And indeed, Zachariah is the first among the prophets whose
martyrdom is mentioned by name in the Scriptures. However,
Christ does not speak here only of the prophets, but of the
blood of all the righteous, of whom there were many under
King Saul ; likewise many prophets, whose names are not men-
tioned, were put to death under King Ahab.
13. In answer to this question I can say nothing except
that Christ here holds to the usage of Scripture and places be-
fore us an example how we ought not to speak, hold, or men-
tion what is not founded in the Scriptures. For although
Isaiah and other prophets have been put to death, yet we find
no mention in the Scriptures of the manner of death of any
one after Zachariah. And thus, though he was not the last
whose blood was shed, yet he is the last who is described by
name how he preached in his days and suffered death. Thus
Christ cites the first and the last righteous person, mentioned
in the Scriptures, and thereby other righteous blood that was
not mentioned, yet was shed before and after them. It has
indeed been written of Uriah the prophet in Jer. 26, 23, that
he was slain by King Jehoiakim long after Zachariah ; but this
is told by others as a story which occured long ago. But at
his time the Scriptures say nothing about him, they do not
even mention that he ever lived, although they describe the time
and history of the same king in the history of 2 Chron. 36, 4ff ;
2 Kings 24, Iff. Therefore the Lord does not speak of him.
14. It is also asked : Why does Christ mention the son of
Barachiah, since the Scriptures call him the son of Jehoiada;
for thus the text reads in 2 Chron. 24, 20-21, "And the Spirit of
230 i.uthi'R's church postil.
God came upon Zacharlah the son of Jehoiada the priest;
and he stood above the people, and said unto them. Thus saith
God, Why transgress ye the commandments of Jehovah, so
that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken Jehovah, he
hath also forsaken you, And they conspired against him, and
stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the
court of the house of Jehovah." When he died he said, "Jeho-
vah, look upon it, and require it." He also was killed, because
he reproved the worship they had established.
15. St. Jerome thinks he was called the son of Zachariah
for spiritual reasons, because Zachariah means in Latin bene-
dictus, the blessed. But others speak more lightly and say, that
his father Jehoiada received the additional name of Barachiah
because he did great good to the King and the people. There-
fore they called him the blessed and after his death, out of
gratitude, put his son to death ; as is the way of the w^orld ac-
cording to the saying : Whoever helps another off the gallows
him the other will help on again. Thus it happened to the Son
of God. After God had done nothing but good for the whole
world, they crucified his dear beloved Son, as is typified in this
story.
16. Finally it is asked: No one can withstand God's will,
why then does he say: "How often would I have gathered
thy children together, and ye would not?" This passage has
been interpreted in various ways. Some have founded it upon
the free will and its ability, so that it really appears that not
free will but obstinate will is reproved, and that it is base liberty
that is only contrary to God, and is so severely condemned and
reproved.
17. St. Augustine forces the words to apply to reason, as
if the Lord means to say very much, thus : "As many of thy
children as I have gathered I have gathered against thy will.
But such an interpretation of this simple passage is too forced.
It could be much more easily understood, if one said: Christ
speaks here as a man, who has taken all human care upon him-
self. He did very much as to his human nature that did not
become his divinity; for example, that he had to eat, drink,
ST. ste:phen's day. ^31
sleep, walk, weep, suffer, and die. So one could say here that
he spoke after the manner of our human nature and its emo-
tions : I would, but ye would not.
18. For, as I have often said, we must give special atten-
tion to the words of Christ, some of which refer to his divine,
others only to his human nature. But here he introduces
himself to us as God, since he says, "I send unto you prophets"
etc. ; for the sending of prophets is a work that belongs to
God alone. And Luke 11, 49 says he spoke thus: "Therefore
also said the wisdom of God, I will send unto them prophets"
etc. ^.loreover, his words read as if he not only wished to
gather his children at the present time, but had also often
wished to do so in the past, so that this is to be understood as
referring to the divine will. Therefore we shall answer thus :
These words are to be understood in the plainest and simplest
manner as referring to the divine will, according to the usage
of Scripture, which speaks of God as of a man for the sake of
the simple minded ; as we read In Gen. 6, 6 that it repented
Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and yet there is
no repentance in God. Also, that he was angry, yet in God
there is no human anger. Likewise Gen. 11,5, that he came
down from heaven and saw the building of the tower at Bab-
ylon, yet he remains ever sitting on his throne. And in Psalm
59,5-6, the prophet often says : "Awake, why sleepest thou so
long?" Again: Arise, come to me, and similar passages; and
yet he sleeps not, lies not down, is not far away. Again, Ps.
1,6: "Jehovah knoweth not the way of the unrighteous," yet
he knows all things. All these passages are uttered in harmony
with our feelings and fancy, and not according to the real state
of the divine nature. Therefore they are not to be perverted
by lofty speculation as utterances of the divine nature; but
should be understood as spoken to common people here upon
earth according to our human understanding. For we are to
feel that he does just as the words read ; and this is a beautiful
and comforting way to think of God, one which is neither ter-
rifying nor difficult to understand. Thus also: "How often
would I," is also to be understood as meaning that he acted so
282 Luther's church postil.
that no one could think or feel otherwise than that he would
gladly gather them, did gatner them, as a man might do who
eagerly wished to do such a thing. Therefore dismiss high
things and remain by the milk and simple meaning of the
Scriptures
III. THE TEACHING CONCERNING FAITH.
19. In order, however, that we may all take our doctrine
out of the Gospel, the Lord has given us here a lovely picture
and parable of what he does for the sake of faith and believers
so that I do not know of a more beautiful passage in all
the Scriptures. He spoke in his anger and indignation very
severe words to the Jews in this chapter, and pronounced his
terrible woe upon their unbelief; therefore he does, as angry
men are accustomed to do, and speaks to those ungrateful of his
good acts and good will in the strongest terms possible ; namely
thus : I would gladly have imparted the heart in my body to
them etc. Thus also the Lord here, in the most hearty way
possible, emphasizes his good will and favor to the Jews, and
says he would have gladly been their mother hen had they
wished to be his little chickens.
20. Oh man ! note well these words and this parable, how
he pours it forth with great earnestness and with his whole
soul. In this picture you will see, how you are to conduct your-
self towards Christ and to what end he is of benefit to you,
how you should make use of him and enjoy him. Behold the
hen and her chickens, and there you see Christ and yourself
painted and portrayed better than any painter can portray
them.
2L In the first place, it is certain that our souls are the
chickens ; and Satan and wicked spirits are the buzzards in the
air; with only this exception that we are not as wise as the
chickens to flee under our hen. The spirits of Satan are more
subtle to rob us of our souls than the buzzards are to steal the
chickens. Now it was said before in an Epistle hov/ it is not
sufficient that we are pious, do good works, and live in grace.
For our righteousness cannot stand before God's eyes and
ST. Stephen's day. 233
judgment, much less our unrighteousness. Therefore I have
said : Faith, if it is true faith, is of such a nature that it does
not rely upon itself nor upon the faith; but holds to Christ,
and takes refuge under his righteousness; and he lets this
righteousness be its shield and protection just like the little
chicken never trusts in its own life and efforts, but takes re-
fuge under the body and wings of the hen.
22. It is not sufficient for one who is to stand before the
judgment of God, to say, I believe and have grace; for all
that is within him is not able to protect him; but he proffers
to this judgment Christ's own righteousness which he per-
mits to plead for him at the judgment seat of God. This stands
in all honor before him forever, as Ps. 111,3, and Ps. 112,
3, say: "His righteousness endureth forever." Under this
righteousness he creeps, crouches, and stoops, he confides in
Christ's righteousness and believes without the least doubt
that it will sustain him and so it really comes to pass that
he will be sustained by the same faith, not for his sake nor
for the sake of such faith, but for the sake of Christ and his
righteousness under which he takes refuge. Moreover faith
that does not this, is not true faith. See that is the meaning
of the Scriptures when they say in Ps. 91, 1-7, ''He that
dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide un-
der the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of Jehovah, he is
my refuge and m}- fortress; my God, in whom I trust. For
he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the
deadly pestilence. He will cover thee with his pinions, and
under his wings shalt thou take refuge ; his truth is a shield
and a buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by
night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day; for the pestilence
that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth
at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand
at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."
23. Behold all this is spoken concerning faith in Christ,
how it alone will stand and protect us from all danger and
ruin, false doctrine, bodily and spiritual temptations of Satan,
on the right hand and on the left, so that all others must fall
234 luthkr's church postii..
and perish, because they do not take refuge under the wing and
shoulders of Christ and there find shelter and anchor their
trust. In like manner IMalachi 4, 2, says : ''But unto you that
fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing
in its wings ;" therefore St. Paul calls him in Romans, 3, 25,
our propitiation, the throne of grace, and teaches everywhere
how we must be sustained through him and under him. If then
believers and saints are in need of such a great shield, what
will become of those wdio go ahead with their own free will and
their own good works, independent of Christ ? Oh ! we must
remain in Christ, upon Christ and under Christ, never stray
from our mother hen, or all is lost. St. Peter says in his first
Epistle 4, 8 : ''The righteous is scarcely saved ;" so hard it is
to abide under this hen. For many dififerent temptations,
temporal and spiritual, tear us from her; as the Psalm abo-\'e
points out.
24. Now notice how the natural clucking hen acts ; hardly
any other creature is so anxious about her young. She changes
her natural voice and takes a pitiable and complaining voice ;
she seeks, scratches, and calls her little chickens; when she
finds anything, she does not eat it herself, she leaves it for
her little ones ; with all earnestness she battles and cries against
the buzzard, and spreads her wings out so willingly and lets
her chicks crawl under and upon her, and gladly sufifers them
to stay there. This is indeed a lovely picture. So it is also
with Christ. He has changed his voice to a pitiable tone, has
sighed for us and preached repentance, pointed out to every-
one their sins and misery, he scratches in the Scriptures and
calls us unto them and permits us to eat ; he spreads his wings
with all his righteousness, merit and grace over us, and takes
us so lovingly under his protection, warms us with his own
natural heat, that is, with his Holy Spirit, who alone comes
through him, and fights for us against the devil in the air.
25. Where and how does he do this? Without doubt he
does it not bodily, but spiritually. His two wings are the
two Testaments of the holy Scriptures; they spread over us
his righteousness and bring us under his protection. This
ST. stdphdn's day. 235
takes place in that the Scriptures teach this and nothing else,
how Christ is such a mother hen, how we are to be sustained
in faith under him and through his righteousness. Therefore
the Psalm mentioned above, explains the wings and shoulders,
and says; "his faithfulness or truth", that is, the Scriptures
embraced by faith ''are a shield and a buckler" against all
fear and danger. For we must lay hold of Christ in his Word
and in the preaching of it and cleave to the same with a firm
faith that he is just as is spoken now of him ; then we are
certainly in him, under his wings and truth, and shall be also
well sustained under him,
26. This Gospel therefore is also his wings or truth as well
as all other Gospels ; for they all teach Christ in this manner,
yet in some places clearer than in others. Heretofore he was
called a light and Hfe ; also a Lord and helper, novv' he is called
a mother hen, and the emphasis is continually laid upon faith.
Thus his body is himself, or the Christian church ; his warmth,
his grace and the Holy Spirit.
27. Behold, the church is the most loving hen, who is al-
ways anxious to gather us tmder her protection; she spreads
her wings out and calls, that is, she preaches and lets both Test-
aments be preached, sends out prophets, wise men, and scribes
to Jerusalem, yea into all the world. But what happens ? We
will not be her chickens ; above all, the proud saints, who con-
tended against her especially with their good works, who had
no desire to know anything about faith, that it is so greatly
needed and so blessed ; and who neither know anything of their
danger nor admit their doings to be unrighteous ; yea, they
themselves therefore become buzzards and swine, they devour
and persecute the chickens along with their mother, tear their
wings and body, slay the prophets, and stone those who are
sent unto them. But what will be their reward? Listen, ter-
rible things :
"Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."
28. Oh ! a terrible visitation ! which is also illustrated in
the instance of the Jews. They killed the prophets so long that
God sent them no more; he suffered them to be without any
236 Luther's church posth..
preaching, without any prophets 1,500 years, he took his Word
from them and his wings he drew to himself. And thus their
house is left desolate and no one builds up their souls, God no
longer dwells among them. It has happened to them as they
wished; as Ps. 109, 17 says concerning them: "Yea, he loved
cursing, and it came unto him ; and he delighted not in blessing,
and it was far from him." Here all the righteous blood shed
upon the earth is come upon them, and this Gospel is fulfilled
in them.
29. In like manner also Isaiah 5, 5-6, speaks of them :
*'And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I
will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up ; I will
break the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: and I
will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor hoed; but there
shall come up briers and thorns : I will also command the ;clouds
that they rain no rain upon it." Terrible words ! What can it
mean that no rain shall come upon them, except that they
should not hear the Gospel and learn of faith? They shall be
neither pruned nor cultivated. What can this mean, except
that no one shall punish them in their error and make manifest
their transgressions? Therefore the vineyard is left to the
doctrines of men, these tear and trample it under foot so that
it must remain desolate, brings forth nothing but briars and
thorns, that is, workrighteous people, who are without faith.
They bear no fruit of the Spirit, but they grow and are pre-
pared only for eternal fire.
30. However, all this we Gentiles may also take well to
heart. We have also persecuted our mother hen and have not
continued in faith. Therefore it has also happened to us that
God has left our house lie desolate and our vineyard is for-
saken. There is no longer any rain in all the world, the Gos-
pel and faith are put to silence ; here there is neither pruning
nor grubbing; no one preaches against false works and the
doctrines of men, and prunes off such unnecessary things ; but
he permits us to be torn and trodden under foot by the pope,
bishops, priests and monks of whom the whole world is full,
full, full ; and yet they do no more than trample down and tear
to pieces the vineyard. One who teaches this, another that, one
ST. STEPHEN'S DAY. 237
treads down this place and another that; everyone wishes to
estabHsh his own sect, his own order, his own calhng, his own
doctrine, his own point, his own works. By these we are so
trodden under foot that there is no longer any knowledge of
faith, no Christian life, no love, no fruit of the Spirit; but
mere firefuel, briars, and thorns, that is dissemblers, who
by virtue of their vigils, masses, endowments, bells, churches,
psalms, rosaries, saint-worship, celebrations, hoods, shaven-
heads, clothing, fastings, pilgrimages and numberless other
foolish works, presume to be Christians.
31. O, Lord God, we are too greatly torn to atoms, too
sorely crushed ; O, Christ, our Lord, we poor miserable people
are too desert-like and too forsaken in these last days of thy
wrath. Our shepherds are wolves, our watchmen traitors,
our protectors enemies, our fathers murderers, and our teachers
mislead us. Oh ! Oh ! Oh ! When, when, when will thy severe
wrath have an end?
32. Finally comfort is spoken here to the Jews, when the
Evangelist adds : "Verily I say unto you. Ye shall not see me
henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that Cometh in the
name of the Lord". Christ spake these words on Tuesday,
after Palm Sunday, and they form the couclusion and the last
words of his preaching upon earth ; hence they are not yet
fulfilled but they must be fulfilled. True they did once receive
him on Palm Sunday, but these words were not fulfilled on that
occasion. ''Ye shall not see me henceforth" is not to be under-
stood in the sense that they never saw him afterwards in the
body, because they did, in that they afterwards crucified him.
He means, they shall not see him again as a preacher and as
Christ, to which end he was sent; his ofiice and he in his
office were never seen again by them. In this he gave them
his last, his farewell, sermon, and his office, for which he came,
was now closed.
33. Thus it is certain, that the Jews* nuist yet say to Christ,
*In the edition of Luther's works after 1546, the following text
is found: "These passages all speak of the last times, when the
Jewish Kingdom and the true priesthood are to be established so
that many Jews would be converted unto the true King and Priest,
238 i.uthe:r's church postil.
"Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." This
very truth Moses proclaimed in Deut. 4, 30-31 : "In the latter
days thou shalt return to Jehovah thy God, and hearken unto
his voice ; for Jehovah thy God is a merciful God ; he will not
fail thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy
fathers which he sware unto them/' It was also preached in
Hos. 3, 4-5 : "The children of Israel shall abide many days
without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and
without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim : afterward shall
the children of Israel return, and seek Jehovah their God, aiul
David their king, and shall come with fear unto Jehovah and
to his goodness in the latter days." Likewise Azariah declared
this truth in 2 Chron. 15, 2-5 thus: "If ye forsake Jehovah, he
will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel was without
the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law ;
but when in their distress they turned unto Jehovah, the God
of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them." This pas-
sage cannot be understood as referring to the Jews of the
present time: They were never before without princes, with-
out prophets, without priests, and without teachers and the law,
St. Paul in Rom. 11,25-26 agrees with this thought and says:
'•A hardening in part hath befallen Israel until the fulness of
the Gentiles be come in ; and so all Israel shall be saved." God
grant that this time may be near at hand, as we hope it is.
Amen.
Christ; which came to pass after Christ's ascension, through the
Apostles, and later by the preaching of the Gospel. See Walch (old
edition) vol. 22, 23i5ff; Erlangen Edition 62 vol. 376p. Also in
this vol. Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Advent §56.
DAY OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGi:LIST. 239
DAY OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST.
This sermon appears in the Erl. Ed. 10,243; W. 11,299;
St. h. 11,218.
Text: JoJin 21, ip-2/f. Nozi' thus he spake, signifying by
zvhat manlier of death he should glorify God. And when he had
spoken this, he saith unto him, PoIIozu nie. Peter, turning about,
seeth the disciple zvhoni Jesus loved follozving; zvho also leaned
back on his breast at the supper, and said. Lord zvho is he that
betray eth thee"^ Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord,
and zvhat shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him. If I zvill that
he tarry till I come, zvhat is that to thee? follozv thou me. This
saying therefore zvent forth among the brethren, that trtat dis-
ciple shotdd not die : yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should
not die; but. If I zvill that he tarry till I come, zvhat is that to
theef
This is the disciple that beareth zvitness of these things,
and zvrote these things : and zve knozv that his zvitness is true,
CONTENTS: TWO DOCTRINES, AND THE SPIRITUAL
MEANING OF THE GOSPEL.
I. THE TWO DOCTRINES. lay hold of this doctrine.
* Of The Deaths Of Peter and 18.
John. 1-2. IL The Second Doctrine Is That
I. The First Doctrine Is, That F'^^J'l S^f^^^^'^l^ P%S'''^'
Every One Is To Do What Is , tented With His Lot. 19.
Commanded Him, And Guard * O/ contentment and discon-
His Own Calling In Life. , ^ent. .
1 mi i 4.1 • J 4. • . 1- Contentment is a great vir-
1. That this doctrine is very ^ that many great people
necessary and wholesome. 3. ^^e in want of. 20.
2. How many people act contra- 2. Discontent is a very common
ry to this doctrine. 4-5. plague. 21-23.
* God's way goes tn the right 3. The origin of discontent,
course. 6. 23-24.
3. The objections raised by this 4. How discontent may be ban-
doctrine and their answers. ished, and contentment be
a. The first^ objection and its establisned and developed.
* OnTIhould^not look so much â– *â– ^y^what nieans many people
to works themselves as to ^^^^ ^^ adorn their discon-
one^ order Ind Coline ^^^^t. and what is to reply to
ones ordei and calling, ^j^^^^^ ^^ ^,^.g ^^.^^^ 26-28.
, rif" , . .. ^ .^ * Of the stations in life that are
b. The second objection and its ^q^ sinful 29-30.
answer. 15-16f. II, THE ^SPIRITUAL MEANING
4. An admonition earnestly to oF THIS GOSPEL,
240 Luther's church postil.
I The Spiritual Meaning- Jerome 3. That John did not lie on the
Gives, And An Opinion Of lap, but leaned on the breast
It 31-32 of Jesus. 37-38.
II. ^;he^Spiritual Meaning Luther 4. ^^at^^John^ask^s^^Chris^t. who
A. In General 33. ^. Thäf John does not mention
B. In Particular. him by name. 43.
1. That John is called the ß That John should tarry and
disciple of love. 34. Peter follow. 44.
2. That John leaned back on T. That Peter looks for John,
Jesus' breast. 35-36. and not John for Peter. 45.
1. When Christ asked Peter three times whether he loved
him, and Peter answered three times, "Yea, Lord ; thou knowest
that I love thee," he commended unto him three times his sheep
and said: "Feed my sheep." Immediately afterwards he an-
nounced to Peter his death, and says : "\'erily, verily, I say
unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and
walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old,
thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee,