Gems from Volume 7
The Sermons of Martin Luther,
Lenker Edition
Christians as Members of the Body
4.
Similarly, no Christian can boast that his own efforts have made him a member
of Christ, with other Christians, in the common faith. Nor can he by any work
constitute himself a Christian. He performs good works by virtue of having
become a Christian, in the new birth, through faith, regardless of any merit of
his own. Clearly, then, good works do not make Christians, but Christians bring
forth good works. The fruit does not make the tree, but the tree produces the
fruit. Seeing does not make the eye, but the eye produces vision.
Second Sunday after Epiphany
The Self-Righteous Dislike Equality
9. The self-righteous are
unable to concede this equality. They must stir up sects and distinctions among
Christians. Priests aspire to be better than laymen; monks better than priests;
virgins than wives. The diligent, in praying and fasting, would be better than
the laborer; and they who lead austere lives, more righteous than they of
ordinary life. This is the work of the devil, and productive of every form of
evil. Opposed to it is Christ’s doctrine in our text. Under such conditions as
mentioned, faith and love are subverted. The unlearned are deluded and led away
from faith to works and orders. Inequality is everywhere. The ecclesiasts
desire to sit in high places, to receive all honor, to have their feet kissed,
and will honor and respect none but themselves.
Second Sunday after Epiphany
Advice to All Believers
14. See, then, that you
become a member of Christ. This is to be accomplished through faith alone,
regardless of works. And having become a member, if God has appointed you a
duty according to your capacity, abide in it. Let no one allure you away from
it. Esteem not yourself better than others, but serve them, rejoicing in their
works and their offices as you do in your own, even if they are less important.
Faith renders you equal with others, and others equal with you, and so on.
Second Sunday after Epiphany
Faith the Controlling Judge
20. It is of much
significance that Paul recognizes faith as the controlling judge and rule in
all matters of doctrine and prophecy. To faith everything must bow. By faith
must all doctrine be judged and held. You see whom Paul would constitute
doctors of the holy Scriptures — men of faith and no others. These should be
the judges and deciders of all doctrines. Their decision should prevail, even
though it conflict with that of the Pope, of the councils, of the whole world.
Faith is and must be lord and God over all teachers.
The Second Sunday after Epiphany
Preaching Is Above All Offices
29. We must remember, however,
that nothing takes precedence of the Word of God. The preaching of it
transcends all other offices.
Second Sunday after Epiphany
God Takes Care of Justice, So We Must Endure Quietly
68.
Note, in forbidding us to return blow for blow and to resort to vengeance, the
apostle implies that our enjoyment of peace depends on our quiet endurance of
others’ disturbance. He not only gives us assurance that we shall be avenged,
but he intimidates us from usurping the office of God, to whom alone belong
vengeance and retribution. Indeed, he rather deplores the fate of the
Christian’s enemies, who expose themselves to God’s wrath; he would move us to
pity them in view of the fact that we must give place to wrath and permit them
to fall into the hands of God.
Third Sunday after Epiphany
Overcome Evil with Good, Or Be Overcome by the Evil of Vengeance
71.
With this concluding counsel, it strikes me, Paul himself explains the phrase
“coals of fire” in harmony with the first idea — that the malice of an enemy is
to be overcome with good. Overcoming by force is equivalent to lending yourself
to evil and wronging the enemy who wrongs you. By such a course your enemy
overcomes you and you are made evil like himself. But if you overcome him with
good, he will be made righteous like you. A spiritual overcoming is here meant;
the disposition, the heart, the soul — yes, the devil who instigates the evil —
are overcome.
Third Sunday after Epiphany
Making Believers Sad and the Evil Rejoice
12.
Mark you, it is making the hearts of the righteous sad to load them with sins
when their works are good; it is strengthening the hands of the wicked to make
their works good when they are naught but sin. Relative to this subject, we
read (Psalm 14:5): “There were they in great fear; for God is in the generation
of the righteous.” That is, the sting of conscience fills with fear where there
is neither reason for fear nor for a disturbed conscience. That is feared as
sin which is really noble service to God.
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
The True Purpose of the Law Is Love
15.
In the conception, the establishment and the observance of all laws, the object
should be, not the furtherance of the laws in themselves, not the advancement
of works, but the exercise of love. That is the true purpose of law, according
to Paul here, “He that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law.” Therefore,
when the law contributes to the injury rather than the benefit of our neighbor,
it should be ignored. The same law may at one time benefit our neighbor and at
another time injure him. Consequently, it should be regulated according to its
advantage to him. Law should be made to serve in the same way that food and
raiment and other necessaries of life serve. We consider not the food and
raiment themselves, but their benefit to our needy neighbor. And we cease to
dispense them as soon as we perceive they no longer add to his comfort.
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Faith Removes Our Sins, the Holy Spirit Moves Us To Delight in Doing Good
22.
I reply: As we have frequently said, we must properly distinguish between faith
and love. Faith deals with the heart, and love with the works. Faith removes
our sins, renders us acceptable, justifies us. And being accepted and justified
as to our person, love is given us in the Holy Spirit and we delight in doing
good. Now, it is the nature of the Law to attack our person and demand good
works; and it will not cease to demand until it gains its point. We cannot do
good works without the Spirit and love. The Law constrains us to know ourselves
with our imperfections, and to recognize the necessity of our becoming
altogether different individuals that we may satisfy the Law. The Law does not
exact so much of the heart as of works; in fact, it demands nothing but works
and ignores the heart. It leaves the individual to discover, from the works
required, that he must become an altogether different person. But faith, when
it comes, creates a nature capable of accomplishing the works the Law demands.
Thus is the Law fulfilled.
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
How Can Love of Neighbor Be Equal to Love of God?
26.
Another question arises: How can love for our neighbor be the fulfillment of
the Law when we are required to love God supremely, even above our neighbor? I
reply: Christ answers the question when he tells us (Matthew 22:39) the second
commandment is like unto the first. He makes love to God and love to our
neighbor the same love. The reason for this is, first: God, having no need for
our works and benefactions for himself, bids us to do for our neighbor what we
would do for God. He asks for himself only our faith and our recognition of him
as God. The object of proclaiming his honor and rendering him praise and thanks
here on earth is that our neighbor may be converted and brought into fellowship
with God. Such service is called the love of God, and is performed out of love
to God; but it is exercised for the benefit of our neighbor only.
27. The second reason why God makes love to our neighbor an obligation equal to love to himself is: God has made worldly wisdom foolish, desiring henceforth to be loved amid crosses and afflictions. Paul says (Corinthians 1:21), “Seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe.” Therefore, upon the cross he submitted himself unto death and misery, and imposed the same submission upon all his disciples. They who refused to love him before when he bestowed upon them food and drink, blessing and honor, must now love him in hunger and sorrow, in adversity and disgrace. All works of love, then, must be directed to our wretched, needy neighbors. In these lowly ones we are to find and love God, in them we are to serve and honor him, and only so can we do it. The commandment to love God is wholly merged in that to love our neighbors.
28. These facts restrain those elusive, soaring spirits that seek after God only in great and glorious undertakings. It stops the mouths of those who strive after greatness like his, who would force themselves into heaven, presuming to serve and love him with their brilliant works. But they miss him by passing over him in their earthly neighbor, in whom God would be loved and honored. Therefore, they will hear, on the last day, the sentence (Matthew 25:42), “I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat,” etc. For Christ laid aside his divinity and took upon himself the form of a servant for the very purpose of bringing down and centering upon our neighbor the love we extend to himself. Yet we leave the Lord to lie here in his humiliation while we gaze open-mouthed into heaven and make great pretensions to love and service to God.
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
