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| Graphic by Norma Boeckler |
A Severe Thrust at Every Doctrine…Not Derived from the Word of God
21. This Gospel is therefore
a severe thrust at every doctrine and every comfort of any kind that is not
derived from the Word of God. You may therefore say: It matters not how highly
you exalt reason and the light of nature, I reserve the right of not putting my
trust in it. The councils have issued decrees and the pope or the holy fathers
have taught what they wish, but that does not concern me; I will not depend
upon them.
First Sunday after Epiphany
He will not permit himself to be found…outside of his Word.
27. Behold, he punishes his
parents because they had erred and had sought him among earthly and human
affairs, among friends and acquaintances, not thinking that he must be in that
which is his Father’s. He wishes to indicate by this, that his kingdom and the
whole essence of Christianity consists alone in the Word and in faith, not in
external things (as the external and hypocritical sanctity of Judaism), nor in
temporal and worldly ordinance or government. In a word; he will not permit
himself to be found, either among friends and acquaintances, nor in anything
outside of his Word. For he does not wish to be worldly, nor in that which is
worldly, but in that which is his Father’s, even as he always manifested
himself from his birth through his entire life. He was, indeed, in the world,
but he did not conform to the world, as he also said to Pilate, “My kingdom is
not of this world.” He was among friends and acquaintances and came to them,
but did not identify himself with any of their affairs in the world, except
that he sojourned in the world as a guest and used it to satisfy the wants of
his body; but he waits alone on that which is his Father’s i.e., the Word.
There he can be found; there he who wishes truly to find him, must seek him.
First Sunday after Epiphany,
Second Sermon
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| Graphic by Norma Boeckler |
