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ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Facing Thorny Issues on a Normal Rockwell Saturday in Springdale.
To Build a Fire Turns into "To Plant a Rose"
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| Falling in Love - Fragrant pink - is now the star of the main rose garden. Contenders in the memorial row are Veterans Honor, Peace, and Queen Elizabeth. |
Friday, Edmunds Roses emailed me to expect the ordered roses on Saturday - by 8 PM. I was hoping that meant earlier in the day, so I followed the package via the Net.
"They're on the truck!" I said to Mrs. Ichabod.
"We have to go shopping!"
"Nooooooooo."
We left and came back to the box perched on the front porch.
I already had three barrels filled with water. I was out of rainwater, so I used tap-water, which aerated overnight. I knew rain was on the way - or hoped it was - so I was not worried. Sunday or Monday the rain was due, so I had Saturday to plant.
Sassy came out to supervise, and our helper came over to mulch the maple tree rose garden. I should have soaked the clay soil the night before, a big lapse. Thorough soaking the day before will yield a good texture to dig in. Too little moisture is like digging in a heavily used parking lot. Too much water means slopping through and sitting in mud. I ended up with dry and hard soil, perfect soil for planting, and muddy gooshy clay.
However, I thoroughly enjoy planting roses because of their potential. Once again I was digging in the lawn because Mrs. I said, "No more grass!" Those tough grass and clover roots will be turned into compost as we cover the green areas with cardboard, newspaper, and shredded wood mulch.
Sassy came out to supervise. She walked down the row and sniffed at each new hole. After some time she became restless to see the neighbors. We walked to the corner to talk to our neighbors, who are part-Indian brothers. Sassy is great friends with them. Mike suggested rain was coming soon, and he was almost correct.
After we talked about rain, Sassy and I crossed the cul-de-sac to talk to the four S sisters. Their names all start with S, so we often call them the Four Esses. The girls were chalking the sidewalk and doing cartwheels. S-3 is especially fond of Sassy, so our dog got some thorough petting. Sassy also scratched her back on the sidewalk and erased some chalk. Everyone laughed.
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| Fragrant Cloud's color is hard to define. I have seen it written up as "brick" and "dark red." The fragrance of one bloom will fill a room, and the bush produces flower after flower. |
Next we talked to a Laotian-American, Nicky, a recent college graduate, one of the first people we met when we moved in. His mother is friends with Mrs. I, so I got my wife to come out. Meanwhile, Nicky wanted a tour of our berry plants, so we took Sassy and Nicky's dog over to see the backyard. We have wild strawberries, beauty berries, raspberries, blackberries, blue berries, pokeberries, elder berries, and goose berries.
The informal neighborhood gathering started to break up as the wind increased and the clouds darkened. I had plenty of planting left, since I stopped to soak the clay every so often. Soon I felt like the freezing man in Jack London's To Build a Fire. My sweats were boggy with cold water and clay mud. I threw off my gardening gloves, which were caked with mud. I washed off my clippers, brown with mud.
I also had a few more Falling in Love roses than I needed for that new row, so I began digging around the maple tree circle. I knew a few places were open, so I began flailing at those dry and root-plagued spots. Rain began to fall.
Like a lot of projects, careful digging and placing of the bush ended up as flying dust and smacking the bush down with wads of soil tossed on top. My bags of composted cow manure were handy to finish up the job, since the material was heavy and easily pushed into place, holding the roots down.
The motivating rain stopped, but we had a windy night. The front yard looks promising, although it needs a lot more cardboard, newspaper, and mulch. All the neighbors are excited about the expanded rose garden.
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| Peace has remained a popular rose. My experience is seeing the entire bush burst into bloom at once, with large elegant blooms. |
Roses Need This Kind of Treatment
- They are the queen of all flowers, so treat them royally. They stand alone. Do not crowd them.
- The grow best without toxins, whether insecticides or fungicides or chemical fertilizer.
- A heavy organic mulch will block weeds and turn former lawn grass into compost.
- Red wiggler earthworms will do all the digging needed. Sell the rototiller.
- Roses do not belong to the cactus family, so keep them watered between rainstorms.
- Pruning energizes and beautifies roses, so prune often. a) I let KnockOut roses remain for color, then prune them all off at once. b) I cut roses for the altar, for doctors, for friends, for neighbors - my favorite form of pruning.
- Expect aphids, but think of them as beneficial insect food. The next round of blooms will be protected by spiders and beneficial bugs who prey on aphids.
- Blackspot is omnipresent and not a big deal. Do not spray for blackspot: it is a racket.
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| We wanted one rose in the lavender color range. Barbra Streisand is a good producer. |
The Second Sunday after Easter - Misericordias Domini. The Good Shepherd
John 10:11-16
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| http://www.normaboecklerart.com |
Misericordias Domini – The Second Sunday after Easter, 2014
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 426 The Lord My Shepherd Is
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 426 The Lord My Shepherd Is
The Good Shepherd - Guiding and Guarding Us
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #50 Lord Dismiss Us
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #50 Lord Dismiss Us
Second Sunday After Easter
Lord God, heavenly Father, who of Thy fatherly goodness hast been mindful of us poor, miserable sinners, and hast given Thy beloved Son to be our shepherd, not only to nourish us by His word, but also to defend us from sin, death, and the devil: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that, even as this Shepherd doth know us and succor us in every affliction, we also may know Him, and, trusting in Him, seek help and comfort in Him, from our hearts obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himselfto him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Three of Luther’s sermons on this text:
Misericordias Domini. Second Sunday After Easter. John 10:11-16. Christ’s Office and Kingdom; or How Christ is the True Shepherd
Second Sermon: Preachers, Civil Authorities, and the Knowledge of Christ
Third Sermon: The Good Shepherd and his Sheep; or Christ’s Person, Office and Rulership
Second Sermon: Preachers, Civil Authorities, and the Knowledge of Christ
Third Sermon: The Good Shepherd and his Sheep; or Christ’s Person, Office and Rulership
The Good Shepherd - Guiding and Guarding Us
KJV John 10:11 I AM the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
There are seven (traditionally) but really eight I AM lessons in John -
- And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).
- Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).
- “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9).
- “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
- Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).
- Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
- “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1).
Some overlook the theme statement in John 8, which identifies the Angel of the Lord in the Burning Bush with Jesus - "Before Abraham was, I AM." See Exodus 3 - the Angel of the Lord is God. His name is I AM.
See also Matthew 14:28 - literally "Do not be afraid, I AM."
So these are sermons about the nature of God, since Jesus is God and as God Incarnate shows us the true nature of God.
Doctrinal Gospel
One person regularly communicates with m about various topics. When I pointed out how many doctrinal issues are resolved by the Fourth Gospel, he called it The Doctrinal Gospel.
Given our knowledge about the public ministry of Jesus from the other Gospels. the Gospel of John gives us far more of Jesus' teaching about Himself.
Gigantic volumes of made-up stuff can be found in world religion, men searching for the true nature of God and yet teaching from their own imaginations. Would that be ironic for God to say, "I will reveal the most about Myself in the simplest book of the New Testament, so simple it can be used to learn a new language. Simple words. Simple grammar. Short sentences. Repetition. And yet, to get some of the meaning from this work, you will need to write very large commentaries about it."
This opening statement says so much, literally I AM the Shepherd, the Noble. The grammar emphasizes the unique nature of Jesus as the Shepherd. We have downgraded so many words and discard other good ones that we are stuck with I am the Good Shepherd.
But this means - I AM the Template for all shepherds (pastors).
I AM the ultimate Shepherd.
I AM the Shepherd who embodies Psalm 22 and Psalm 23 and Isaiah 53.
That is because Jesus defines His shepherd's role as "laying down His life for the sheep."
In saying this, Jesus places Himself above anyone who might call himself a shepherd, although there are many who give up their lives, following His example. But they cannot atone for the sins of the world.
Jesus definition identifies Him with Psalm 22, the description of the Passion, Psalm 23, the result of His death and resurrection, and with Isaiah 53 - the meaning of His suffering and death. "By His stripes we are healed."
I find it strange and ironic that the divine solution for our anxieties and guilt is treated with contempt by the modern theologians. They snort that they cannot believe in the Son of God dying for their sins. Very well. They have nothing to say to anyone, because they cannot even represent the historic Christian faith. But they cannot stop yakking, writing, braying about their opinions. They say the Word does not accomplish anything, but their words are so precious they fill the world with them.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
All true confessions of faith include the positive and the negative. In fact, that is part of normal argumentation. If something is true, then it necessarily excludes what is false. "A square is always a rectangle, but a rectangle is not always a square." That is the basis for logic and learning in the West, at least 2400 years old.
Although we take that for granted, in secular knowledge, this same thought drives people crazy in discussion Christian doctrine. They want positive affirmations without any negations. That is the best approach to establish false doctrine, to have this attitude, because "Error loves ambiguities."
As long as people can think abut a matter in two ways, then error can slowly establish the wrong way.
Jesus commanded the Sacraments, so let's call them ordinances. In a sense they are ordinances. But that term is designed to deny the efficacy of the Word in Holy Baptism and Holy Communion (two combinations they do not like, for some reason). The real meaning of the word ordinance is " Jesus commanded it, so we have to do it, but neither one conveys forgiveness of sin."
The hired hands are the dangerous ones - and they are not shepherds. The difference is clear. Those who seek to be pastors for the sake of money and security are nothing more than hired hands who have no love for the sheep at all. The Fuller trained Lutheran pastor who advocated entertainment, not worship, has given his entire congregation over to the Pentecostals (Community of Joy, Glendale, is now Dream City Assemblies of God, Pentecostal). Thousands of nominal Lutherans are being led away from whatever Gospel they might know into denial of the Sacraments and rejection of infant faith.
Hired hands do well within the structure. If anyone challenges them, they raise the alarm, against the truth. That makes the sheep agitated, so it must be bad to challenge the hired hands. The one thing the belly servers agree on - is keeping their jobs safe. They have the tightest union of all.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
The hired hands run away from any kind of danger, even before there is danger, because they are motivated by fear, lacking faith. Those laity who see things the same way view material gain as the proof of God's blessings. That is an easy cycle to get into. The minister says, "I drive a new Caddy because I am so good at what I do. You have to pay tribute to me, literally, so you can have the same." So he charges people to gain the way he has, and if they do not, it is their fault.
But when trouble comes, he is this or that, and soon he is gone.
Luther:
28. Because this is so, the good shepherds are thus distinguished from the hirelings. Whoever is a hireling will preach the Gospel only so long as they say of him that he is a learned, pious and good man; but when he is attacked, and men begin to denounce him as a heretic and a knave, and challenge him to a dispute, he recants or runs away, and abandons the poor sheep in their distress, and things are in a worse state than they were before. For what advantage has it been to the poor sheep that they had once been well kept? Had the shepherds been faithful, they would have sacrificed their bodies and lives for the sake of the sheep, and would have given their necks to the executioner for the Gospel’s sake. Accordingly, they are never true shepherds who, in preaching, have their own popularity, profit and advantage in view. They are surely hirelings; for they seek their own advantage, even when they dispense the true doctrine and Word of God. Therefore they continue only as long as they are honored and praised.
Hence they retract, and deny the Word, when the wolf comes, or flee and leave the sheep in the lurch. The sheep bleat for pasture and for the shepherd to protect them from the wolves, but there is no one to succor them; thus they are deserted when they most need some one to help them.
Luther:
28. Because this is so, the good shepherds are thus distinguished from the hirelings. Whoever is a hireling will preach the Gospel only so long as they say of him that he is a learned, pious and good man; but when he is attacked, and men begin to denounce him as a heretic and a knave, and challenge him to a dispute, he recants or runs away, and abandons the poor sheep in their distress, and things are in a worse state than they were before. For what advantage has it been to the poor sheep that they had once been well kept? Had the shepherds been faithful, they would have sacrificed their bodies and lives for the sake of the sheep, and would have given their necks to the executioner for the Gospel’s sake. Accordingly, they are never true shepherds who, in preaching, have their own popularity, profit and advantage in view. They are surely hirelings; for they seek their own advantage, even when they dispense the true doctrine and Word of God. Therefore they continue only as long as they are honored and praised.
Hence they retract, and deny the Word, when the wolf comes, or flee and leave the sheep in the lurch. The sheep bleat for pasture and for the shepherd to protect them from the wolves, but there is no one to succor them; thus they are deserted when they most need some one to help them.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
This is a great verse to remember. Jesus knows every single one of his sheep by name. That is why we call our first names our Christian name. Every soul has a name.
This sermon is also good because it touches upon the knowledge and experience of his listeners. When shepherds put their sheep in a group pen, there was no problem leading them out, because the sheep listened to the voice of their own shepherd. They knew him by his voice, and the shepherd called them by their individual names.
That is true of our dog Sassy. People try calling her over. I say, "Use her name, and she will listen." They call her by name and she comes over if she has already met the person.
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| I have seen this happen when preaching about the inerrancy of the Word. |
Those who believe in Christ enjoy His voice and love to hear about Him. If I happen to speak to a large group of people, the believers become alert to words about faith in Christ. Unbelievers get angry and cross their arms.
That is also revealed when sound doctrine is contrasted with false doctrine. A big firestorm erupts because their Father Below does not like to hear the genuine Gospel, and he certainly cannot abide hearing a muted and compromised Gospel compared to the plain Word of God.
The servants of their Father Below conclude that someone must really be a bad person to be kicked around so much for speaking the truth. After all, their pastors have the biggest houses, the slickest cars, and the greatest honors in the visible church.
The comfort of hearing the voice of the Shepherd should never be overlooked. Whenever we are troubled, we should turn to the Word of God and listen to that one, clear, true Voice, especially in the Gospel of John.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Some verses are so well known to us that we can pass by them easily, but we should not. This Father-Son relationship is taught throughout the Gospel of John. It teaches us that when we see the Son, we also see the Father. When we hear the Son, we also hear the Father. The Holy Spirit witnesses this to us through the Word.
Too many pretend to love the Son but hate the Father. They try to separate the two and tell everyone how pious they are for loving the Son (in their own way) but ignoring and teaching against what the Son tells us in the clearest possible language.
If the laity and pastors get one passage in their minds and fully appreciate its meaning, they can defeat all the false teachers with it.
What is sin?
That is answered by Jesus.
The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin.
Sin is - He will convict them because they do not believe on Me.
Therefore, unbelief is the ultimate sin and not to be equated with justification.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
I went to a conference that thought this verse was about the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. Jesus wanted all denominations to be united in unfaith.
It is good to remember this - the liberals and Fuddlementalists use the Scriptures the same way. They quote a passage and give it their own explanation, which has nothing to do with the Word's meaning.
There is One Church, which is invisible. This true Church is made up of all those who sincerely believe in Christ as their Savior and trust only in Him, not in their merits or works. For that reason, members of this true Church belong to many different denominations and may not have a specific affiliation. God knows who these souls are. They are one fold and they have One Savior.
I went to a conference that thought this verse was about the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. Jesus wanted all denominations to be united in unfaith.
It is good to remember this - the liberals and Fuddlementalists use the Scriptures the same way. They quote a passage and give it their own explanation, which has nothing to do with the Word's meaning.
There is One Church, which is invisible. This true Church is made up of all those who sincerely believe in Christ as their Savior and trust only in Him, not in their merits or works. For that reason, members of this true Church belong to many different denominations and may not have a specific affiliation. God knows who these souls are. They are one fold and they have One Savior.
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Ezekiel 34 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.
5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
8 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
10 Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
11 For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the LordGod.
16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.
18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
20 Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.
21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
24 And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.
25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
30 Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God.
31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.
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| Jesus Cleansing the Temple,by Norma Boeckler |
Luther's Sermon for the Second Sunday after Easter
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| He shall feed His flock like a shepherd. He shall carry the lambs in His arms, and gently lead those with young. Norma Boeckler |
Luther's Sermon for MISERICORDIAS DOMINI - SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
This sermon is not found in edition c. It appeared in eight different editions in tract form during 1523, under the title, “A Sermon on the Good Shepherd, John 10. Dr. Martin Luther, Wittenberg 1523.” It appeared also in the collection of “Ten Sermons Preached at Wittenberg by the Very Beloved Dr. M. Luther.”
German text: Erlangen Edition, vol. 12, page 1; Walch Edition, 11:1064; St. Louis Walch 11:778. “Have mercy upon me, O Lord.”
Psalm 51 (Misericordias. Also called “Shepherd Sunday”).
Text; John 10:11-16. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them: he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the. Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.
CONTENTS:
CHRIST’S OFFICE AND KINGDOM.
* The Summary of this Gospel
* The double preaching of God 2-3.
* The preaching of the papists 4.
I. HOW THE NATURE OF CHRIST’ S OFFICE AND KINGDOM ARE SET FORTH IN THIS SERMON.
A. The Nature of this Office and Kingdom 5-9.
B. How this Nature is Illustrated by its Opposite, 1. In General 10-11, 2. In Particular. a. The first part of this Illustration 12-13. b. The second part 14-15. c. The third part 16-17. d. The fourth part 18. e. The fifth part 19.
* In what way Christ is to be preached
* In Christ’s kingdom we are not to seek only the strong and holy persons, but also the weak and sickly 21-24.
II. HOW CHRIST ILLUSTRATES HIS OFFICE AND KINGDOM IN THIS SERMON BY CONTRASTING GOOD AND BAD SHEPHERDS
III. HOW CHRIST ENFORCES IN THIS SERMON THE SPECIAL OFFICE HE ADMINISTERS
30-33.
* What reply we are to make to those who say that all people will yet come to Christ before the end of the world 34.
SUMMARY OF THIS GOSPEL:
1. Christ alone is the shepherd. He feeds his sheep with the Word, as he says to Peter in John 21:16: “Peter, feed my sheep.” And Christ does this that they may believe and live. Whatever is preached besides the Gospel is all poison and death to the sheep.
2. Christ is solicitous, and keeps watch over his sheep: which is a great consolation and of which, nearly every prophet boasted and preached.
3. There is indeed only one voice, and that is Christ’s Word; but there are many calls; for he calls his sheep by name, one by this name, another by a different name.
5. This shepherd knows of no human shepherd, because his kingdom is not of this world.
6. They who seek only their own selfish ends, do not stand firm in the time of temptation and opposition; therefore they must always want that which they seek.
1. This is a comforting Gospel, which so beautifully portrays the Lord Jesus and teaches us what manner of person he is, what kind of works he does, and how he is disposed toward men. And there is no better way to understand it than to contrast light and darkness and day and night; that is, the good shepherd with the wicked one, as the Lord himself does.
2. Now, you have often heard that God has given the world two different proclamations. One is that which is declared in the Word of God when it says: Thou shalt not kill, not commit adultery, not steal ( Exodus 20:13-15), and when it adds the threat that all who do not keep these commandments shall die. But this declaration will make no one godly at heart. For though it may compel a man outwardly to appear godly before men, inwardly it leaves the heart at enmity with the Law, and wishing that there were no such Law.
3. The other proclamation is that of the Gospel. It tells where one may obtain that which will meet the demands of the Law. It does not drive or threaten, but tenderly invites us. It does not say, Do this and do that, but rather: Come, I will show you where you may find and obtain what you need to make you godly. See, here is the Lord Jesus; he will give it to you.
Therefore, the two are as contrary to each other as taking and giving, demanding and presenting; and this distinction must be well observed. Thus God ever has ruled and still rules the world today. To coarse and rude persons, who are not influenced by the Gospel, the Law must be declared, and they must be driven until they are humbled and acknowledge their imperfections. When this has been accomplished, the Gospel is to be applied.
4. These are the two divine proclamations, which come from heaven.
Besides these there are others that are not from heaven, but are human prattle, which the pope and our bishops have invented that they might terrify our consciences. Such men are not worthy of being called shepherds or hirelings, but they are here designated by the Lord Jesus as thieves, murderers and wolves. For if men are to be savingly governed, it must be done with the Word of God; and if it is not done by the Word of God, they are not properly governed.
I. THE NATURE OF THE OFFICE AND KINGDOM OF CHRIST EXPLAINED.
5. Now, here Jesus has in mind the second proclamation. He explains it and sets himself forth as the chief shepherd, yea, as the only shepherd; for that which he does not tend is not kept. This comforting and sweet proclamation we will now consider.
6. You have heard that after his sufferings and death Christ our Lord arose from the dead and entered upon, and was enthroned in, an immortal existence. Not that he might sit up there in heaven idly and find pleasure in himself, but that he might take charge of the kingdom of which the prophets and all the Scriptures have so fully spoken, and might rule as a king. Therefore, we should think of him as being present and reigning among us continually, and never think of him as sitting up there doing nothing, but rather that he from above fills and rules all things, as Paul says to the Ephesians 4:10, and especially that he is taking care of his kingdom, which is the Christian faith, and that therefore his kingdom among us here on earth must prosper. This kingdom, as we have said, is so constituted that we all must daily increase and grow in holiness, and it is not governed by any other power save the oral proclamation of the Gospel.
7. This proclamation is not of men, but Christ himself sent it forth, and then put it into the hearts of the apostles and their successors so that they understood it, and into their mouths so that they spoke and declared it.
This is his kingdom, and so does he rule that all of his power is comprehended in and connected with the Word of God. They who hear and believe it belong to this kingdom, and the Word then becomes so mighty that it provides all that man may need and bestows all the blessings that we may desire. For it is the power of God, and it can and will save all who believe it, as St. Paul declared to the Romans 1:16. If you believe that Christ died to save you from all evil, and will hold fast to that Word, you will find it so certain and sure that no creature can overthrow it; and as no one can overthrow the Word, neither can anyone harm you who believe it. Accordingly, with the Word you will overcome sin, death, devil and hell, and you will find a refuge in the Word and attain that which is found where the Word is, namely, everlasting peace, joy and life. In short, you will be participants in all the power that is in the Word. Therefore, it is a peculiar kingdom. The Word is present and is orally proclaimed to all the world, but its power is deeply hidden, so that none but they who believe realize that it is so effective and that it accomplishes such great things. It must be experienced and realized by the heart.
8. Hence, all that we preachers can do is to become the mouthpieces and instruments of Christ our Lord, through whom he proclaims the Word bodily. He sends forth the Word publicly so that all may hear it, but that the heart inwardly experiences it, that is effected through faith and is wrought by Christ in secret where he perceives that it can be done according to his divine knowledge and pleasure. That is why he says: “I am the good shepherd.” And what is a good shepherd? “The good shepherd,” says Christ, “layeth down his life for the sheep; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” In this one virtue the Lord comprehends and exemplifies all others in the beautiful parable of the sheep. Sheep, you know, are most foolish and stupid animals. When we want to speak of anybody’s stupidity we say, “He is a sheep.” Nevertheless, it has this trait above all other animals, that it soon learns to heed its shepherd’s voice and will follow no one but its shepherd, and though it cannot help and keep and heal itself, nor guard itself against the wolf, but is dependent upon others, yet it always knows enough to keep close to its shepherd and look to him for help.
9. Now, Christ uses this trait or nature of the animal as an illustration in explaining that he is the good shepherd. In this manner he plainly shows what his kingdom is, and wherein it consists, and would say: My kingdom is only to rule the sheep; that is poor, needy wretched men, who well see and realize that there is no other help or counsel for them.
10. But that we may make it the plainer, and may understand it the better, we will cite a passage from the prophet Ezekiel, where he speaks of the wicked shepherds that are against Christ, when he says (34:2ff): “Should not the Shepherds feed the sheep? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have ye ruled over them. And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they become food to all the beasts of the field and were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and there was none that did search or seek after them,” and so forth. Accordingly, God reproves the shepherds who do not keep the sheep. And now mark well what he has written. His earnest intent in this paragraph is that the weak, sick, broken, those who are driven away and the lost, are to be strengthened, bound up, healed, and sought again, and that they are not to be torn to pieces and scattered. This you should have done, says he to the shepherds, but you have not done it; therefore, I will do it myself. As he says further on, in verse 16: “I will seek that which was lost, I will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.”
11. Here you see that Christ’s kingdom is to be concerned about the weak, the sick, the broken, that he may help them. That is, indeed, a comforting declaration. The only trouble is that we do not realize our needs and infirmities. If we realized them, we would soon flee to him. But how did those shepherds act? They ruled with rigor, and applied God’s Law with great severity; and, moreover, they added their own commandments, as they still do, and when these were not fulfilled, they raved and condemned, so that they were driving and driving and exhorting and exacting, continually. That is no proper way to tend and keep souls, says Christ. He is no such shepherd as that; for no one is benefited, but is rather wholly undone, by such a course, as we shall presently hear. Now let us consider this citation from the prophet in its order.
12. First, he says: The sheep that are weak are to be strengthened; that is, consciences weak in faith and troubled in spirit and of tender disposition are not to be driven and told: You must do this. You must be strong. If you are weak, you are lost. That is not strengthening the weak. St. Paul, speaking to the Romans ( Romans 14:1) says: “But him that is weak in faith receive ye, yet not for decision of scruples.” And shortly afterwards ( Romans 15:1) he says: “Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.” Accordingly, they should not be driven with rigor, but should be comforted, even though they are weak, lest they be driven to despair; and in time they will grow stronger.
13. Isaiah, the prophet, speaks of Christ likewise ( Isaiah 42:3): “A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench.” The bruised reeds are poor, tender consciences, which are easily distracted so that they tremble and despair of God. He does not fly at them then, and trample them under foot; that is not his way. But he deals with them gently, lest he break them to pieces. Again, the dimly burning wick, which still burns at least, though there be more smoke than fire there, he does not wholly quench, but lights, and again and again trims it. That is a great consolation, indeed, to such as experience it; and, therefore, he who does not deal gently with tender consciences is no good shepherd.
14. Secondly, the prophet says: “Neither have ye healed the sick.” Who are the sick? They are those who are manifestly deficient in certain of their works. The first clause has reference to tender consciences; the second, to outward conduct. As, for instance, when one growls and sulks, and now and then lapses, and in anger and other foolish ways oversteps the bounds; even as the apostles, at times, grievously stumbled. But even those who in their outward works before men manifest their shortcomings, so that people are offended at them and say that they are rude and peculiar, he will not cast away; for his kingdom here below is not so constituted as to embrace only the strong and the whole, as it will be in the life to come.
Christ is sent here that he might receive and help just such people.
15. Therefore, even though we are weak and sick, we must not despair and say we are not in the kingdom of Christ. But the more we realize our sickness, all the more should we turn to him; for that is what he is here for, to heal and make us whole. Accordingly, if you are sick and a sinner, and realize your condition, you have all the more reason to go to him and say:
Dear Lord, I come just because I am a sinner; that thou mayest help me, and make me good. Thus, necessity drives you to him; for the greater your ailment, the more imperative it is that you seek relief. And that is what he wants; therefore, he tenderly bids us to be of good cheer, and to come unto him. They who are not good shepherds, however, expect to make people good by hatefully scolding and driving them, whereas they are thereby only making matters worse. And this may be seen when we look upon present conditions, brought about by this wrong method, when everything is so piteously scattered, even as the prophet has here said.
16. Thirdly: “Neither have ye bound up that which was broken.” To be broken is as though one had a bone fractured or were otherwise wounded.
As when a Christian is not only weak and infirm, so that he makes a misstep at times, but when he falls into such great temptation that he breaks his leg; for instance, if he should fall and deny the Gospel, as St.
Peter did, when he denied Christ. Well, even though one should make such a misstep as to be impeded or overthrown — even then you should not cast him away, as though he no more belonged to this kingdom. For you must not rob Christ of his characteristic, that in his kingdom abounding grace and mercy alone prevail, so that he helps those who realize their misery and wretchedness, and desire to be helped, and that his kingdom is wholly one of consolation, and that he is a comforting, friendly shepherd, who tenderly invites, and would induce, all men to come unto him.
17. Now, all this is effected through the Gospel alone, by means of which we are to strengthen all the weak and heal all the sick; for this Word will satisfy every want of those whose consciences are troubled, and will give full consolation to all, so that no one, no matter how great a sinner he has been, need despair. Hence, Christ alone is the good shepherd, who heals all our infirmities and raises up again those who have fallen. He who does not do that is no shepherd.
18. Fourthly, the prophet says: “Neither have ye brought back that which was driven away.” What is meant by “that which was driven away”? It is that despised soul that is fallen so low that all efforts to reclaim it seem to be in vain. Nevertheless, Christ would not have even such dealt with rigorously. He would not have his kingdom narrowed down so as to include only such as are strong and healthy and perfect. That will be the case in the future kingdom that follows this life, as has been said: Now, because he reigns, pure grace and bliss only shall prevail. Even as God promised the children of Israel ( Exodus 3:8) that the promised land would be a land flowing with milk and honey. Likewise St. Paul says that our uncomely parts shall have more abundant comeliness ( 1 Corinthians 12:23).
19. Fifthly, he concludes: “Neither have ye sought that which was lost.”
That which was lost is that which is given up as already condemned, so that there is no expectation that it ever will return; as the publicans and harlots mentioned in the Gospel, and as the dissolute and intractable in our day, were and are. And yet, even these he would not have us pass by, but would have everything possible done to reclaim them. This was done by St. Paul, on different occasions; as, for example, when he delivered two men unto Satan, as he said to Timothy ( 1 Timothy 1:20): “Whom I delivered unto Satan that they might be taught not to blaspheme.” And, again, to the Corinthians he said ( 1 Corinthians 5:5): “I have concluded to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” He had cast these away as condemned, and yet he goes after them again.
20. Therefore, we should so preach Christ as one who will reject nobody, however weak he may be, but will gladly receive and comfort and strengthen everybody; that we may always picture him to ourselves as a good shepherd. Then hearts will turn to him of their own accord, and need not be forced and driven. The Gospel graciously invites and makes men willing, so that they desire to go, and do go, to him with all confidence.
And it begets a love for Christ in their hearts, so that they willingly do what they should, whereas formerly they had to be driven and forced. When we are driven, we do a thing with displeasure and against our will. That is not what God desires; therefore it is done in vain. But when I see that God deals with me graciously, he wins my heart, so that I am constrained to fly to him; consequently, my heart is filled with happiness and joy.
21. Now see what an evil it is when one person judges another. Christ’s kingdom, as we have heard, is calculated to heal and sanctify only such souls as are sick and needy; therefore all must err who look only upon those who are strong and holy. Consequently, the knowledge that rightly apprehends Christ is great and mighty. By our nature we are knaves to the very hide, and yet we expect everyone to be pious. With open mouth, we do not want to look at anybody but strong Christians. We ignore the sick and weak, and think that if they are not strong then they are not Christians at all. And others who are not perfectly holy we reckon among the wicked, and yet we, ourselves, are more wicked than they. That is what our evil nature does, and our blind reason, that wants to measure God’s kingdom by its own imagination, and thinks that whatever does not appear pure in its eyes is not pure in the sight of God.
22. Therefore we must get that idea out of our minds; for if we keep it before us too much, we will finally get into such a state of mind as to think:
Oh, what will become of me if only they are Christians who are strong and healthy and holy? When will I ever reach that state? And thus we, ourselves, will make it impossible. Therefore, we must eventually be driven to say: Dear Lord, I realize that I am very weak, very sick and despondent.
Nevertheless, I will not allow that to confound me, but I will come to thee, that thou mayest help me; for thou art ever the good and pious shepherd, which I also confess thee to be, and therefore will I despair of my own works.
23. Let us, therefore, ever be wise and learn to know Christ well, and to know that in his kingdom there are only weak and sickly people, and that it is nothing but a hospital, where the sick and infirm, who need care, are gathered. And yet there are so few who understand that! And this fact seems so obscured that even they who have the Gospel and the Spirit are lacking in the knowledge of it; for it is the most profound wisdom that man can attain. For even though they see that the Scriptures praise this kingdom and speak of its preciousness, yet they do not realize what the words mean, and do not understand that they contain that true wisdom which is far above the wisdom of men. For it is not our wisdom that we deal with, and that we speak of and preach to sensible, prudent and wise people; but it is this, that we go among fools and simpletons, and care for them, not because we find pleasure in so doing, but in order that we may help them to get rid of their sins and foolishness and to find righteousness and true knowledge.
24. So you see that Christian wisdom does not consist in raising our eyes to that which is lofty and wise, to see ourselves reflected there, but in lowering our eyes to that which is lowly and foolish. Let him who knows this, thank God; for such knowledge will fit him to accommodate himself to, and guide him under, all circumstances in this life. Therefore you will yet find many even among those who preach the Gospel, who have not yet attained it. They never taught us thus before, and we were accustomed to think we did not dare to come to Christ until we had first become perfectly pure. Now you must get out of that way of thinking and come to a proper understanding of Jesus, and learn to know him as a true shepherd. But we have heard enough on this point for the present.
II. CHRIST ILLUSTRATES HIS OFFICE AND KINGDOM BY COMPARING THE GOOD SHEPHERD WITH THE HIRELING.
25. Now, he contrasts the good shepherd with a wicked one, or a hireling, and says: “The good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them and scattereth them: he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”
26. In the strictest sense, he alone is the shepherd; and yet, as he alone is Christ but nevertheless calls us by the same name — Christians — even so, though he alone is the shepherd, he designates all those who exercise the office of the ministry among Christians by that name also. In like manner in Matthew 23:9 he forbids us to call any man on earth father, for one is our father, even he who is in heaven, yet Paul calls himself a father of the Corinthians when he says: “I begat you through the Gospel.” Corinthians 4:15. Thus God acts as though he alone would be our father, and yet he attributes the name to men also, so that they are called fathers.
But they have no right to this name in themselves; only in Christ is it theirs: even as we are called Christians though we have nothing of our own, but all we have has been given to us, in him. Now, “the hireling,” says he, “whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth,” etc. That is a hard saying, indeed, that some who truly preach and administer the Gospel and strengthen and heal the sheep, finally allow themselves to be carried away and leave the sheep when they are most in need of help. As long as no wolf is in sight, they are active and. tend the sheep; but when they see the wolf breaking in, they forsake the sheep. If the sheep have been well kept, till they are strong and healthy and fat, they will then be all the more acceptable to the wolf, for whom they have been kept.
27. How does that happen? Well, says Christ, in my kingdom, whose whole object is to strengthen the weak, heal the sick, comfort the sorrowing, and so forth, the holy cross will not be wanting. For, if we preach that Christ alone must receive, strengthen, heal and help us poor sheep, and that we cannot, by our own strength and works, help ourselves, and that, therefore, all works and whatever else the world pretends to offer in its many religious services are of no avail, the world cannot abide such preaching. Hence, it is but natural that the Gospel should bring with it the holy cross, and that they who confess it before the world should risk their necks in so doing.
28. Because this is so, the good shepherds are thus distinguished from the hirelings. Whoever is a hireling will preach the Gospel only so long as they say of him that he is a learned, pious and good man; but when he is attacked, and men begin to denounce him as a heretic and a knave, and challenge him to a dispute, he recants or runs away, and abandons the poor sheep in their distress, and things are in a worse state than they were before. For what advantage has it been to the poor sheep that they had once been well kept? Had the shepherds been faithful, they would have sacrificed their bodies and lives for the sake of the sheep, and would have given their necks to the executioner for the Gospel’s sake. Accordingly, they are never true shepherds who, in preaching, have their own popularity, profit and advantage in view. They are surely hirelings; for they seek their own advantage, even when they dispense the true doctrine and Word of God. Therefore they continue only as long as they are honored and praised.
Hence they retract, and deny the Word, when the wolf comes, or flee and leave the sheep in the lurch. The sheep bleat for pasture and for the shepherd to protect them from the wolves, but there is no one to succor them; thus they are deserted when they most need some one to help them.
29. Such will be the result when men once begin to lay hands on and persecute us in earnest. There will be preachers who will hold their tongues and flee, and the sheep will be pitiably scattered, the one running here and the other there. God grant that there may be at least some who will stand firm and risk their lives to rescue the sheep. Thus Christ has here portrayed the hireling. He then proceeds: “I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own.”
30. There is a great deal contained in these words, far too much to be exhaustively treated here. He speaks here of his own peculiar calling. “I know mine own,” he says, “and mine own know me.” How is this to be understood? That he explains further when he says: “Even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father.”
III. THE SPECIAL OFFICE CHRIST ADMINISTERS EXPLAINED.
31. How is he known of the Father? Not with an earthly, but with a heavenly, knowledge. Of that we have spoken more fully before, and the substance of it is this: Christ recognizes us as his sheep, and we recognize him as our shepherd. Now, we have heard what a good shepherd is, and also who the weak sheep are. He knows us to be such sheep as are weak, sick and broken. That is: It does not make any difference in his regard for them that they are weak and sickly, and he does not despise and reject them on that account; but he pities and heals them, even though they be so diseased that the whole world concludes they are not his sheep. Such is the world’s knowledge, but that is not the way that Christ distinguishes them.
He does not look upon their condition, but looks to see whether they are sheep, whether they may be designated sheep. He looks at the sheep, not at the wool.
32. Now, they are good shepherds who imitate Christ and know the sheep in the same way; who look at the person, not at the faults, and know how to distinguish between the sheep and the disease.
33. Even so the Father knows me also, says Christ, but the world does not know me. When the time comes for me to die a shameful death upon the cross, all the world will say: Well, is that the Son of God? That must be a malefactor, owned, body and soul, by the devil. And thus the world will look upon and know me; but my Father will say: This is my beloved Son, my King, my Savior. For he will not look upon my sorrows, nor upon my wounds, nor upon my cross and my death, but he will see the person that I am. Therefore, though I were in the midst of hell and in the jaws of the devil, I must again come forth, for the Father will not desert me. And thus I know my sheep and am known of them. They know that I am the good shepherd and know me; and therefore they come to me and abide with me, and they are not afraid because they are weak and sick, for they know that I will receive such sheep. He now concludes and says: “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.
34. Some have explained this passage in such a way as to make it appear that it will be fulfilled shortly before the last day, when the Antichrist appears, and Elias and Enoch. That is not true, and it is the devil himself who is responsible for this belief of some, that the whole world will become Christian. The devil did this that the true doctrine might be so obscured so that it might not be understood. Therefore be on your guard; for this passage was verified and fulfilled shortly after Christ ascended into heaven, and is still in process of fulfillment. When the Gospel was first proclaimed, it was preached to the Jews; that nation was the sheepfold.
And now he says here: “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also must I bring.” Here he declares that the Gospel is to be preached to the gentiles also, so that they also might believe in Christ, that there might be one Christian communion, composed of Jews and gentiles. This was afterwards brought about through the apostles, who preached to the gentiles and converted them to the faith. Accordingly there is now but one church or communion, one faith, one hope, one love, one baptism, etc.
And this continues to be so at the present day, and will continue until the day of judgment. Hence, you must not understand this to mean that the whole world, and all men, will believe in Christ; for this holy cross will always be with us. They are in the majority who persecute Christ, and therefore the Gospel must ever be preached, that some may be won for Christ. The kingdom of Christ is in process of growing and is not something that is completed. This is, in brief, the explanation of this Gospel.
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