposed that a lamb slaughtered at Passover sufficed. Therefore John, as it were, juxtaposes Moses’ lamb and Christ, the true Lamb. The Law was not to extend beyond Christ. John wishes to say: “Your lamb was taken from men, as Moses commanded in the Law of God (Ex. 12:3–5). But this is God’s Lamb. The Easter lamb is a Lamb from God, not a lamb selected from the wethers. The lamb of the Law was a shepherds lamb or a man’s lamb.” John wants to say: “This is the true Lamb, which takes away the sin of the people. With your other lambs, sacrificed on the Passover festival, you did try to remove your sin; but you never succeeded. In this Lamb, born of a virgin, you will. It is not a natural lamb or wether referred to in the Law, and yet It is a lamb.” For God prescribed that it was to be a Lamb that should be sacrificed and roasted on the cross for our sins. In other respects He was a man like all other human beings; but God made Him a Lamb which should bear the sins of all the world.

This is an extraordinarily free and comforting sermon on Christ, our Savior. Neither our thoughts nor our words can do the subject full justice, but in the life beyond it will redound to our eternal joy and bliss that the Son of God abased Himself so and burdened Himself with my sins. Yes, He assumes not only my sins but also those of the whole world, from Adam down to the very last mortal. These sins He takes upon Himself; for these He is willing to suffer and die that our sins may be expunged and we may attain eternal life and blessedness. But who can ever give adequate thought or expression to this theme? The entire world with all its holiness, rectitude, power, and glory is under the dominion of sin and completely discredited before God. Anyone who wishes to be saved must know that all his sins have been placed on the back of this Lamb! Therefore John points this Lamb out to his disciples, saying: “Do you want to know where the sins of the world are placed for forgiveness? Then don’t resort to the Law of Moses or betake yourselves to the devil; there, to be sure, you will find sins, but sins to terrify you and damn you. But if you really want to find a place where the sins of the world are exterminated and deleted, then cast your gaze upon the cross. The Lord placed all our sins on the back of this Lamb. As the prophet Isaiah declares (53:6): ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way,’ the one hither, the other yon. One sought God in this manner, another in a different way; there were countless modes of looking for God.”

And as it happens when one loses the right way, and, for instance, turns in the wrong direction at a crossroad, one false decision leads to a hundred others. Thus the one chose the rule of St. Francis for help, the other the order of St. Benedict. And pope and Turk, each according to his own judgment, fabricated his own means of penance for sin. But it is written: “They have all gone astray.” But now, which is the right way, the way that guards against going astray? The farther one strays from the right road, the more confused one grows. Isaiah says that the right way is this: “God placed all our sins upon Him and smote Him for the sins of the people; when we all went astray, God put all our sins on the back of His Lamb, and upon no other. He ordained the Lamb to bear the sins of the entire world.”

Therefore a Christian must cling simply to this verse and let no one rob him of it. For there is no other comfort either in heaven or on earth to fortify us against all attacks and temptations, especially in the agony of death.¹²⁹ And whoever believes that this Lamb bears the sins of all the world must regard pope and Turk as the Antichrist.¹³⁰ For the pope has taught that the Christian must be concerned with bearing his own sin, atoning for it with alms and the like. This is his shameless lie even to the present day. But if what he teaches is true, then I, not Christ, am yoked and burdened with my sin. And then I would necessarily be lost and damned. But Christ does bear the sin—not only mine and yours or that of any other individual, or only of one kingdom or country, but the sin of the entire world. And you, too, are a part of the world.

John’s memory has been cherished, to be sure. In the papacy many murals depict St. John. Pictures of him and of the Lamb were carved in wood and stone or fashioned in gold and silver. Once annually his day was celebrated.¹³¹ His fingers were painted pointing to the Lamb. But all of this was external and never took possession of the heart. No one understood the true significance of the painting and the figure. The papists are still blind, foolish, and absurd. They have paintings and carvings and sculptures of St. John, and they prize portrait and statue; but their doctrine and their life run counter to all this. For they call upon St. Francis or Benedict, St. Catherine or Barbara, and other saints for aid. Is this not blindness? Were we not foolish and mad? Not only did we have the doctrine informing us that this is the Lamb which bears the sin of the world, but we also viewed the picture of St. John pointing his finger at Christ and carrying Christ on his left arm.¹³² We celebrated great festivals commemorating all this. And yet our vision was faulty; we did not understand its meaning, nor did we know why John was showing us the Lamb.

This is the basis of all Christian doctrine. Whoever believes it, is a Christian; whoever does not, is no Christian, and will get what he has coming to him. The statement is clear enough: “This is the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world.” Moreover, this text is the Word of God, not our word. Nor is it our invention that the Lamb was sacrificed by God and that, in obedience to the Father, this Lamb took upon Himself the sin of the whole world. But the world refuses to believe this; it does not want to concede the honor to this dear Lamb that our salvation depends entirely on His bearing our sin. The world insists on playing a role in this too. But the more it aspires to do in atonement for sin, the worse it fares. For there is no atoner but this Lamb; God recognizes no other. Would it not be reasonable and right to take these words into our hearts that we might become aware of our sin?

Now note here that the Law of Moses, indeed, apprises you of your sin and tells you how you should obey God and man. It also informs me that I am hostile to God, that I blaspheme Him, and that I do not regulate my life properly according to the precepts of the Ten Commandments. In brief, the Law shows me what I am; it reveals sin and burdens me with it. This is its proper function. Then I become frightened and would like to be rid of it. But the Law says: “I cannot aid you in this.” Then we run to the saints, and we invoke the assistance of the Virgin Mary,¹³³ saying: “Intercede for me before your Son; show Him your breasts!” Another calls on St. Christopher, although he never existed on this earth.¹³⁴ Another hies himself to St. Barbara for her intercession. Others enter monastic orders, thereby aspiring to becoming holy themselves and their own saviors. Indeed, each one of us beholds his sins and promises to mend his sinful life from day to day, saying: “O Christ, grant me a respite and stay the time of my death, and I shall become pious and atone for my sin!” But is this not a hideous and terrible blindness? Sin is at your throat; it drives you and lies heavy on you. Reason knows of no other counsel and advice. As soon as reason sees that it has sinned, it declares: “I will reform and become pious!” But now St. John intervenes and declares that the entire world is polluted with sin. He shows us through the Law that we are saddled with this sin, and that we must not let it rest where the Law has deposited it, namely, in our bosom. For if sin remains there, you are damned and doomed. At the same time you are too feeble to remove it; you cannot overcome sin.

In view of this, St. John, by his testimony or sermon, shows us Another upon whom God the Father has laid our sins, namely, Christ the Lord. The Law lays them upon me, but God takes them from me and lays them upon this Lamb. There they fit very well, far better than on me. God wishes to say to us: “I see how the sin oppresses you. You would have to collapse under its heavy burden. But I shall relieve and rid you of the load—when the Law convicts you of, and condemns you for, your sin—and from sheer mercy I shall place the weight of your sin on this Lamb, which will bear them.”

May you ever cherish and treasure this thought. Christ is made a servant of sin, yea, a bearer of sin, and the lowliest and most despised person. He destroys all sin by Himself and says: “I came not to be served but to serve” (Matt. 20:28). There is no greater bondage than that of sin; and there is no greater service than that displayed by the Son of God, who becomes the servant of all, no matter how poor, wretched, or despised they may be, and bears their sins. It would be spectacular and amazing, prompting all the world to open ears and eyes, mouth and nose in uncomprehending wonderment, if some king’s son were to appear in a beggar’s home to nurse him in his illness, wash off his filth, and do everything else the beggar would have to do. Would this not be profound humility? Any spectator or any beneficiary of this honor would feel impelled to admit that he had seen or experienced something unusual and extraordinary, something magnificent. But what is a king or an emperor compared with the Son of God? Furthermore, what is a beggar’s filth or stench compared with the filth of sin which is ours by nature, stinking a hundred thousand times worse and looking infinitely more repulsive to God than any foul matter found in a hospital? And yet the love of the Son of God for us is of such magnitude that the greater the filth and stench of our sins, the more He befriends us, the more He cleanses us, relieving us of all our misery and of the burden of all our sins and placing them upon His own back. All the holiness of the monks stinks in comparison with this service of Christ, the fact that the beloved Lamb, the great Man, yes, the Son of the Exalted Majesty, descends from heaven to serve me.

Such benefactions of God might well provoke us to love and to laud God and to celebrate this service in song and sermon and speech. It should also induce us to die willingly and to remain cheerful in all suffering. For how amazing it is that the Son of God becomes my servant, that He humbles Himself so, that He cumbers Himself with my misery and sin, yes, with the sin and the death of the entire world! He says to me: “You are no longer a sinner, but I am. I am your substitute. You have not sinned, but I have. The entire world is in sin. However, you are not in sin; but I am. All your sins are to rest on Me and not on you.” No one can comprehend this. In yonder life our eyes will feast forever on this love of God. And who would not gladly die for Christ’s sake? The Son of Man performs the basest and filthiest work. He does not don some beggar’s torn garment or old trousers, nor does He wash us as a mother washes a child; but He bears our sin, death, and hell, our misery of body and soul. Whenever the devil declares: “You are a sinner!” Christ interposes: “I will reverse the order; I will be a sinner, and you are to go scotfree.” Who can thank our God enough for this mercy?

Whoever can confidently believe that the sins of the world, also his own, were laid on Christ’s shoulders will not easily be deceived and deluded by the schismatic spirits, who are in the habit of quoting us verses that deal with good works and alms and give the impression that good work wipe out sins and acquire salvation. A Christian can refute any passages which the factious spirits may adduce about good works. This cardinal text still remains intact. It reads that I cannot bear my sin or render satisfaction for it, but that God has chosen a sacrifice which was slaughtered, roasted on the cross, and eaten. Upon this Lamb all sins were laid. A Christian will not permit himself to be cut adrift from this, nor will he be led away from a proper understanding of the Gospel. Let them teach or preach what they choose in the world. He will adhere to the plain and true faith and clear words, namely: “If I had been able to earn anything for myself, then it would not have been necessary for God’s Son to die for me.” John declares that it is solely the Lamb that bears the sin of the whole world; otherwise it would surely not be done at all. I, too, will find refuge in Him. You may do whatever you please!

The Law, to be sure, can command to do this and that; it can also prescribe rules of conduct for life. It says: “Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his goods, his honor; do not kill; do not commit adultery, etc.; give alms.” And it is laudable and good to comply with these Commandments. By doing so we abstain from outward sin in the world. But it is futile to try to expunge sin before God through the Law. The one thing that is effective in this respect is spoken of here: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” And in Is. 53:6 we read: “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” And again (Is. 53:8): “The Lord will strike Him for the transgression of my people.” Everything centers in Christ. Therefore a Christian must adhere to this verse with simplicity of heart and not let anyone rob him of it. Then he will be aware of the blindness of all heathen, of the papists, and of the godless, who themselves want to render satisfaction with pilgrimages and with good works. They make much of these and console themselves with purgatory. But they are blind. For Holy Scripture declares that the sin of the world does not lie on the world, or St. John’s sin on St. John, or St. Peter’s on Peter; for they are unable to bear it. The sin of the world lies on Christ, the Lamb of God. He steps forth and becomes a vile sinner, yea, sin itself (2 Cor. 5:21), just as if He Himself had committed all the sin of the world from its beginning to its end. This is to be the Lamb’s office, mission, and function.

And now if Holy Scripture contains verses which seem to intimate that one should atone for sin through good works, you should apply these to the inferior realm of domestic affairs or of temporal government; enjoin them upon fathers and mothers, and do not use them in an attempt to prove that good works could present satisfaction for your sins before God. Good works leave sins unborne and unpaid; the Lamb bears them all. Therefore ask yourself if it was not just of God to be angry with us and to punish us because we had strayed into the ranks of the pope’s and the Turk’s schismatic spirits. For the Lamb Itself preaches to us: “Behold, how I bear your sins!” However, no one will accept it. If we believed and accepted it, no one would be damned. What more is the Lamb to do? He says: “You are all condemned, but I will take your sins upon Myself. I have become the whole world. I have incorporated all people since Adam into My person.” Thus He wants to give us righteousness in exchange for the sins we have received from Adam. And I should reply: “I will believe that my dear, dear Lord,¹³⁵ the Lamb of God, has taken all sins upon Himself.” Still the world will not believe and accept this. If it did, no one would be lost.

We learn that we have all been hurled into sin by the devil and that the Lamb alone extricates us. Refusal to believe this is not Christ’s fault; it is mine. If I do not believe this, I am doomed. It is for me to say simply that the Lamb of God has borne the sin of the world. I have been earnestly commanded to believe and to confess this, and then also to die in this faith.

You may say: “Who knows whether Christ also bore my sin? I have no doubt that He bore the sin of St. Peter, St. Paul, and other saints; these were pious people. Oh, that I were like St. Peter or St. Paul!” Don’t you hear what St. John says in our text: “This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”? And you cannot deny that you are also part of this world, for you were born of man and woman. You are not a cow or a pig. It follows that your sins must be included, as well as the sins of St. Peter or St. Paul. And just as you are unable to expiate your sins, so they have been unable to expiate theirs. There are no exceptions here. Therefore do not yield to your own thoughts, but cling to the words which guarantee you and all believers forgiveness of sin through the Lamb. Don’t you hear? There is nothing missing from the Lamb. He bears all the sins of the world from its inception; this implies that He also bears yours, and offers you grace.

If someone does not partake of and enjoy such grace and mercy, he has none to blame but himself and his refusal to believe and accept it. He says to himself: “This does not pertain to you, but only to St. Peter and St. Paul. I must become a monk, invoke the saints, and go on pilgrimages.” Go to the devil if you refuse to believe these words! For if you are in the world and your sins form a part of the sins of the world, then the text applies to you. All that the words “sin,” “world,” and “the sin of the world from its beginning until its end” denote—all this rests solely on the Lamb of God. And since you are an integral part of this world and remain in this world, the benefits mentioned in the text will, of course, also accrue to you.

It is extremely important that we know where our sins have been disposed of. The Law deposits them on our conscience and shoves them into our bosom. But God takes them from us and places them on the shoulders of the Lamb. If sin rested on me and on the world, we would be lost; for it is too strong and burdensome. God says: “I know that your sin is unbearable for you; therefore behold, I will lay it upon My Lamb and relieve you of it. Believe this! If you do, you are delivered of sin.” There are only two abodes for sin: it either resides with you, weighing you down; or it lies on Christ, the Lamb of God. If it is loaded on your back, you are lost; but if it rests on Christ, you are free and saved. Now make your choice! According to the Law, to be sure, sin should remain on you; but by grace sin was cast on Christ, the Lamb. Lacking this grace, we should be doomed in an accounting with God.

These are clear, plain, and powerful words, strengthened by that splendid and beautiful portrait of St. John pointing to the Lamb with his finger. I was always fond of such pictures; for instance, the one on which the Paschal Lamb is depicted carrying a little banner, or the picture of the crucifixion.¹³⁶ But in the papacy we never understood their true significance. This is the message they really wanted to convey: “Behold, man! According to Law and justice, your sins should rest on you. But the Lamb which I exhibit here bears your sins by grace. This sin has been placed on the Lamb. Now you are holy, righteous, and free of sin; you have been saved for the sake of the Lamb. Therefore you have to know that you are not bearing your own sin. For then you would be lost; the Law would condemn and execute you. But behold, God has delivered you from your sins and has placed them on the Lamb. And thus you are saved, not for your own sake but for His.”¹³⁷
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128 In order to keep the flow of direct discourse in this sentence we have changed it from the third to the second person.
129 The italics here are in the original.
130 It is noteworthy that in this passage, as in many others, Luther identifies both the pope and the Turk as the Antichrist; his term here is Endechrist (cf. Luther’s Works, 13, p. 190, note 51).
131 Luther is probably referring to the fact that John the Baptist is the only saint besides the Virgin Mary whose birthday is in the church’s calendar. The Nativity of St. John the Baptist is celebrated on June 24 (cf. p. 129, note 95), and his martyrdom on August 29.
132 For a representative example of the portrayals of John the Baptist in the art of the fifteenth century cf. the figure copied from the east window of Great Malvern Priory Church, Worcestershire, England, in G. MeN. Rushforth, Medieval Christian Imagery (Oxford, 1936), p. 88, Figure 27.
133 Cf. p. 146, note 106.
134 Luther had expressed his skepticism regarding St. Christopher as early as his The Ten Commandments Preached to the People of Wittenberg of 1518 (Weimar, I, 413, 414).
135 The German word here is Herrichen.
136 The Paschal Lamb is depicted this way in the window referred to on p. 433, note 132.
137 This is the end of the twelfth and the beginning of the thirteenth sermon, dated “the Saturday after St. Elizabeth s day,” November 24, 1537.

Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 22: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John: Chapters 1–4, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 22 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 161–170.

THE SINS OF THE WORLD LIE ON CHRIST. MARTIN LUTHER: Therefore, Christians must adhere to this verse [i.e., John 1:29] with simplicity of heart and not let anyone rob them of it. Then they will be aware of the blindness of all heathen, of the papists, and of the godless, who themselves want to render satisfaction with pilgrimages and with good works. They make much of these and console themselves with purgatory. But they are blind. For holy Scripture declares that the sin of the world does not lie on the world, or St. John’s sin on St. John, or St. Peter’s on Peter; for they are unable to bear it. The sin of the world lies on Christ, the Lamb of God. He steps forth and becomes a vile sinner, yea, sin itself, just as if he himself had committed all the sin of the world from its beginning to its end. This is to be the Lamb’s office, mission, and function. TWELFTH SERMON ON JOHN.⁵⁷
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57 LW 22:168* (WA 46:682).

Timothy George and Scott M. Manetsch, eds., 2 Corinthians: New Testament, vol. IXb, Reformation Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2022), 170–71.

So by means of this doctrine concerning the governing part of man, man will come to be exalted above Christ and the devil, or in other words, he will become Lord of lords and God of gods. What has now happened to that “probable opinion” which said that free choice could will nothing good? Yet here she contends that it is the principal part, and a sound and virtuous part, which does not even need Christ, but can do more than God himself and the devil can. I say this to let you see again how very perilous it is to venture into divine and sacred subjects without the Spirit of God and in the temerity of human reason. If Christ is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world [John 1:29], then it follows that the whole world is subject to sin, damnation, and the devil, and the distinction between principal and nonprincipal parts is of no use at all. For “world” means men, who savor of worldly things in all their parts.

Martin Luther, “The Bondage of the Will,” in Luther’s Works, Vol. 33: Career of the Reformer III, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 33 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 228.

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Philip Doddridge (1702–1751) on 1 Timothy 2:4

d Will have all men to be saved.] It is far from being my design, in any of these notes, to enter deep into controversy, but I must confess I have never been satisfied with that interpretation which explains all men here, merely as signifying some of all sorts and ranks of men; since I fear it might also be said on the principles of those who are fondest of this gloss, that he also wills all men to be condemned. On the other hand, if many are not saved, it is certain the words must be taken with some limitation, which the following clause, he wills their coming to the knowledge of the truth, must also prove. The meaning, therefore, seems to be, that God has made sufficient provision for the salvation of all, and that it is to be considered as the general declaration of his will, that all who know the truth themselves should publish it to all around them, so far as their influence can extend.

Philip Doddridge, The Family Expositor: Or, A Paraphrase and Version of the New Testament with Critical Notes and a Practical Improvement of Each Section (London : Printed for W. Baynes, 1825), 904.

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Richard Stock (c.1569–1626) on the General and Special Love of God

Next he loves his creatures freely; the cause why he loves them, is in himself, not in them; he loves some with a special love, and some with a general, freely; that appears by the Scriptures, John 3:16. God so loves the world. 1 John 1:3. Herein is the love of God manifest, that he hath given us his son. 1 John 4:19. God loves us first; if first, then freely; and no love in us, procured his love; again he loves them not equally, for he loves men more than other creatures: Titus 3:9. The love he bears to man is manifest; yet further, he loves some men more than others; Exod. 19:5. You shall be my peculiar people; as if he should say, though all the Nations be mine in general, yet ye shall be my chief treasure; Titus 2:14. A peculiar treasure; these are as treasures that men lock up; he loves those that are elected, and those that are called; those that are elected, he loved them when they were enemies; Eph. 1:4. He loved them before the foundation of the world; But he loves them better whom he hath called, than those he hath not called: Prov. 8:17. I love them that love me, those whom he hath endued with his spirit: Psa. 146:8. The Lord loves the righteous, &c. To conclude this with that of Saint Austine, God loves all that he hath made; he loves especially men, and Angels; and among men, he loves those especially, that are the members of his Son; and most of all, he loves his Son, &c. and so we have made manifest this description. …

Quest. Why is it said, he loves them not equally?
Answ. Because they are not all alike to him. Some creatures only, others servants only; some children, and among his children, he loves those that are called, better than those that are not called: I say, they are not all alike to God: man loves the work of his own hands well, but he loves his servants better, and his child best of all: if it be so with man, much more is it so with God; some are his creatures, some his servants, some his sons; so that he loves them not all alike; some are his children, but not all begotten again, he loves those with a good will and purpose to call them; those that he hath called, he hath justified, sanctified, and hath bestowed upon them faith, repentance, and grace; and he delights in these, especially that he hath bestowed his grace upon.

Richard Stock, A Stock of Divine Knowledge. Being a lively description of the Divine Nature. Or, The Divine Essence, Attributes, and Trinity particularly explaned [sic] and profitably applied. The first, shewing us what God is: the second, what we ought to be. (London: Printed by T. H. for Philip Nevil, and are to be sold at his shop in Ivie Lane, at the signe of the Gun, 1641), 159–60, 162. Some spelling updated.

Quest. Why conclude you, that he doth specially show mercy to some, rather than to others?
Answ. Because mercy is from free love: he loves some more than others, therefore he shows mercy to some more than others: it is very natural to God to show mercy; and where we love most, there we labour to show most mercy: therefore we are delighted to help our children, and friends in their misery. God loves all his creatures, yeah, he loves the wicked, but they specially his own: he is merciful to the wicked, but he is much more merciful to his own. To express this: He is merciful to the wicked, but in one thing; but he is merciful to the godly in many things; he shows mercy to the wicked in their punishments, and sins: we do confess indeed he doth show mercy to the wicked in their sins, in being patient towards them, Rom. 9:32. He is merciful to them in suffering them to enjoy many outward blessings, that they are unworthy of; nay, he is merciful to them, when he layeth any evil upon them; he never lays so much as they deserve (as good Divines think) no not in hell: so that he is merciful to them. To his own he shows mercy, both in their punishments and sins: in their punishments, Hab. 3:2. the Lord in wrath remembereth mercy, Lam. 3:21. Though he afflict for a while, yet he will not forsake for ever: so that same Heb. 12:7. If we endure chastising, he offers himself as father: he deals mercifully with his own, as a father to his children, Psa. 103:13.

Ibid., 192–93. Some spelling updated.

I have loved thee [Mal. 1:2]. This is understood, not of his general love, but his special, and that after a special manner; not such as he loves whole mankind by, but such as he loves his church by. The love of a whole family, of his spouse and children, is different, one more excellent than another, and so both more special and more excellent.

Doct. God, he loves his church with a more special and excellent love than he loves either all creatures or all mankind. So here, Amos iii. 2, Exod. xix. 5, ‘Now therefore, if ye will hear my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be my chief treasures above all people: though all the earth be mine;’ where the learned take the word to signify, a people of a precious treasure. The Septuagint read λαὸς περιούσιος, ‘a peculiar people,’ Titus ii. 14. Now περιούσιος, est thesaurus præ aliis electus, and so it is more excellent, and more dear and precious in God’s sight. These were for themselves, and the type of others. Hence it is that, 1 Peter ii. 9, ‘ye are a chosen generation, a peculiar people.’ Things elected are more specially loved, hence are those comparisons to set forth this love, that he is the head of his members, the father of his children, the husband of his wife. The members are better affected than excrements, the children than servants, the wife without comparison, as himself, is one flesh.

Reason 1. Because love, precious and excellent love, is discerned by the things which proceed from love, that are given and bestowed upon the beloved; for he loves who bestows meat, and drink, and apparel, but he more that provides land, inheritance, and more lays up treasure, and gives knowledge and education. The servant is provided for, the child much more, so the things God gives being more excellent, spiritual, salvation, things belonging to it, but to others earthly things only [Non tam à veris rebus somnia superantur, quàm hæc terrenta ab æternis illis absunt.—Chrysost. de virg.], 1 Cor ix. 11. There is a threefold state of man, as divines speak of him: esse, bene esse, optimum esse: first naturæ; secondly, gratiæ; thirdly, gloriæ. The first of general love, the two last of special love, which being those God gives his, and his only, then is it with a more special love he loves them.

Reason 2. Because it is more constant and perpetual; for the general love of mankind is terminated not with the sun and moon only, but with their breaths; they part with their lives and his love together, but theirs is forever, and then specially is manifested when life is ended. That in life was but a pledge and earnest of the other, a penny to one hundred pound, or an angel to a thousand pound, a bargain of it.

Reason 3. Because in general love, only sua dat, his blessings and outward benefits; but in special, se dat, he gives himself, Hosea ii. 19. Now as that of Samuel is true, 1 Sam. xv. 22, obedience is better than sacrifice, because in obedience a man gives himself to God, but in sacrifice he gives but of his, as Cain of the fruit of the ground, Abel of the first of his sheep, and of the fattest of them, so in this.

Use 1. This should provoke every one to labour for this love, being so special and excellent. Rare things are dear and desired; the more rare, the more dear and more desired; but when they are rare and excellent, very precious, then most of all. Such is this love. But how may we get this? Labour to be his, and his children, and church. So we all are. But he is not a Jew that is one outward. But how may we know that we are his, and have love? How do commonly men know they have the general love, and whence is their general brag of it? If they have the fruits of his love, peace, prosperity, riches, &c. So in this, if they have spiritual graces, as true saving knowledge, faith, sanctification, love, meekness, zeal, which are the fruits of his special love: Eccles. ix. 1, ‘No man knows either love or hatred by all that is before us.’ They are things within us which must manifest that to us; for these then must we labour, that we may know we have it.

Use 2. This must teach every one to be more thankful for this than he or others would be for the general. The thankfulness is to answer his love with obedience, to hear and obey: Exod. xix. 5. ‘Now therefore if ye will hear my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be my chief treasures above all people, though all the earth be mine.’ The fruits of the general love of God will require this, and the more fruits the more obedience. He that hath received something, though with the least, owes the most he can do; how much more he that hath more honour, credit, riches, &c., ought to perform more obedience, be more zealous, religious, holy, as August. surgunt indocti et cœlum rapint, &c. If for these common blessings and love, how much more for the fruits of special love and it? If to whom much, of them much in the former, how much more in this? And of such as have his special love, he looks for obedience and honour, wherein is their thankfulness. The courtier that is advanced above others ought to be more respective of the prince and his will, and with more care and cheerfulness perform all obedience, and the duty of his place than others. He that hath his life, liberty, and living given unto him when all was lost, if he shall not, if he should not respect him, every tongue would be ready to condemn him. But if he should be made heir to the crown, if his issue fail, or he have no child, then more. So in this; and this not being, nothing will more prove that they are not that they would seem to be, and that they have not that they brag on.

Use 3. This is matter of comfort to as many as are indeed his, beloved of him. They may be sure they shall lack nothing that is needful and good for them; for if he love them thus specially as his own, God is faithful to provide for his own, for, as Rom. viii. 32, ‘Who spared not his own Son, but gave him for us all to death, how shall he not with him give us all things also?’ How much more readily will he give us other things, when he hath given us himself, and hath married us to himself? Will a father see his child to want? Will a husband let his wife want when he is rich and able? If they should, yet will not God. Isa. xlix. 15, ‘Can a woman forget her child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? though they should forget, yet will I not forget thee.’ Therefore they may best have their conversation without care or covetousness; they need not swear or deceive for gain, oppress or offer injury to provide for themselves; they need not profane the Lord’s day, nor use unlawful means to lay up for another time to come; for he that doth so specially love them, and hath laid up so great things for them, and given them the pledges of them already, and the earnest of such infinite things, how will not he take care of them to provide necessaries for them? He that is in his general love feeds the ravens, the lions, and leopards; makes his rain to fall, and his sun to shine upon the wicked, and fills their bellies with his hid treasures; what will his special love make him to his own? But many of his are oftentimes scanted. So the physician keeps his patient at a strait diet, when full dishes are hurtful unto him. And God oftentimes gives not riches, because when they be humanæ miseriæ remedia, the remedies of human misery, they will make them instrumenta voluptatis aut superbiæ, the instruments of pleasure or pride, and he knows their hearts better than themselves. But they often want much, and have scarce to satisfy nature, when the wicked have abundance; but their water and brown bread makes them look as well as all the full dishes of the wicked, as it was with Daniel and his fellows. And the prodigal son had little to refresh him, when his father’s servants had bread enough, because he abused his former portion, and run from under the protection, and out of his father’s house; so with them. At his return he had the fat calf killed for him, and apparel and ornaments given him fit for a son.

Use 4. To admonish everyone that is his, to look for more correction than others if they provoke him; for more love, more of the rod, more affection, more affliction, the more special love, more special and more speedy correction. This use made Amos of it: chap. iii. 2, ‘You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will visit you for all your iniquities.’ Heads of families of the earth, therefore I will visit you for all your iniquities.’ Heads of families correct all, and most where they love: children before servants, and of them those they love, if their love be with judgment, and not blinded with affection.

Richard Stock, A Commentary Upon the Prophesy of Malachi […] (Edinburgh: James Nichol; London: James Nisbet & Co.; Dublin: G. Herbert, 1865), 17–18.

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An Excerpt from Martin Luther’s (1483–1546) Second Sermon on Mark 7:31–37

TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Second Sermon—Mark 7:31–37

This sermon is given in place of the preceding sermon in edition c and appeared in pamphlet form under the title: “A sermon on the Gospel of Mark, 7th chapter, preached in the Castle Church at Wittenberg before the Elector and Duke Henry of Saxony by Dr. Martin Luther. Wittenberg, 1534.” At the close stands: Printed at Wittenberg by Nicholas Schirlenz, 1534. It appeared also in the edition of the Postil of 1543.

1. As the Gospel everywhere shows Christ our Lord to be a merciful and gracious man, ready to help every one by word and deed, in body and soul, so does this Gospel lesson picture to us how willingly he helped this poor man, who was deaf and dumb, in order that we might be invited to believe, trusting to obtain from him all that is good, and also thereby to show unto us an example and a pattern, which every Christian ought to follow, helping his neighbor in the same manner.

2. For a Christian life consists entirely in the following: First, that we believe and trust in Christ our Saviour, being fully assured that we are not deserted by him, whatever need or danger may betide us. Secondly, that every Christian person also conducts himself toward friend or foe in the same way, as he sees Christ does, who is so willing to help everyone. Whoever does this, is a Christian; but he who does it not, is no Christian, though he calls himself one. For these two cannot be separated; faith must be followed by its fruits, or it is not true faith. That is the sum of this Gospel lesson.

3. Now some have been agitated over the fact that in this miracle Christ first takes the poor man and leads him apart from the people, performs particular ceremonies, places his fingers in the man’s ears, and spits, and touches his tongue, looks up to heaven, sighs and uses peculiar language; whereas he had before helped other mutes and many not mutes without any such ceremonies, merely by a word. All this, I say, has set some to thinking, and they have explained it that Christ in this case called to mind how this same man, whom he was now helping would afterward sin with his tongue and ears; therefore he had pity on him who would commit such sins after this great work was done, and that this deed of mercy would be so little appreciated, in that a speechless tongue should become a blaspheming tongue, which would not only defame his neighbors, but even dishonor God in heaven; and the ears, which were opened in order to hear God’s Word, would rather hear all manner of erroneous and false doctrine, than the Word of God. This, they say, was the reason Christ sighed and looked up to heaven.

4. I will not reject this opinion; [so that it may not be said, that we are never pleased with anything, but want to have everything new and changed.] But, we must not, as it were, confine Christ too narrowly as though he had regard to one person only; we must regard him more highly than that he would help only this man. For all the Holy Scriptures, and particularly the prophets and psalms, declare, that he was sent to have deep compassion on all the misery and need of the whole human race, and that Christ was the person, chosen particularly above all saints, to be so minded toward us as surely to take upon himself all our need and sorrow as though they were his own, as in Ps. 40:12 he says of our sins, “Mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up,” and in Ps. 41:4, “O Lord, have mercy upon me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.” Here our merciful Lord speaks in our person, bearing our sins as though they were his own, and as though he had committed them himself. And again, Ps. 69:5: “O God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from thee”; again, Is. 53:6: “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all”; and vs. 4–5: “He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; the chastisement of our peace was upon him,” etc. And other passages of Scripture bear witness to this.

5. For the Lord Christ must be painted in such a manner that he is the only person who takes upon himself the misfortune, not of one country, or of one city, but of the whole world; even as St. John names him, John 1:29: “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.” But if he bears the sins, it follows that he must also have borne whatever belongs to sin, and what follows sin, as the devil, death and hell.

6. That is the reason he sighs so here, as the person who was to do it, of whom the prophets had long before announced that he would have deep compassion upon all the evils of the whole human race. He was not alone concerned about the tongue and the ears of only this poor man; but it was a common sigh over all tongues and ears in general, yea, over all hearts, bodies, and souls, and all men, from Adam to the last human being, who is yet to be born. Hence he does not chiefly sigh because this man would in the future commit many sins; but the chief reason is that he, Christ the Lord, viewed the entire mass of flesh and blood which the devil afflicted with a fatal hurt in Paradise, making mankind deaf and dumb, and thus thrust them into death and hell fire. This view being before the eyes of Christ, he looked far about him, seeing how great the damage was, inflicted in Paradise by the devil through the fall of one man. He looks not upon those two ears, but upon the whole number of men who had come from Adam, and were yet to come. Therefore this Gospel lesson sets forth Christ as being the man who is concerned about you and me, and about us all in a way that we ought to be concerned about ourselves, as though he were sunk in those sins and afflictions in which we are sunk, and that he sighs over the fact, that the very devil has brought about this ruin.

7. This surely is why he shows such great earnestness in this case, and makes use of special ways and means. As though he would say: “Your deplorable condition, your bondage in sin and death, affects me so deeply, that moved by nothing but by my own thoughts, I must act in a special manner.” For so extraordinary are his actions in this case, compared to his other works, that it is truly astonishing. He often healed others, or casted out devils, with a single word; indeed, he actually helped some whom he never visited, as for instance the centurion’s servant, Mat. 8:13; here, however, on account of two diseased organs, the tongue and the ear, his actions are very peculiar, as though he were especially concerned. By this he shows us that at this time he had a special view and special thoughts of the human race.

8. For as we admit that Christ, our Lord and God, had all other human traits, sin excepted, we must also concede, that he did not always have the same thoughts, was not always equally disposed, nor always equally fervent; but was variously actuated, just as other saints. Therefore, as his emotions and thoughts were peculiar in this case, his actions were also peculiar, so that we must see how truly human he was in body and soul, whose mind was not at all times alike disposed, just as little as he was always hungry and sleepy at the same time. As these conditions are variable in men, so they were variable in him, as St. Paul says, Phil. 2:7: “He took upon himself the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man,” etc. This must not be understood merely of external appearances, but of his soul and the thoughts of his heart, that, being ardent at one time, he was more ardent at another time, etc. This, then, is one reason why Christ here acted thus, namely, because he is a real man; but at the same time a person who stood in the place of all men and took upon himself at the same time the diseases of this man, and of all men.

9. The other thought is also true, that he was deeply grieved by the knowledge that this man, if he would heal him, might sin greatly after he was healed. But it is too narrow to explain it as referring only to the future sins of this man. For it was the task of Christ, our Lord God, to concern himself, and to suffer, not only for one man’s sin, but, as we read in Rev. 13:8, for all sins that would be committed from the beginning of the world, from Adam to our time, even unto the last man to be born before the day of judgment. Therefore their view is too narrow who explain it only of those sins which this man would yet do in the future. Although he showed in other instances that he took account of the future life of certain persons, as he said to the paralytic, John:14: “Thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee.”

10. For Christ, our dear Lord, has so kind a heart that he grieves to think of a person sinning. For he is well aware that sins cannot remain unpunished; therefore he even wept over the city of Jerusalem, because he saw that her sins had to be punished. So kind and loving is his heart that he has by no means pleasure where sin is committed.

Martin Luther, “Twelfth Sunday after Trinity (Second Sermon—Mark 7:31–37),” in Luther’s Church Postil: Gospels: First to Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, ed. and trans. John Nicholas Lenker, vol. IV, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther (Minneapolis, MN: Lutherans in All Lands Co., 1904), 381–85.

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Martin Luther (1483–1546) on John 3:16–21

Gospel for Pentecost Monday
John 3:16–21¹

1. This is one of the best and most glorious Gospel readings, characteristic of St. John’s writing, so that it would be worthy of being written in golden letters, not on paper but on the heart, if it could be. It really should be the daily reading and meditation of every Christian in his prayers, in order to intercede for himself, to strengthen his faith, and to awaken his heart to invocation. These are words which can make the sorrowful cheerful and the dead alive, if only the heart firmly believes them.

2. However, it also teaches about the true chief article of all Christian doctrine, which is the glory and freedom of Christians, through which sin, Law, God’s wrath, death, and hell are removed from them and abolished in Christ. Moreover, all human wisdom, righteousness, and holiness are annulled as far as God’s kingdom is concerned. Because He says, “Whoever believes in God’s Son will not be lost, but have eternal life” [John 3:16], death, the devil, and the fright of the Law must be gone, and our merit and worthiness must add nothing. So the very great, eternal, divine treasure that we shall have is set before us: that we will be without fear and fright before the frightful judgment and damnation which came over human nature through Adam’s fall, and instead have redemption, victory over it, and every good. However, this is also offered, given, and presented to us out of pure grace, so that it can be received in no other way than through faith.

3. He paints this grace and gift in Christ with brief and yet very excellent and rich words in order to magnify it and make it comforting in every circumstance. Everything at every point—the Giver, the recipient, the gift, the fruit, and its benefits—is so unspeakably great that it is only hard to believe because of its greatness.

4. However, before we look at that, we want first to hear the reason why Christ says this. It is given by the words He speaks: “So that whoever believes in Him will not perish” [John 3:16], etc. In this way, He wants to show the world the misery and need in which it is stuck, namely, that this is how it is: it is altogether lost, and would have to remain eternally lost, if Christ had not come with this preaching. All its wisdom, skill, teaching, law, free will, and everything it does and undertakes according to this teaching would not help at all. All of this is and remains lost with it. From its birth it is in nothing but sin, under God’s wrath, in the devil’s kingdom and the power of death, and cannot help or free itself from it. It is even so blinded and hardened that it would not even know or feel this misery if it was not revealed to it through the Word.

5. Christ teaches this further and with more words in the sermon He gave to Nicodemus shortly before this text [John 3:11–15], in which He tells him simply and clearly that together with all the Jews of his kind, who had the Law and applied themselves with great diligence to works and external worship (the best in the world at that time), he could not come into heaven or see God’s kingdom.² All of that life and work is still only human; still in the old birth from Adam it is nothing but flesh without spirit, that is, without true understanding and knowledge of the divine will and without true, sincere obedience to God. In short, it cannot turn itself to God, but is completely turned away from God. That is why he cannot be freed from sin, God’s wrath, and eternal death through the Law.

Therefore, if man is to see God’s kingdom, then there must be a new birth and a completely different nature, not like the old one from the flesh, but from the Spirit and completely spiritual. For that they need a different word and sermon than they heard previously and learned from the Law and a different power than human ability.

6. “But,” He says, “if we are to become different people, this must happen in such a way that we are first redeemed from the harm of the old birth, that is, freed from sin and death. However, because we still have flesh and blood and live on earth, the old birth always still remains and cannot be or act differently than it is by nature. Even if [the old birth] is put to death, when he dies, the man must still be damned because of it. No human being can make atonement and take away the wrath and damnation against it, and so no one can come to heaven or to God, as He also says, “No one goes to heaven except the one who came from heaven” [John 3:13], etc.

Therefore, a different plan had to be found. It could happen in no other way than through a person who [came] from heaven full of righteousness, innocence, and life, most highly pleasing and acceptable to God. Such a one would have to bring that [perfection] down to the human nature, which had sin and damnation from its birth, so that it could obtain reconciliation from God and redemption from eternal death. Thus it could turn to God, begin truly to know, love, and obey Him, and thus have the beginning of the new birth, until through death it would be completely cleansed of the remaining uncleanness of the old man, and then live eternally without sin.

7. This wrath of God against sin is so great and severe that no creature can interpose to make satisfaction or achieve reconciliation. The damnation is so severe and eternal that not even an angel was powerful enough to annul [the damnation] and instead restore and give life. Rather, the one person, God’s Son Himself, had to take on Himself sin, God’s wrath, and death, under which human nature lay, and become the sacrifice for it. Christ Himself says about this, right before this Gospel reading, that “the Son of Man must be lifted up (just as the serpent was hung up by Moses in the wilderness), so that all who believe in Him will not be lost” [John 3:14–15]. Here, however, He adds the reason which convinced God that this had to happen, saying:

“God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him would not be lost, but have eternal life.” [John 3:16]

8. With these words He leads us directly up into the Father’s heart so that we would see and know that this is the high, wonderful plan of God, decreed from eternity: that we would be helped through this Son. This also had to be fulfilled in this way to establish God’s truth, since He had promised it previously in Scripture. From this we should plainly see and know that God does not intend to throw us away and condemn us because of our sins. Rather, when we are frightened of God’s wrath because of our sins, He wants us to consider this eternal, divine will and fervently believe that we obtain God’s eternal grace and eternal life for the sake of this Savior and Mediator.

9. Let us look at what kind of rich, comforting words these are which present to us, in every circumstance and all kinds of ways, this great, excellent work of God and His inexpressible treasure, which is offered and given to us here. First, the person of the Giver is not a man, an emperor, or a king, or even an angel, but the high, eternal Majesty, God Himself, compared to whom all people—no matter how rich, powerful, and great they are—are nothing but dust and ashes (Isaiah 40 [:6–7]). What more can we say about Him? He is incomprehensible, immeasurable, inexhaustible.

10. He is no longer a driver who only demands from us and, as Moses calls Him, a consuming and “devouring fire” [Deut. 4:24; 9:3], but a rich, gushing, eternal fountain of all grace and gifts. He really should be called the true Giver.³ What are all emperors and kings with their gifts, gold, silver, land, and people compared to Him? Here our hearts should swell and grow with desiring, wishing, and expecting what this Lord and God will give. It must certainly be something great and excellent, suitable for this high Majesty and rich Lord. Everything in heaven and on earth must be small and insignificant compared to this Giver and His gifts.

11. Second, what is the reason for His giving, and what moves Him to do this? It is nothing other than pure, inexpressible love. He does not give out of debt or obligation or because someone had asked or entreated for this. Rather, He is moved by His own goodness as a Lord who gladly gives, whose desire and joy is to give completely free of charge, without anyone seeking it.

12. Just as there is no greater giver than God, so there is no greater virtue (either in God or man) than love. We pawn and spend everything, even body and life, for what we love. In comparison, patience, humility, and all other virtues are nothing or are included in this one, which is everything. When I love someone, I certainly will not be angry with him nor wrong him nor quarrel with him nor be insufferable toward him, but I will be ready to serve, aid, and help him wherever I see that he needs me. In summary, he has me with my body, goods, and all my possessions.

13. Therefore, here again our hearts should grow and become big against all sorrow, because such riches of the boundless love of God are set before us. He gives them in such a way that they flow from the fatherly heart, and thus gush up from the highest virtue, which is the fountain of all goodness. This makes the gift valuable and precious, just as the proverb praises the person who regards an insignificant gift as valuable and says, “It comes from a loving hand.”⁴ Where there is love and friendship, one does not look so much at the gift as at the heart, which brings great importance to the gift. If God had given me only one eye, hand, or foot, and I knew that He did this out of fatherly love, it would be much dearer to me than many thousand worlds. When He gives us the dear Baptism, His Word, Absolution, and the Sacrament, they should be our daily paradise and kingdom of heaven, not with regard to the gift’s appearance, which is not great before the world, but because of the great love from which it was given.

14. Third, look at the gift itself. Without a doubt, it must be something excellent and inexpressibly great which such a rich Giver gives us⁵ out of sincere, great love. What does He give? Not great kingdoms, not one or more worlds full of silver and gold, not heaven and earth with all that is in them, not the entire creation, but His Son, who is as great as He Himself is. This is an eternal, incomprehensible gift (just as the Giver and His love are also incomprehensible). It is the fountain and source of all grace, goodness, and kindness—yes, the possessions and property of the eternal goods and treasures of God. This is a love not with words but with deeds and in the highest degree, proven with the most precious benefit and work that God Himself has and can do.

15. What more should or can He do and give? Because He gives the Son, what does He retain that He is not giving? By doing this, He even gives Himself completely, as Paul says, “If He did not spare His only-begotten Son, how shall He not with Him have given us all things?” (Romans 8 [:32]). Obviously, everything must have been given with this one who is His only-begotten, dearest Son, the Heir and Lord of all creation; and all creatures must have been subject to us: angels, devils, death, life, heaven and earth, sin, righteousness, the present and the future, as again St. Paul says, “All are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3 [:22–23]), for in this Son it is all and all.

16. Fourth, how and in what way is the Son given? Look at what He does and suffers! For our sake He becomes a man under the Law, that is, under God’s wrath (on account of our sins), and was put to death, even the most disgraceful death—lifted up on the wood and hanging in the air, condemned (as Christ says just before this [John 3:14]). He had to take on Himself the devil’s and all of hell’s rage and fury and contend with them. That means that He was offered up in the highest way. Nevertheless, He did all this in such a way that He tramples underfoot the devil, sin, death, and hell; He rules over them through His resurrection and ascension; He gives us all this to be our own, so that we have both Him and all that He did. He gives all of this in such a way that He does not count the gift as a reward or merit—nor is it loaned, borrowed, or to be repaid—but it is freely given and granted out of purely tender grace. The receiver should and can do nothing more than open his hand and hold it out and accept whatever is given to him by God—which he certainly needs—with love and thanksgiving.

17. Fifth, the receiver, to whom this is given, is also depicted here. He is, in a word, the “world.” This is, first, a strange and unusual loving and giving. This is a very strange antitype: the one loved compared to the one loving. How does this love of God for the world make sense? What does He find in it that causes Him to pour Himself out so much for it? If it were said that He loved the angels, they at least are glorious, noble creatures, worthy of love. But what, on the other hand,⁶ is the world other than a great mass of people who do not fear, trust, or love, praise or thank God, who misuse all creatures, slander His name, and despise His Word? Moreover, they are disobedient, murderers, adulterers, thieves, scoundrels, liars, betrayers, full of unfaithfulness and all evil tricks. In short, they are transgressors of all commandments, insubordinate and refractory in every point, adhering to God’s enemy, the devil.

To this tender, sweet fruit, this dear and beautiful bride and daughter, He gives His dear Son and with Him everything. Yet He would have more than enough reason (if He only heard “the world” mentioned) instantly to smash her altogether to powder with His thunder and lightning and throw her into the abyss of hell. The word “world” sounds exceedingly shameful before God, and they are very rarely put together. “God loves the world” sounds like two highly contradictory things, almost as if someone said, “God loves death and hell and is the friend of His bitter, eternal enemy, the accursed devil.”

18. This love is demonstrated beyond measure, and the gift is made inexpressibly great, when we compare both the Giver and the one to whom it is given. God pours out His heart so very much toward the unlovely, hostile figure, whom He really should abandon to only wrath, vengeance, and damnation. He pays no attention to the fact that the world is so full of despising God, slander, disobedience, and utter ingratitude for all the gifts He previously bestowed on it, but swallows at once all its vices and sins. Even if the Giver were so great and full of goodness, the great wickedness and vices of the world, which are excessive and innumerable and great, ought to stop and restrain Him. What man can even count and sufficiently weigh his own sin and disobedience? Yet this great love overcomes Him so that He takes away from it each and every sin and transgression, so that they are forgotten eternally, dead, and gone, and instead He grants His Son and everything with Him.

19. Thus this article, for which St. Paul and the doctrine of faith contend, is sufficiently and undeniably proven and attested, namely, that we have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life without any of our merit and worthiness (gratis), out of pure grace, only for the sake of His beloved Son, in whom God has loved us so highly that this love takes away and blots out all our sins and the world’s sins. With us there is nothing but sin, for which He gives us His love and forgiveness. The prophet Isaiah (chapter 40 [:2]) says how the Gospel will be preached: “Her sin is forgiven, and she has received double from the hand of the Lord for all her sins.”

20. Thus this gift and grace is much greater, more boundless, and mightier than all sins on earth, so that the unworthiness of any man and of all of them together—even the deserved eternal wrath and damnation—cannot be so great that the greatness of this love and grace or forgiveness does not outweigh and even inundate them in height, depth, breadth, and width [Eph. 3:18], as St. Paul says, “Grace abounds more than sin” (Romans 5 [:20]). Psalm 103 [:11] says, “As high as the heaven is above the earth,” so far He takes all our sins away from us. What else can it be than the forgiveness of sin when He loves the world, while it is still stuck in all its sins, abominations, and slander? If He can love the world, which is His enemy and slanderer, in such a way and to such an extent that He gives Himself for it, how, then, can He be angry with you (if you seek and desire grace) or not want to forgive your sins?

21. What heart would not cheerfully expect all good from Him when He shows such love that He sent His dear Son to the evil, damnable people (that is, the whole world, which is all people), who never did anything good, but every hour acted against His Commandments? First of all, they should [not] have such great love and unspeakable good as a reward. What did I do and live previously in my life in the monastery, when I crucified Christ daily for fifteen years and practiced all idolatry! And besides all that with which I so highly angered Him, He loved me in such a way that He forgets all my evil and reveals to me His Son and Himself with all grace. This can truly be called an incredible richness of boundless love.

22. Lord God, how can the world not take to heart such excellent, great things? Should we not all be happy at heart here? We have lived to see the time when we can hear such things, love and praise this God, and in thanks not only gladly serve Him but also gladly suffer everything. Should we not even laugh if we have to die for the sake of His Word and obedience, and let this maggot sack⁷ be put to death through fire, sword, and all torment? However, thanks to the shameful, abominable unbelief and the great, blind darkness (about which Christ Himself later complains)—with which hearts are possessed—they are so obstinate and dead that we can hear such things and yet not believe!

23. Sixth, we next have the causa finalis,⁸ [that is,] why and to what purpose He does all this, and what His intention is. He obviously gives it not so that I can have something to eat and drink from it, or some ordinary worldly benefit, riches, honor, or power. Similarly, He does not want to give it as harm or poison, just as He has not given His Word, Baptism, and the Sacrament as poison, but so that we should have the highest, best benefit from it. He gives them for the purpose (He says) “that man would not be lost, but have eternal life” [John 3:16]. What this means is not that I would get many golden crowns and kingdoms from it, and yet still have to remain in sin and death, but that I would be free from hell and death and not lost eternally. What this gift will effect is that hell is obliterated for me, the devil is thrown under my feet, and thus my frightened, distressed, deadened heart becomes a cheerful, living heart; and, in summary, that I have eternal, imperishable life instead of eternal destruction and death.

24. This must certainly follow such an excellently high gift, when the Son of God is rightly known and grasped with the heart. Where He is, there must also be everything good, conquest over all evil and redemption from it, eternal freedom, glory, and joy—not, however, deserved by us. Rather, we are delivered by the great, eternal love with which God has mercy on our misery and distress and gave His Son. Otherwise, we would have to be and remain lost forever, irrespective of all our holiness from works and worship, and could never obtain eternal life.

25. Whoever can enlarge his heart has enough reason here to do so. What thing more glorious and better could you wish to say to a heart than that eternal life has been given and presented to it, so that death will never again be seen, and there will be no want, need, sorrow, and temptation forever? Rather, it will feel only joy and the full riches of all treasures, and be certain that we have a gracious God and that all creatures cheerfully smile on us. It can easily be seen from this that God does not have in mind or intend to slay and trouble the people, as the devil portrays it to timid hearts through the Law and by showing them their unworthiness. Rather, He wants to give life, the life that is called “eternal life” and “joy.” He gives His own Son as a pledge and token of this. He certainly would not do that if He did not love us but wanted to be angry and condemn us.

26. This and similar glorious and comforting passages should really be worth more to a Christian than the treasures of all the world, for they are the kind of words that no one can thoroughly investigate or exhaust. Yes, if they are rightly believed, they would make a good theologian or, even more, a strong, cheerful Christian who can speak and teach rightly about Christ, judge all other doctrines, advise and comfort anyone, and suffer everything that comes his way.

27. However, we must pray that the Holy Spirit would impress this on our hearts, and we must daily think this over, so that we fall asleep and wake up with these words. Now, however, as we regard them, so they take root, so that they cannot produce the fruit they should. Rather, we must bewail the world’s ingratitude, which lets [these words] pass by ears and hearts, while it seeks perishable goods, honor, and glory. As a result, it loses this eternal treasure, for which it must condemn and curse itself in hell forever.

28. Seventh and last, what is the way by which we are to grasp this treasure and gift, or what is the bag or chest in which we are to put it? It is faith alone (as Christ says here, “So that all who believe in Him will not be lost” [John 3:16], etc.). Faith opens its hands and pocket and simply lets good be done to it. Just as God, the Giver, grants this through His love, so we are the receivers through faith, which does nothing except receive the gift. It is not our doing, and it cannot be merited through our works. It has already been given and offered, but you are to open your mouth—or, rather, your heart—keep quiet, and be filled [cf. Ps. 81:10]. This can happen in no other way than by believing these words, since you hear that He requires faith here, which ascribes this treasure completely to it.

29. Here you also see what faith is and means: it is not a mere empty thought about Christ, that He was born of the Virgin, suffered, was crucified, rose, and ascended into heaven. Rather, faith is a heart that includes and contains the Son of God in itself, as these words read, and holds with certainty that God has offered up His only-begotten Son for us and loved us so much that for His sake we shall not be lost but have eternal life.

That is why He plainly says “all who believe in Him” [John 3:16]. This is a faith that does not look at its works, nor at the strength and worthiness of its faith, nor at what kind of qualitas—a created or infused virtue—lies in its heart, about which the blind sophists dream and delude themselves. Rather, apart from itself it clings to Christ and includes Him as its own, certain that it is loved by God for His sake, not because of its own works, worthiness, or merit; for all of that is not the treasure given by God, which is Christ, God’s Son, in whom we are to believe.

30. What other benefit would there be in the present or gift—which is faith itself—if it were nothing more than an unused tool and if people did not look at it and take comfort from what it grasps and contains? This alone is what makes it precious, so that people can say, “Faith may be a small and insignificant monstrance or box, but in it there is a gem, pearl, or emerald so precious that heaven and earth cannot contain it.”

31. Therefore, we teach from Scripture that we are justified and please God through faith alone, because it alone grasps and contains this treasure, the Son of God. If I weigh and compare this gift and my works with each other, then the scales are greatly tipped and overflow, so that all people’s holiness is nothing compared to a drop of the blood that He offered up and poured out for us, to say nothing about all that He has done and suffered. Therefore, I cannot at all rely on my own virtue or worthiness.

32. Why would we want to boast anymore about our deeds when we hear that our situation is such that we would altogether have to be lost forever, if this treasure had not been offered up for us? This takes the glory away not only from all human works but also from the entire Law of God, so that, even if someone has all of it and does it according to his ability, he still has not reached the point that he will not be lost. Otherwise, what other need would there be for these words: “so that all who believe in Him will not be lost,” etc.? Thus He shows that neither Moses nor the holiness of all people can redeem them from death or give life. It all depends only on this one Son of God.

33. Now you see what great and excellent things are combined in this passage. The Giver, who is so great and mighty, the Creator of all creatures, not only says, “Good morning,” or kindly smiles at us, but loves us—and loves us so heartily that He gives us not only a beggar’s portion of perishable goods but also His highest, dearest treasure, His Son, who is also Lord of heaven and earth. He shows this love not to His friends, but to those who are His enemies, and no creature (with the exception of the devil himself) is less worthy of that love. Thus He offers Himself up for them so that they are snatched out of death and hell and made certain of eternal life. What greater and higher thing could be said or thought, in every point?

34. No matter how great and inexpressible all of this is, it is in comparison much greater and more amazing that a human heart can believe all of this. It must be a heart that can grasp more than heaven and earth can contain. We must see what an excellent, divine power and work faith is. It can do what is impossible for nature and all the world and is no less miraculous than all God’s miracles and works, even greater than that God became man, born of a virgin (as St. Bernard says).⁹ The greatness of the things we are hearing about are too wide and far from each other to be compared, namely, the love of Him who gives and of Him who is given, and the unworthiness of the one given to. Everything is so very large, and the human heart is so very small, narrow, and weak that it must be startled and frightened at such greatness.

35. If it was said to me that God had endowed me above all people such that I should live on earth several thousand years, have peace and prosperity, and all that my heart desires, then I would say: “That cannot be God’s Word! It is too much and too great. Who am I that God should give me such things?” How much less does it enter the human heart that God should give this treasure, His Son, and with Him eternal life and salvation? Who can express how great it is? How precious and noble this merely bodily life is! Who would give it up for all the kingdoms, money, and goods on earth? But compared to eternal life and treasures, it is much less than a moment. In summary, it cannot be imagined, unless we might take away a little from it and so consider by comparison the harm and misery which is called “being lost forever.”

36. Nevertheless, a Christian must reach the point that he does God and the Lord Christ the honor of believing that His Word is the truth and of regarding his own unbelief as a liar. Where this happens, the Holy Spirit has already begun His power and work of faith, and the heart is so wide open that it can take hold of this treasure, which is greater than heaven and earth. Even so, this happens in great weakness, and on earth it can never attain to perceiving faith as it should, but it always remains in the longing and sighing of the Spirit, which is also inexpressible for man himself, so that his heart says: “If only that were true!” and “Who could believe it?” etc.

37. Nevertheless, this sighing and spark of faith does so much that God counts it as complete faith and says, “As you believe, so may it be to you.” Because you believe this, you will surely be saved, for this Word is a power and might stronger than all fright of sin and damnation. This gift is so great that it swallows sin, death, and hell, just as when a little drop of water falls into a glowing oven or when a little spark on a straw falls into the deep ocean. If only the heart could remember these words in temptation, then no devil or hell could frighten it, and it would cheerfully have to say: “Of what will I be afraid? I have God’s Son, given to me by the Father. Of this He gives me the Word as witness, which I know is His Word. It will not lie to me, as little as He can lie and deceive, even though I, unfortunately, cannot believe strongly enough.”

38. “Yes,” you say, “I would gladly believe if I were like St. Peter, Paul, and others who are righteous and holy, but I am too great a sinner. Who knows whether I am elect?” Answer: Look at the words! Look at how and about whom He is speaking: “God so loved the world” and “so that all who believe in Him” [John 3:16]. Now, “the world” does not mean only St. Peter and Paul, but the entire human race together, and here no one is excluded. God’s Son was given for all, all are to believe this, and all who believe will not be lost, etc. Look at yourself in the face,¹⁰ or look in your bosom,¹¹ to see whether or not you are also a human being (that is, a part of the world) and in the number which the word “all” includes, as well as others. If I and you do not accept this, then these words must also have been spoken falsely and in vain.

39. This was surely not preached—much less given and granted—to cows and geese. Therefore, beware of excluding yourself by permitting thoughts such as: “Who knows whether it has also been given to me?” That would be calling God a liar in His Word. Rather, make a cross before yourself and repeat these words: “Even if I am not St. Peter or Paul, I am still a part of the world. If He had wanted to give it only to the worthy, then He would have had to send this preaching only to the angels, who are pure and without sin. Yes, He would even have had to withhold it from St. Peter, David, and Paul, for they were sinners as well as I am. No matter who I am, I know that God’s Word is true, and if I do not accept it, then, on top of all other sins, I am also committing this one, that I regard God’s Word and truth as lies and am slandering them.”

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” [John 3:17]

40. In these words you hear even more forcibly and clearly what God’s will and intention is toward the world, that is, toward those who have sin and because of it are already under the judgment and verdict of damnation. He takes out of the way everything that wants to frighten us because of sins. He says simply and clearly that Christ was sent and His kingdom was established not so that He would condemn and damn. This judgment and verdict were already there over all people through the Law, because they are all born in sin, are already sentenced to death and the hangman with his rope, and the only thing lacking is for the sword to be drawn. Then Christ steps into the middle at God’s command, orders judge and jailer to leave off, and rescues and makes alive those who were condemned. The reason He comes is to help the world, which He finds already damned. This is shown also by the words He speaks—“in order to save the world”—for that is enough for us to understand that the world must have been damned. Why else does it need to be saved?

41. However, at that time this was an utterly absurd preaching to the Jews, and it is still an utterly absurd preaching to the world. They did not at all think that they were in such a condition that Christ had to come and save them (as damned and lost people). Rather, they hoped for a Christ who would praise, defend, and honor them because of their Law and holiness. Therefore, they could not believe or accept such a sermon. Similarly, when He tells them that the Son of God must set them free, they contradict Him: “But we are Abraham’s children and have never been enslaved to anyone” (John 8 [:33]). It was as if they would respond here: “Why do You dare to say that You were sent to save us? We are not damned people like the heathen.”

42. However, now we hear that Christ was sent to save those who are judged and condemned, so that we would know that He has come for our sake and wants to save us, who know and feel this. There must still be some who are being saved, so that He has not come in vain. Those can be no others than those who are oppressed and frightened by their misery and damnation. To them the kind words are spoken: “God so loved the world” [John 3:16], that is, just those who feel no love, but only wrath and damnation. “God has sent His Son not to judge, but to save those who are already judged,” etc. [John 3:17–18]. This is preached to the others in vain, since if someone does not believe that he is a sinner and damned, he will much less believe that he is saved only through Christ.

“Whoever believes in Him is not judged, but whoever does not believe has already been judged, for he does not believe on the name of the only-begotten Son of God.” [John 3:18]

43. This is the verdict that makes the distinction between those who are saved or damned. It does not depend on how worthy or unworthy you are, for it has already been determined that they are all sinners and worthy of damnation. Rather, it depends on whether you believe in this Christ or not. If you believe, then you have already been delivered, and the verdict of damnation has been taken away from you. However, if you do not believe, then this verdict remains over you, and it becomes even greater and weightier than before, because you are heaping up sins by not accepting Christ, who is to deliver you from judgment and damnation.

44. This is again a comforting passage against the temptation and fright of timid consciences which sigh for comfort and want to know how they stand with God. They should take these passages to their ears and heart, for they are spoken to them so that they would know that God has sent His Son not to judge but to save. It has already been determined before God that whoever believes in this Son will not be judged and need not be afraid of any judgment or damnation. Rather, he has been set free, so that the verdict and damnation of the Law has been taken away from him, and, in place of them, God’s grace and eternal life in Christ have been awarded and given to him, if only he believes these words.

45. On the other hand, a frightful verdict has fallen on the other crowd of those who do not believe this preaching but attempt to come before God and be saved with their own holiness and merit. With these words all grace is simply denied and refused to them, and they are locked up under damnation, from which they will not come out as long as they do not believe. Nothing will help them, even if they live in many great and difficult works and the excellent appearance of holiness. They did not just now become condemned by Christ but were already previously judged by God’s Law, because they did not acknowledge their sins and God’s wrath under which they were by nature. They even want to make themselves beautiful and righteous before God through His Law, and, moreover, they run against Him with the sin of despising the Son of God, who was given for their reconciliation and redemption from sin. That is why eternal wrath and curse must follow them, because they do not seek forgiveness of their sins in Christ but pile up and strengthen their sins by despising Him. This is just what John the Baptist says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not believe the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3 [:36]).

46. Christ gives the reason for this: “For he does not believe,” He says, “on the name of the only-begotten Son of God” [John 3:18]. Because they are all already previously under sin and guilty of damnation, God wants to liberate and accept no one, except for the sake of this Son, whom He gave and appointed for reconciliation.¹² That is why it should say “believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God,” that is, on the Word that is preached about Him. Faith cannot see or touch and perceive with the senses what He gives us, but it has no more than the name spoken over Him and the oral Word that we hear with our ears.

He wants to have us pinned and bound to this [Word], so that in faith we escape the judgment and are saved. The others, however, are justly damned, not because they have had sin, but because they despised the Son and did not want to believe in this name, which was proclaimed to them for salvation and blessedness. All creatures, sin, and death should and must yield to this name (wherever it is preached and believed); the devil and all the gates of hell must be frightened and flee from it.¹³

“But the judgment is that the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness more than the light, for their works were evil.” [John 3:19]

47. This is where the strife about this name and preaching of Christ begins, and the verdict of damnation becomes evident against the unbelieving crowd, because they do not accept this preaching. Rather, they do the opposite against God and simply cling to their own arrogant opinions against God’s clear Word and revelation of His will. This can be nothing but darkness, because it is contrary to the light of His Word, which shines openly in all the world. It shines on believers for the knowledge of God and salvation, but on the others for the disclosure and revelation of their thoughts (as the aged Simeon prophesies about Christ, Luke 2 [:35]), so that they cannot pretend and adorn themselves with the false appearance of holiness before the world, but rather [are shown to be] evil, poisonous worms, and pernicious and accursed people.

48. From this contrast to what Christ said above, we can find what the world is—I mean the tender, good, holy hypocrites and great servants of God. They are people who are not only in darkness—that is, in error and folly (which could still be forgiven)—but they love the [world]. That is, they want to praise, support, and cling to it, to the harm and displeasure of God and His Word. They are so crooked and irascible that, in place of the high, divine love and gift offered and given to such unworthy people, they most bitterly hate both God who gives and the high and costly gift, His dear Son. Yet these are obviously praiseworthy, righteous children, who cannot listen to or tolerate the truth and hate and run away from their own salvation.

49. What should we say about this wickedness of the world? Who could believe that on earth there could be people so wicked and completely full of devils that even when they see and hear the light from the inexpressible love and kindness of God, who wants to give them eternal life through His Son, nevertheless they do not want and cannot tolerate such preaching? Instead, they regard it as the most harmful poison and heresy, against which everyone should close his ears. Yes, even when the light is so obvious that they cannot speak against it, but must confess that it is the truth, yet they are so bitterly wicked that they cannot and will not accept it, but knowingly oppose it.¹⁴

No human heart would have been able to believe this (I say) if Christ had not said it. Indeed, no one would understand these words if facts and experience did not teach and testify about it. It can certainly be called a cursed, hellish wickedness which not only cares nothing for God’s Word, despises His love and grace, and does not want to give honor to the truth but also knowingly loves and seeks its own destruction and damnation. St. Paul says that his Jews do not regard themselves worthy of eternal life (Acts 13 [:46]).

50. People who are called God’s people, the most holy and righteous before the world, full of good works and great worship of God, must do these things. They are careful not to allow anyone to call their life and works evil (as Christ does here). Rather, while the Holy Spirit wants to point out their sins and direct them to Christ, through whom they should be redeemed and saved from sin and damnation, they go ahead and accuse this doctrine of forbidding and condemning good works, and therefore they say it must not be tolerated.

So God with His Word must bear the blame for their wickedness, even though He rebukes this and wants to bring them to a genuinely divine, blessed life. Well, He has done enough for the world, everything He should do, in letting His light shine, offering and declaring His love and eternal life in Christ. What more can they now plead for why they should not justly, even according to their own verdict and for their own guilt, be damned?

“Whoever does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his works may not be rebuked. But whoever does the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be obvious, for they have been done in God.” [John 3:20–21]

51. That their works are evil is proved because they hate the light and do not want to tolerate being placed openly in the light for judgment, by which people could know if they are genuine or not. Rather, they seek only the appearance before people outwardly. The world also acts this way in its affairs (and therefore Christ cites this proverb), that everyone arbitrarily does whatever he desires, and yet does not want what he did to be wrong, but wants to avoid criticism and be considered good by everyone. Even when he has gone too far in front of people, he seeks a cover somewhere to explain it away. That is why we cannot condemn anyone unless he is publicly convicted. When each one comes to judgment, he wants to be right and to make his opponent wrong; therefore, in order to learn the truth, we must bring things to light through public testimony and proof.

52. In itself, it is enough of a sign that things are not right when people refuse to be rebuked and are afraid and resist coming publicly into the light or tolerating a verdict and justice. This is like someone who lies naked under a bed, resists, tears, and rages before letting the blanket be taken away. He wriggles, struggles, and devises whatever he can to avoid being seen in such a shameless way. Every scoundrel, murderer, and adulterer, no matter how evil he is, even if he must condemn himself in his own conscience, nevertheless wants to be considered a man of honor. Much less can the world tolerate being rebuked in the things that reason cannot judge or fault and where the devil adorns and covers himself with the most beautiful conduct and appearance. Everyone who does evil wants to be good, pure, and holy, and just for that reason he persecutes the Gospel, because it wants to rebuke this. God must continue with His light so that the kind of fruit it is finally must become obvious. It becomes obvious when they, without any reason, persecute Christ, who wants to deliver them and all the world; when they slander and push away God’s Word, which brings them all grace and salvation; when they banish and murder good, innocent people, who confess the Word and love Christ.

53. It is also one of the fruits of the Gospel that it gives this light and rebukes or convicts the evil and exposes the devil, who formerly reigned with a great splendor so that no one recognized him, but regarded him to be God. Now, however, because his covering has been removed, he raves and rages so that we must notice and see that he is there. So this, too, must come to light: which is the true or false church, which are the true, righteous children of God or the devil’s hypocrites, liars, and murderers.

54. “But whoever does the truth,” He says, “comes to the light” [John 3:21], etc.; that is, it must become obvious who recognizes his sins from God’s Word, seeks grace, and loves Christ. Yes, he puts himself into the light, clings to God’s Word, honors the truth, and can tolerate having all his teaching, doing, and behavior brought to light. Moreover, he dares to defy all devils and people, and without subterfuge and timidity he lets himself be seen, heard, tested, and examined. God be praised, this is what our Gospel does and what good Christians do with their confession and lives! The others patch up and beautify themselves with lies and deceit and every evil trick, so that, even though they have been thwarted by the light, they learn from our teaching and words how to put cosmetics on what they do. Therefore, we see from their works and from revelation who is righteous and occupied with the truth and whose works are done in God, according to His Word and will, and are pleasing to Him.
_______________
1 This sermon is found in WA 21:479–97 (Aland Po 246; Cruciger’s edition of the Summer Postil, 1544). See also E² 12:350–73; StL 11:1092–115, from which: Lenker 3:350–71. The textual basis for this sermon cannot be determined (cf. WA 22:xxiii).
2 See the Church Postil, sermon for Trinity Sunday on John 3:1–15, Lenker 3:421–54 (LW 78).
3 Gebhart. The name “Gebhart” is formed from the verb geben, “to give,” and, as Luther uses it, means one who delights to give (DWB, s.v. “Gebhart” 1). See Dietrich’s edition of the House Postil (1544), sermon for Pentecost Monday on John 3:16–21, paragraph 3 (WA 52:326.21–32; Loy 2:179 [LW 81]).
4 Cf. Wander 2:300, “Hand” no. 146; perhaps: “It comes from a good heart.”
5 Read uns with E2 12:355 instead of und (WA 21:483.23).
6 Read hie gegen (i.e., hiegegen) with E2 12:356 instead of sie gegen (WA 21:484.27).
7 That is, the body. See above, p. 99 n. 22.
8 See above, p. 167 n. 14.
9 See Bernard (1090–1153), Sermons on the Eve of the Lord’s Birth 3.7–10 (PL 183:97–100; Irene Edmonds, Wendy Mary Beckett, Conrad Greenia, trans., Sermons for Advent and the Christmas Season, ed. John Leinenweber [Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian, 2007], pp. 65–69). Bernard speaks of the three miracles of Christmas, to which Luther refers in a Christmas sermon from 1520 (WA 7:188–89). The three miracles are (1) that God and man become one thing, (2) that Mary was and remained a virgin, and (3) that a human can believe such things. Luther agrees with Bernard that while the third miracle is the easiest to believe, nevertheless “in it there is the real miracle, that the Virgin Mary believes that these things would happen in her. This is so great that we cannot be sufficiently astonished at it” (WA 7:189.4–7). Bernard speaks of the three miracles as three “unions”: “God and man,” “mother and virgin,” and “faith and the human heart” (Edmonds, Beckett, and Greenia, Sermons for Advent and the Christmas Season, p. 67).
10 Greiff dich doch selbs bey der Nasen, literally, “Get hold of your own nose.” The saying means: “Know yourself” (cf. DWB, s.v. “Nase” I.5.c).
11 Again, the saying means “Know yourself.” It is explained in Wander 1:519, “Busen” no. 7.
12 versönung, or “atonement.”
13 Here the sixteenth-century printings add the header “II.,” marking what follows as a separate section (WA 21:494).
14 See above, p. 9 n. 9.

Martin Luther, “Gospel for Pentecost Monday,” in Luther’s Works, ed. Benjamin T. G. Mayes, James L. Langebartels, and Christopher Boyd Brown (Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2014), 77:365–81. See also Martin Luther, “Pentecost Monday (Second Sermon. John 3:16–21),” in Luther’s Church Postil: Gospels: Pentecost or Missionary Sermons, ed. and trans. John Nicholas Lenker, vol. III, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther (Minneapolis, MN: Lutherans in All Lands Co., 1907), 350–71.

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Thomas Brooks (1608–1680) on God Kneeling to Sinners in the Offers of Grace

Remedy (9). The ninth remedy against this device of Satan is, seriously to consider, That it is no disparagement to you to be first in seeking peace and reconcilement, but rather an honour to you, that you have begun to seek peace. Abraham was the elder, and more worthy than Lot, both in respect of grace and nature also, for he was uncle unto Lot, and yet he first seeks peace of his inferior, which God hath recorded as his honour.¹ Ah! how doth the God of peace, by his Spirit and messengers, pursue after peace with poor creatures. God first makes offer of peace to us: ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God,’ 2 Cor. 5:20. God’s grace first kneels to us, and who can turn their backs upon such blessed and bleeding embracements, but souls in whom Satan the god of this world kings it? God is the party wronged, and yet he sues for peace with us at first: ‘I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name,’ Isa. 65:1.² Ah! how doth the sweetness, the freeness, and the riches of his grace break forth and shine upon poor souls. When a man goes from the sun, yet the sunbeams follow him; so when we go from the Sun of righteousness, yet then the beams of his love and mercy follow us. Christ first sent to Peter that had denied him, and the rest that had forsaken him: ‘Go your ways, and tell his disciples and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you,’ Mark 16:7. Ah! souls, it is not a base, low thing, but a God-like thing, though we are wronged by others, yet to be the first in seeking after peace. Such actings will speak out much of God with a man’s spirit, &c.
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1 They shall both have the name and the note, the comfort and the credit, of being most like unto God, who first begin to pursue after peace.
2 Behold me! behold me! It is geminated [doubled] to shew God’s exceeding forwardness to shew favour and mercy to them.

Thomas Brooks, “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices,” in The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks, ed. Alexander Balloch Grosart, 6 vols. (Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert, 1866), 1:132–33.

All of the men within the broadly Augustinian tradition who use the metaphor of God begging that I have documented so far are the following:

Augustine (Early Church Father), Hugh Latimer (Early English Reformer), Isaac Ambrose (Puritan), Thomas Brooks (Puritan), Daniel Burgess (Puritan), Jeremiah Burroughs (Westminster divine), Richard Baxter (Puritan), Joseph Caryl (Westminster divine), Thomas Case (Puritan), Stephen Charnock (Puritan), John Collinges (Puritan), John Flavel (Puritan), Theophilus Gale (Puritan), William Gearing (Puritan), Andrew Gray (Puritan), William Gurnall (Puritan), Robert Harris (Westminster divine), Nathaniel Heywoood (Puritan), Thomas Larkham (Puritan), Thomas Manton (Puritan), John Murcot (Puritan), George Newton (Puritan), John Oldfield (Puritan), Anthony Palmer (Puritan), Edward Reynolds (Westminster divine), John Richardson (Puritan), Samuel Rutherford (Westminster divine), John Shower (Puritan), Richard Sibbes (Puritan), Sydrach Simpson (Westminster divine), William Strong (Westminster divine), George Swinnock (Puritan), John Trapp (Puritan), Ralph Venning (Puritan), Nathaniel Vincent (Puritan), Thomas Watson (Puritan), Daniel Williams (Puritan), Samuel Willard, Benjamin Wadsworth, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Solomon Stoddard, Samuel Davies, Ralph Erskine, Charles Spurgeon, Thomas Chalmers, Walter Chantry, Erroll Hulse, John MacArthur, Steve Lawson, Paul Washer, and Fred Zaspel.

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Benjamin Keach’s (1640–1704) Notes Related to Matthew 23:37

THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST TO SINNERS UNDER THE SIMILITUDE OF A HEN

“How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Matt. 23:37.

The Lord Jesus shows by these words his great compassion and affection to the Jews, who refused the offers of his love and infinite favour.

Three things are considerable in the text.
1. Christ’s grace and good intention to them, “How often would I have gathered thy children together,” &c.
2. The way or manner which he took in order to the accomplishing his gracious design and purpose touching them,—“As a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.”
3. The Jews’ obstinacy; “Ye would not.”
The Lord condescends very low in making this simile of a Hen; the nature and property of which creature take as follows, so far as it will hold parallel to the case in hand.

SIMILE.
PARALLEL.

I. Nullum enim animal circa pullos suos tanta compassione movetur, &c., saith Bernard [Bern. de pass. Dom. cap. v.], “There is no creature that is moved with so much compassion towards her young ones, as the Hen.”
I. The Lord Jesus was moved with the greatest compassion imaginable towards the poor Jews and Jerusalem, which he was first sent to, and came to seek and to save. This is signified abundantly by that wonderful passion, that seized upon his Spirit, when he came near the city, and by his expressions in the text, &c., it is said, “He wept over it,” &c., and cried out with a mournful voice, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” &c., Matt. 23:37, Luke 19:41, 42.

II. The Hen is observed to fly in the very face of such ravenous birds as strive to destroy her chickens; she strives to save and defend them with all her might, though with the utmost hazard of her life.
II. The Lord Jesus Christ to save and defend the offspring of Israel, and the poor sinners of the Gentiles, did not refuse to encounter with the greatest of their enemies: he resisted the devil, who sought to make a prey of them, &c., Matt. 4:6, 8. No enemy that strove to devour us, but Christ endeavoured to defend us from him.

III. Such is the Hen’s care of, and affection towards her chickens, that she for their sakes is made weak in all her members, and brought to extreme faintness. Hoc genus animantis magnum affectum in filios habet, ita ut eorum infirmitate affecta, &c., (saith Austin) “this creature shows great affection towards her young ones, that being affected with their weakness, she also is made weak.”
III. Christ, that he might save poor perishing sinners, by taking man’s nature upon him, was made weak in the same sense, as it is said he became poor: such was the greatness of his love and affection towards us, that “he bare our sickness, and carried our sorrows,” Isa. 53:4. To what extremity of faintness was he brought, when “he sweat as it were great drops of blood!” And when the ponderous cross was laid upon him, as they led him to Golgotha, it is said, “He fainted,” Luke 22:44. “He was touched with the feelings of our infirmities, being made like to us in all things, sin only excepted,” Heb. 4:15.

IV. The Hen clucks often, and with a mournful voice, as it were, calls her chickens to her, when she perceives they are in danger by the kite, or any other enemy, to be destroyed.
IV. Christ calls to poor helpless and impenitent sinners very often, with a mournful voice, and tears in his eyes, “O that thou hadst known, in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes! O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” why, what is the matter? An enemy is at hand, ruin is at the door; “Why will you die, O house of Israel?” Ezek. 18:31. Now it is to England, yea, to London: O that they would once hear Christ’s call before it is too late, and the things that concern their peace be hid from their eyes! &c.

V. The Hen stands ready prepared to receive her chickens under her wings, to defend them against all violence that may happen to them.
V. The Lord Jesus stands with his arms and heart open, ready to receive all true penitent sinners, that come unto him; “I have spread out my hands all the day long,” &c. Isa. 65:2. “Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” &c. Matt. 11:28, 29.

VI. The Hen is very desirous to gather all her chickens together, and cover them with her wings; she would not have one of them wanting.
VI. The Lord Jesus hath such bowels of pity and compassion to sinful mankind, that he would have none of them perish, “But come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved,” 1 Tim. 2:2, 3, 4. How desirous is he to get them all under his wings of grace and protection; “Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, O house of Israel? turn and live, saith the Lord,” Ezek. 18:31, 32. “How often would I have gathered thy children together!” &c.

VII. The Hen gathers her chickens to her; and that they may have food as well as nourishment and shelter, she looks about and scratches to get them meat.
VII. The Lord Jesus calls to sinners, that they may have the bread of life. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,” Isa. 55:1. “Eat ye that which is good; yea, the bread that never perisheth,” John 6:27. Christ gives bread that never perisheth.

VIII. The Hen succours, refreshes, and makes lively such chickens that are weak and hang down their wings, and can scarce go; she soon recovers them when she gets them under her wings.
VIII. All sin-sick and diseased souls that are weak and hang down their heads, or their wings, and go drooping all the day, as it were, half-dead, no sooner are they got under the wings of Christ, but he graciously succours and refreshes them, making them brisk and very lively.

IX. The Hen, it is observed, if she find any crumbs, corn, or any other good thing, she gives it to her chickens, though she want it herself: she spares out of her own mouth, and puts it into theirs.
IX. Christ out of his infinite bowels to his people, finding no other meat was so good and excellent for them, gave them food from heaven, even his own body, “My flesh is meat indeed,” &c., John 6:55.

SIMILE.
DISPARITY.
I. The Hen cannot save and defend her chickens under her wings, When she hath gathered them to her, being a poor, weak, inconsiderable creature.
I. The Lord Christ is strong and able to save, hide, and defend all his people that come to him, under his wings, being the most high, omnipotent, eternal Jehovah: “The Father and I am one:” “He thought it no robbery to be equal with God,” Phil. 2:6, 7.

II. The Hen, when her chickens are grown up, cares not for them; she will (it is noted) rather strike at them, and beat them from her.
II. Our blessed Saviour will never cease to take care of, and provide for his poor children; his eye is as well upon the oldest and strongest Christians as upon the weakest and youngest: “Cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you,” &c.

III. The Hen loses oftentimes her chickens; the kite gets them away from her, and makes a prey of them.
III. The Lord Jesus Christ cannot, will not lose one of them that the Father hath given him, “Those that thou hast given me I have lost none, but the son of perdition,” &c. John 17:12, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish,” &c. John 10:28.

IV. A Hen soon forgets her chickens, which she hath bred and brought up.
IV. Christ never can, nor will forget his saints, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, she may, but I will not forget thee,” Isa. 49:15, 16.

INFERENCES

I. What great encouragement doth this similitude afford to all, yea to the vilest of sinners? O what compassion is there in Christ’s heart towards you, how willing is he to gather you to himself!
II. It also informs us of that great blindness and horrid obstinacy which is in the hearts of wicked men; “How often would I have gathered Israel, and they would not be gathered! I would, but ye would not!” how dare sinners then to charge their eternal overthrow, perishing, and ruin upon the Lord Jesus Christ? “Know, O sinner, thy destruction is of thyself,” Hos. 13:9.
III. It also truly informs us, that all safety and salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Under his wings we must get if we would be secure from the enemy of our souls, and be delivered from eternal danger: “Unto him shall the gathering of the people be,” Gen. 49:10.
IV. Of what amazing nature was the great condescension of the blessed Jesus, who made himself of no reputation! became weak, poor, and sensible of our infirmities, touching the flesh, that we might be strong, rich, and partake of his perfections, and glorious fulness, Phil. 2:7.
V. Here is also very much comfort to all true believers, whoever they be, that are gathered by the word and Spirit unto Christ: he will succour, guide, revive, and defend them for ever. He infinitely out-doth the Hen; his bowels exceed the bowels of the tenderest mother to her sucking child. He is strong enough also, as well as tender, not only willing but able. Fear not Satan, “he hath swallowed up death in victory.” The kite hath (as one observes) as it were an aching tooth at the chickens, fain would he make a prey of them: so would the devil of believers. Christ knows how to preserve them, by gathering them all under his wings. Soul, fear not, if thou art under the protection of the Lord Jesus Christ, thou art in safety from all temporal aud spiritual dangers.
VI. If Christ be so tender and compassionate unto sinners, and seeks to gather them unto him; who will pity them if they perish at last and are damned, when all is from their own vile, stubborn, and wilful obstinacy?
VII. If the Lord Jesus Christ be so tender of, and kind to his saints which he hath gathered to himself, and sheltered under his wings; then let this doctrine teach Christians in an especial manner to be kind one to another, and tender one of another, and to do their utmost endeavour to defend one another in this evil day, from the common enemy both of body and soul.
VIII. This may serve for seasonable reproof to all those, who profess the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and hope for preservation by him, and shelter under his wings, yet, instead of endeavouring to the utmost to help one another, revile, backbite, and persecute one another, for small and circumstantial differences in profession, and thereby give the common enemy advantage over them both, “A divided house cannot stand,” Mark 3:25.

Benjamin Keach, Tropologia: A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors (London: William Hill Collingridge, 1856), 458–60.

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