The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily outline for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity (Postilla, Vol. II, pg. 237). Chemnitz’s Gospel text is Luke 5:1–11. Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. Curly brackets indicate marginal notes in the text. I have also broken up some of the longer paragraphs for the sake of readability.
Explanation of the Gospel
God the heavenly Father, who in Matthew 20 is liked by the Lord Christ to a house-father (Haußvater; [οἰκοδεσπότης]) calls and admonishes all His children and servants within His great household, that is, all men, that they should gladly and diligently hear the Word of God before everything else; and that they should continually exercise themselves in godliness (Gottseligkeit), and thereafter, diligently and faithfully attend to their work and promises them, in addition, that if they show themselves as His dear children and faithful servants, then He will give and bestow them a fitting livelihood in this world. And this Gospel shows that both of these points can very well stand next to one another, and indeed always ought to, namely, that [1] one serves God and then [2] attends to his work with diligence. For the four men who mentioned here were not godless fishermen, but rather when John the Baptist began to teach and to preach, these were the first who had received his sermon and followed it. Thereafter, when John saw Christ coming toward him and said, “Behold, this is the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36), Andrew reported it to his brother and said, “We have found the Messiah, for whom so long a time we have longed for” (John 1:41), and thus they followed him and when they had listened to Him for a long time, they returned again to their vocation (Beruf), for they had not yet been called (berufen) to the apostolic office (Apostelamt). But now when the Lord is preaching at the Sea of Gennesaret, they come to Him again, and after the sermon has been delivered, He commands them to work and says, “Now, at this very moment, launch out into the deep and cast out your nets” (Luke 5:4).
{Idleness has not been commanded by God.}
From this it is then to be seen that our Lord God by no means wants that a Christian man should entirely renounce all other earthly work so that he desire to undertake or do nothing other than perhaps singing in the church, etc. as was taught in the papacy and asserted that one may otherwise profane the spiritual estate and orders [i.e., monasteries]. Precisely for this reason, in John 6, when very many people were following after Him had the opinion that they would not need to work with Him and yet could have their sustenance, the Lord Christ did not consent that they should make him king, but rather left each one in his vocation (Beruff).
Even so it is portrayed here for us that a Christian ought to hold both together; he ought to gladly occupy himself with God’s Word persist in prayer for God’s blessing, and thereafter in order that he may also acquire daily bread it is said to him, “Go to work!,” as David also points in Psalm 128:2, “You shall feed yourself the work of your hand.” Thus, one must not tear apart or separate that which God the Lord wants to be carried on next to one another in His household, that is, that one must uphold and keep both the Seventh Commandment, in which work is included and commanded, as well as the Third Commandment concerning the Holy Day and the Divine Service (Gottesdienst). Peter must not only catch fish, but he must also learn Christ’s preaching, the Word of God, so that through the Word his toil and work may be sanctified and be blessed.
Chemnitz is alluding to Martin Luther’s explanation of the Third Commandment in the Large Catechism, § 91ff.
Thus, under the Seventh Commandment, our work can continually remind us of the Third Commandment, that we were not only created for work in this toilsome life, but rather, that we should bring to mind the gracious will of God and in the midst of our work comfort ourselves with the coming eternal joy, when after all our toil and work we come to rest and celebrate the eternal Sabbath, and thus shall have life and full satisfaction (John 10[:10]).
{Example}
Now this is often presented to his here and there in Holy Scripture with glorious sayings, but in today’s Gospel, it is presented to us with a beautiful living example. Peter, John, James, and Andrew had previously been with John in the wilderness and listened to him; thereafter, they also come to the Lord Christ, indeed, in this Gospel they hear His sermon. Now when they have heard the Word of God and the sermon is over, the Lord Christ says to them, “Go now back to work, make a cast,” and He Himself gives an instruction and command that they ought to again apply themselves in their vocation and usual work so that the Seventh and the Third Commandments thus be carried out alongside one another.
{Practice of this Doctrine}
Yet, one ought to carry this out, especially with respect to the Third Commandment, so that it not made only into an Opus Operatum, and one would think if only the work itself had been performed and churchgoing had taken place that it would then be enough even if one would never think of it even once afterward. Rather, one ought to undertake it as David says in the 119th Psalm, “Lord, Your statutes, or Your Word, are my counselors” (Psalm 119:24), that is, “everything that I hear and learn from Your Word, I use it thereafter in all my doing and refraining (thun und lassen), and Your glorious sayings, they are my closest advisors.”
{Christian Usage with Prayer for the Blessing of God}
Therefore, in former times it was customary in the Christian Church that one gathered together in the morning and called upon God so that He would give His blessing upon the work of the day. Likewise, in the evening, one gave thanks publicly to dear God for His protection. This is still also practiced among us, when, among other things, the ringing of the prayer bell at certain hours encourages people, even in the midst of work, to the fear of God and Christian prayer so that you begin and end your work with God’s Word, just as this account shows that after the sermon was heard the Lord said to Peter to cast out the net, and then, when the work was done, that they followed after Christ.
{Luther}
And this is described so simply and beautifully especially for this reason, so that, as Luther says elsewhere in his explanation of the Gospel in Matthew 8, that when the sea restless, then we ought to learn to say this proverb: “Christ is with me in the ship.” So you also ought to learn this proverb here, “Well then, Christ is with me in my ship, it is He who bids me to work when I have heard the sermon.” Just as He Himself first preached to this people and thereafter said to Peter that He ought to go out and catch fish, by this He reminds others that each one ought to return back to his vocation (Beruff).
See Luther’s homily for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, AE 76:287.
Homily Outline
This is the summary of this Gospel that herein this chief doctrine (Häuptlehr) is dealt with: how one ought to exercise oneself in the fear of God and in work. We now want to summarize the doctrine of this Gospel in these following points:
How we ought to hear God’s Word dutifully and readily before all things.
How we therefore ought to work according to God’s command.
If perhaps the promised blessing of God does not follow from the work, how we ought to then conduct ourselves.
When our Lord God gives His blessing so that your net encloses a great multitude, how you ought to use it with humility and thankfulness; or if your net obtains a tear in such great fortune and the ship wants to sink, how you then ought to conduct yourself.
Finally, when Christ says, “Follow Me,” how one ought to forsake everything and follow Him as the One who catches us out of this world with the net of His Holy Gospel and receives us to Himself into His eternal kingdom.
Thus, you can make a house postil (Haußpostill) for yourself from this account, and apply this doctrine in Christian usage.
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily outline for the Third Sunday after Trinity as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pgs. 306–307). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions.
Sermon Outline
Concerning those things we now want to handle in this sermon and what is thereby to be noted, it is divided into these four points:
First, we want from these three parables that we are reminded that the Lord begins the parables because He wants to indicate how it is with us by nature, that when we have lost something that has been dear to us, how we then have an even greater longing that we might recover it, and we are more concerned about the lost thing than we are mindful of that which nevertheless we still have and possess in our custody (Verwahrung). And He says that in this way God is inclined toward us, that when someone from among men is misled so that he comes into an erring path (Irrweg) and goes astray, God is not turned away, how God is then concerned for us that He might find us again and get us back again, how He diligently seeks us, and how He directs all care and effort therein do that he might restore us again, and that He does this from such a heart we when one is very distressed over a thing which he has lost and applies all diligence in order that he might get us back again. Such is the Fatherly heart of Christ toward us (vätterliches Hertz Christi gege uns), which we first ought to learn, know, and consider in this parable.
Second, thereafter we want to learn form this how we then ought to conduct ourselves to this, so that God’s care and effort might not be futile and in vain, that we [ought to] allow ourselves to be found by Him when He seeks us and that He can restore us again. And that we [ought] not run away from Him when He seeks us, but rather act like a strayed sheep, when it perceives that the Shepherd is after it and is seeking it, wanting to bring it back to the flock, it then stands still, and allows itself to be grasped and to be restored again, not running further into the wilderness, but rather turns back, and allows itself to be brought again to its place. And just as a coin is found again when one sweeps the house, lights a lamp, and looks with diligence for it, that we also thus [ought to] allow ourselves to be found and be sought out from the filth and foulness of our sins; and when God sets the light of His Law before us and shines it under our eyes and takes the broom in the hand that he might thereby again sweep us out from the dirt and the filth, that we then through such means—the preaching of the Law (Gesetzpredigt) and the blessed cross—[ought to] allow ourselves to be helped out from the filth again; and when we have been willful and brazen before our heavenly Father and have abused His longsuffering (Langmut), and He has therefore placed us in poverty, grief, and misery, that we [ought to] come to our senses in the midst of the cross, and in true repentance turn again to God and be received into grace by Him and be accepted again.
Third, that we especially take this into consideration, how the parables proceed to this: with which heart God seeks us, how great a joy it is to Him when we allow ourselves to be found, how kindly He receives the repentant sinner, and therein has the greatest joy and delight when we rightly conduct ourselves in this matter so that He does not deal with us according to His fury and wrath, but can be gracious and merciful to us and show us His fatherly love.
Fourth and finally, how every Christian, both preacher and hearer, ought to learn from this how we also ought to strive after the example of the heavenly Father and His beloved Son Jesus Christ, our faithful Shepherd, so that we also be so disposed toward repentant sinners and have such a heart toward them as here we hear God has toward such. This especially applies to those whom God has preserved from serious falls and offenses more than others, as is here seen in the older brother, who exalted himself on account of his piety so that he was unwilling to allow his younger brother to be received into grace even when his brother had nevertheless repented. For this reason, he was rebuked and admonished by the father. And how he makes too much of this that he says, “I have never transgressed your command, and have done everything as was appropriate” [Luke 15:29], how each ought to guard himself from such speech and thoughts.
To these four points we want to briefly direct [our attention] as to what is chiefly to be considered in this Gospel in the three parables presented to us. God grant us His grace and blessing to this end.
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily for the Visitation of Mary (July 2nd) on Luke 1:39–56 as found in his Postilla (Volume III, pgs. 87–94). Square brackets indicate my own additions and notes. I have broken up some of the longer paragraphs for the sake of readability in English.
Chemnitz’s Gospel Text (Luke 1:39–56)
Now Mary arose in those days and went to the mountains at last (endelich), to the city of Judah, and came into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child leapt in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she called out loudly and said, “Blessed (Gebenedeiet) are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb. And why has this come to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Behold, when I heard the sound of your greeting, the child leapt in my womb with joy. And blessed (Gottselig) are you, you who have believed, because there will be a fulfillment of what has been said to you by the Lord.”
And Mary said, “My soul extols the Lord, and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has seen His humble maidservant (elende Magd); behold, from now on all children’s children shall praise me as blessed (selig). For He has done great things to me, He who is mighty, and holy is His name. And His mercy endures forever and ever upon those who fear Him. And He has exercised power with His arm, and He has scattered the proud in the mind of their heart. He has pushed the powerful from the thrones, and He has exalted the humble. The hungry He has filled with good things, and the rich He has left empty. He has remembered His mercy and helped His servant Israel, as He had spoken to our fathers, to Abraham and to his Seed forever.”
And Mary remained with her for three months, and thereafter she returned home again.
Explanation of This Gospel
On this feast day we have these accounts to consider, that after the angel Gabriel had announced the counsel of the Holy Trinity (den Rath der Heiligen Dreifaltigkeit) to the Virgin Mary, namely that she shall be a mother of the promised Seed of the woman [Genesis 3:15], in whom all the nations on earth shall be blessed; yet the good virgin at Nazareth had no one to whom she could have entrusted this, for she dared not to reveal it to her betrothed Joseph, for those from Nazareth were such people that one had a proverb about them: “What good can come from Nazareth?” (John 1[:46]); how she set out and at last went over the hill country, about twenty German miles (in die zwäntzig Teutscher Weil Wegs), to her old kinswoman (Gefreundin) Elizabeth, who lived in Bethlehem or at least not far from there, so that she might speak with her about these high matters. And after she had come to her, then our Lord God immediately revealed the conception of His Son with great wonders, and there the first joy of the New Testament began. For Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and not only spoke but cried out with a loud voice to Mary, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! And why has this come to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” The not yet born into the world John (Der noch nicht zur Welt geborne Johannes) danced and leapt for great joy that the Lord was present, of whom he shall be the forerunner [Malachi 3:1]. Mary sings for great joy, as the Holy Spirit awakened in her heart a glorious beautiful song of praise (Lobgesang), the beloved Magnificat.
On account of this history, we celebrate this present feast, so that we may learn how highly we ought to rejoice with all the saints when we desire to become partakers of the gifts of the New Testament. And just as now these persons thank the beloved God for this great benefit, that He has sent His Son into the flesh, so too we ought to come together today so that we may thank God for this great benefit, that He has revealed His Son in the Gospel, and when such is done by us, then we may rightly celebrate this feast, and without doubt, the Holy Spirit with His grace will be with us. But for now, we do not want to speak about the history, because such happens at other times, but rather we want to take for ourselves the glorious song of praise of Mary, in which she thanks God the heavenly Father with mouth and heart, praises and extols Him that He has now fulfilled with this deed what He had so often promised and pledged from the beginning of the world concerning the blessed Seed of the woman [Genesis 3:15].
Now it is very customary in the Old Testament that when God allows Himself to be recognized by the saints with special graces and benefits and when the Holy Spirit wanted to grasp the benefits of God so that they would never be forgotten but rather would be passed on to the descendants, that they framed such thanksgiving in short songs of praise, even as among us are there are songs and rhymes (Carmine und Reimen), so that they might be learned by others all the more easily, and this they called psalms or hymns (Psalmos oder Hymnos), such as the psalm which Moses had made and sung with the children of Israel when they passed through the Red Sea and our Lord God had cast Pharaoh along with all his [hosts] into the sea (Exodus 15[:1–19]). The like of which Miriam, the sister of Moses, did also together with the women who followed her in the ranks [Exodus 15:20–21]. Such a song of praise was also made by Hannah, the mother of Samuel, in which she thanks God that He heard her prayer and gave her a son (1 Samuel 2[:1–10]); Jonah in the belly of the whale (Jonah 2[:1–10]); the three men in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3[:28]); Judith after Holofernes had died (Judith 16[:1–17]); and Hezekiah, when he had become healthy again from his sickness (Isaiah 38[:9–20]). Here also belongs the entire Psalter of David in which many such psalms and songs of praise are found.
This custom (gebrauch) of thanking God with a song was also begun by Mary in the New Testament through the Holy Spirit, and this is the true Canticum novum, the “new song,” of which David often spoke, and of which Isaiah says in chapter 42[:10], “Sing to the Lord a new song!”, not as Moses had sung of a bodily redemption (einer leiblichen Erlösung), but rather of many great benefits of God and that it should resound to the ends of all the world. This song was first begun by Mary, and thereafter other saints have followed her, namely, Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1[:67–80]), and Simeon the great and learned man when he carried the child Jesus in his arms (Luke 2[:28–32]). Now the Apostle Paul says therefore that we who live in the New Testament ought to follow this example and “sing and make melody to the Lord in our hearts with psalms, and songs of praise, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5[:19]; Colossians 3[:16]), as then in the beginning of the Gospel it was a fine Christian custom that one gladly sang spiritual songs while working in the houses, but now people are almost ashamed of it, and many think it sounds much better when one hums a little soldier’s song (Reuterliedlein) or a street song (Gassenhauwer).
In other words, Chemnitz is referring to secular songs that were popular at the time.
Now, you may say: “I know it very well that I ought to praise and extol God for His benefits, I would gladly do it too, but I do not know what words I ought to use for that.” Look, if you are concerned about this, then Mary prescribes a formula for you here. If you follow it, you cannot err, for she bears within herself the Person in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily (Colossians 1[:19]). In addition, the Holy Spirit has come upon her and the power of the Most High has overshadowed her, as the angel Gabriel says (Luke 1[:35]). Therefore, this is without doubt the foremost of all Psalms (der allerfürnembste Psalm), because God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have worked it in her. And because this is so, it was ordained during the papacy that this Magnificat ought to be sung every day with great shouting, even though the words were not understood; indeed, no one one thought upon their meaning. But Mary says here, “I have not sung in that manner; indeed, I spoke with my mouth, but in such a manner that at the same time my soul extolled the Lord and my spirit rejoiced.” So also the Lord Christ declares in Matthew 13[:18–23] that when the seed of the divine Word ought to produce fruit, so one must not merely speak of it, but rather it must also be understood.
Therefore, we now want to pay attention to this so that we may also understand this song of praise, and so that we can thus sing after Mary and praise God with her.
[Sermon Outline]
Now this hymn of praise comprises of three parts in itself.
First, Mary thanks the blessed God for the benefits which He has particularly showed and demonstrated to her person, and teaches us what pertains to this, when our prayer and thanksgiving ought to be pleasing and acceptable to God.
Second, she goes at once as if out of her little chamber (Kämmerlein) into the whole world and among the great congregation (grosse Gemeine) of the people of God and declares that the benefits which God has shown to her, the mercy which she has befallen her, do not [only] remain with her, but endure forever and ever from one generation to the next so that the children’s children ought to enjoy the same.
Third, she teaches how we ought and must dispose ourselves if we intend to become partakers of the mercy of God, and what hinders the greater part of the world so that they do not enjoy the mercy of God, so that we ought to guard ourselves against it.
Concerning the First Part
The first part of this song of praise is a thanksgiving in which Mary thanks God for the benefits which have befallen her person in particular. Therein, she provides a formula for us as to how we ought to thank God for His benefits which we have already received from Him and which we still await according to His promise. For we know from God’s Word that it is not in our free choice whether we may thank God for His benefits or not, rather, God has seriously commanded us in the Second Commandment and such an offering is also very well pleasing to Him (Psalm 50[:14, 23]).
See Luther’s explanation to the Second Commandment in the Small Catechism.
However, our nature, alas, is so miserably corrupted through sin that we easily forget the benefits of God and seldom, rarely, or with little devotion thank Him for them; and even if we have already have a good will and intention to thank Him, so it is nevertheless done more with the mouth and not from the heart, as our Lord God complains about in the prophet Isaiah 29[:13], “This people draws near to me with its mouth and honors me with its lips, [but their hearts are far from me].”
Therefore, we ought to learn from Mary how one rightly thanks God for His benefits, how one ought to praise and extol Him that it may be acceptable to Him. Now Luke says that Mary indeed has praised God with her mouth and with her lips, because he writes, “And Mary said, etc.” [Luke 1:46] However, it did not happen so quickly for her as it does for us when we often say out of habit, “Praise and thanks be to God; God be praised!” yet meanwhile the heart knows nothing of it, indeed thinks of something else. Mary does not do so, but rather she says that her soul magnifies the Lord and her Spirit rejoices, etc. [Luke 1:46–47]. Without doubt, she took these words from the song of praise of her forefather David, who says in Psalm 103[:1], “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is in me His holy name, etc.” The Apostle Paul divides the reborn man into three parts, namely, the body, soul, and spirit [1 Thessalonians 5:23]. By the body, he understands all the external, visible members (eusserliche, sichtbarliche). By the soul, however, all inner powers (alle innerliche Kräfft) and everything that stirs in a person’s heart, such as courage, mind, disposition, understanding, thoughts, and desires. By the spirit, he understands the new gifts which the Holy Spirit works in us and is not in us by nature (von Natur). “All of this,” says Mary, “rejoices and thanks God for His benefits, indeed, my soul not only praises God but exalts Him highly (as we Germans are accustomed to say when someone is praised, “He exalts him far too high!”). Thus, Mary says “My soul extols the Lord, and so highly that I want that the world would know it.” And this is one thing which belongs to right thanksgiving so that it be pleasing to God, namely, when not only the mouth speaks, but rather the heart and the soul also knows of it, the spirit is joyful and all that is within us, the “innermost part” (das innerste), as David says, praises the name of God [Psalm 103:1].
But whom ought we thank? Whom ought we exalt and praise when we have received all kinds of bodily and spiritual, temporal and eternal benefits? The ancients knew how it went in the papacy. When someone was stuck in misfortune, he would commend himself to this or that saint that he might help him, and when he had been helped, people would hang some images made of wax upon the dead idols as thanksgiving, etc. But what does Mary do? She says, “My soul extols—not a dead saint, not an angel, but rather—the Lord,” that is, the God who has revealed Himself in the Word, who says, “I am the Lord your God” [Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6], etc. “And my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior, that God Himself has become my Savior,” that is, “I rejoice that God has sent His Son into the flesh, that He should be a Mediator and Savior.” And Mary makes a fine distinction of the persons in the single divine essence in that she mentions the Lord, God the Savior, and the Spirit.
But for what does she give thanks? Why does she rejoice? This is also worth marking, and indeed for this reason, for this is not truly to praise God rightly if one says in general (in gemein), “Praise and thanks be to God!”, but rather, when we recall what benefits God daily shows us, which we have not deserved, indeed, of which we are unworthy, and yet, the upright God shows them to us. Therefore, Mary says further, “My soul extols the Lord and my Spirit rejoices, because He has regarded His humble maidservant; behold, from now on, all children’s children will call me blessed.” [Luke 1:46–48] Mary looks upon the fact that Elizabeth had so highly praised her as one blessed among women [Luke 1:42], as even the angel Gabriel had done before [Luke 1:28], upon which she now says, “Dear Elizabeth, you should not extol me, nor praise me; rather, my soul extols the Lord who has regarded my humility,” as if she were saying, “Ah, what a poor, wretched person I am, and God has shown me such great grace above all womenfolk upon the entire earth. Truly, our God has a great house, and in that same house there are many daughters, many female friends who are adorned with great gifts; but where am I in that house? Indeed, I am not His daughter, nor His beloved friend, but rather I am a humble maid” (cf. 2 Timothy 2[:20]).
And this she also learned from her forefather David, who says in Psalm 86[:16], “Lord, I reckon myself not as a child, but rather as Your servant, and the son of Your maidservant.” Such humility is very pleasing to our Lord God, as we recently heard from the example of the prodigal son (Luke 15[:18–24]).
So now Mary says much in this way, “God did not look upon this, how worthy of the benefits I was or whether I had merited it, but rather He looked upon my humility.” For although she was born of royal lineage, nevertheless that same lineage had fallen very low, as Isaiah 11[:1] had prophesied, and Mary was forsaken by all her own, had to sit in poverty outside her fatherland at Nazareth, and was betrothed to a carpenter because of her poverty. Therefore, she now says, “Ah, my dear God, how is it that You have come to this, that You have not chosen other persons from the house of David who are much greater and holier than me, but rather You look upon this humble maidservant who is not worthy of it, who has also not merited it, and You look upon me thus that You do not show me some small mercy, but rather make me to be the mother of Your Son, my Savior; therefore, all children’s children shall call me blessed. Eve would gladly have been [the mother of Your Son], as would have Noah’s mother, the holy Sarah, and the godly Rebekah, but it could not happen for them, even though they are much holier than me; rather, You have looked upon me, a humble child. Should I not now rejoice that God has done such great things to me?”
See, this is what properly belongs to thanksgiving, namely, that we consider what great benefits the upright God has shown to us, how unworthy we are of them, and how ungrateful we have been found for them; and especially we ought to think upon God our Savior, upon the benefits of the Son of God. Then, it will be a right Deo gratias [“Thanks be to God!”].
And thus, Mary is now highly praised, as she says here, “All children’s children shall call be blessed, etc.” How then? Should one then worship her as the ‘Mother of Grace’ (Mutter der Gnaden), as happened in the papacy? Should we in our need take refuge in her? Is that to praise her rightly? “No!” she says her herself and teaches how she ought to be praised by all children’s children so that it may please God, namely, “For He who is mighty has done great things to me, and holy is His name.” [Luke 1:49]
See how truly beautiful this is! Should Mary therefore be praised as blessed because she can do great things, help in death’s need, protect against enemies? No! Rather, “He who is mighty has done great things to me, etc.” That is the praise which she wants to have is that one recognize and praise God’s grace in her, and that He alone be praised. “For not my name, but His name, who has done such great things to me, is alone holy and ought therefore to be praised and extoled forever” (Psalm 72[:18–19]; 113[:1–3]).
And this is the first part of this song of praise, from which we learn how one ought to thank God for His benefits so that it would be a pleasing offering to Him, namely, that first, we not only to praise God with our lips and mouth, but also with the soul and Spirit; second, that we ought to praise and extol no one other than the Lord our God in Christ Jesus our Savior (Colossians 3[:17]), for from His hands must all things come to us (John 3[:27]); and third, that we ought to consider what great benefits He has shown to us, of which we are unworthy and which we have not merited, and ought to praise and thank Him alone for them; that will make for a right beautiful Magnificat.
Concerning the Second Part
Now what does it concern us that God has done such great things for Mary? She may rightly rejoice, for she alone is the blessed one (die Gebenedeite) among women. This is true; but here Mary also turns to us and says, “God has begun it with me, but it shall not end with me. I am indeed alone the mother of the Blessed Seed (deß Gebenedeieten Samens), but [His] mercy shall not remain with me alone, but rather will endure always, forever and ever, from one generation to the next among those who fear Him.” See how Mary wants to have all of us in the ranks, as such is the nature and character of a right faith and prayer, that it also looks to others and takes them along with itself. Therefore, Mary grasps the Church of God at all times of the world and says, “His mercy endures always, from one generation to the next,” that is, she addresses those who currently live, who who had been before us, and those who live after us until the end of the world. For as the Apostle Paul says in Acts 17[:26–31], God has allowed all the races of men on the entire earth to come forth from one blood, and they all ought to become partakers of the mercy of God.
But Mary first looks upon the words of Elizabeth, who had said, “You are blessed among all women, etc.” “This is true,” says Mary, “but the blessing shall not remain with me alone, rather it shall also befall all the races of the earth.” Thereafter, she also looks upon the fleshly thoughts and judgement (die fleischliche Gedancken und Urtheil) of those who lived at that time. For because it is an extraordinary thing to be a bodily mother of the Son of God (eine leiblich Mutter deß Sohns Gottes), so many of them thought that as if because of this she would have more privilege or righteousness than others. Therefore, it is read among the Evangelists that they often spoke to the Lord Christ, “Behold Your mother is there, Your brothers, etc.” (Matthew 12[:47]; Luke 8[:20]). And one woman among the people said with a raised voice, “Blessed is the womb which has born You!” (Luke 11[:27]). As from this the invocation and all the worship that is rendered to Mary in the papacy has taken its origin.
But Mary clearly teaches here that the mercy [of God] shall not remain with her, but shall befall all the races on earth, that God would once again help His servant Israel, with whom it appeared as if it had been entirely rejected by God, and would allow [His] mercy to befall Abraham and his seed forever.
Therefore, not only shall the Jews enjoy it, for as Paul and John the Baptist teach, they are not all the children of Abraham who are born from the seed of Abraham and Jacob [Romans 9:6–13; Matthew 3:9], but rather those who believe with believing Abraham (Romans 4). For God has prepared this Savior for all peoples, as Simeon says (Luke 2[:31–32]), and God had sworn to Abraham that He would make him the father of many nations (Genesis 17[:5]), and that in his seed all the nations ought to be blessed (Genesis 12[:3]; 22[:18]). And this is the second part of this song of praise, from which we learn that not only Mary, but rather also that all races upon earth shall become partakers of the mercy of God according to His promise.
Concerning the Third Part
Now, since we are no different from Mary in the least, how then can we come to it so that we may become partakers of God’s mercy? We have heard that God looks upon men not according to their merit, but rather according to His mercy, and that He does not regard persons, but rather wants to let His mercy befall all generations on earth. May we then now live as we want, in fornication and wickedness? (Romans 1[:24–32]) Will God then still be merciful to us? This is not what Mary teaches in her Magnificat, but rather she looks upon this and considers what kind of persons they are who are gathered together in the house of Zachariah, namely, a poor young virgin, an old matron, an old mute and deaf priest Zachariah, and an unborn child. She compares these persons with the high priests Annas, Caiaphas, and the entire clergy, and at this she marvels, “Ah, how does it come about, how does it always happen that God sets His gracious eyes upon such a poor heap!” She means to say this is the reason, God indeed wants to allow His mercy to befall all men alike, but they do not all rightly dispose themselves (schicken sich) to it.
Now, indeed, we would all gladly partake of the mercy of God. Therefore, let us learn from Mary how we may come to it. Indeed, perhaps the manner is to difficult? “No!” says Mary, “I will show you in three words how one ought to dispose himself to it and also tell you in three words what one ought to guard against.”
God sits upon the throne of His majesty and glory and stretches out (if I may say so) two arms, and thereby does two kinds of things. With the one arm He exercises power, He scatters and casts down; with the other arm He exercises mercy, he lifts up the humble, helps those who fall, fills them with the rich goods of His house (Psalm 36[:9]). But who are these, and by what can one know them?
First, she says, “those who fear Him,” that is, when you do not cover your sin, do not lightly consider the wrath of God on account of sin, but rather fear God so that you hate evil (Proverbs 8[:13]) and turn away from evil (Proverbs 3[:7]); with such people, says Mary, “the mercy of God remains and endures.” [Luke 1:50]
Second, when you recognize and bewail your misery in which you are stuck on account of your sin, and say, “I have sinned, have mercy on me,” then God will have a gracious eye toward you (Psalm 113[:7–8]; 138[:6]). For because He has a strong powerful arm, your misery is never so great that He cannot help you out of it, for this is His work, that He holds those by the hand who are about to fall and raises up again all those who are cast down (Psalm 37[:24], 145[:14]).
Third, when you are hungry, that is, when you recognize that you cannot help yourself by your own ability, but rather are hungry for the righteousness and for the great Supper (dem grossen Abendmal) that God has prepared for those in Christ Jesus [Matthew 5:6], then He will fill you with His goods and make you a partaker of His mercy not only here in time (zeitlich), but also there in eternity (ewiglich).
This now is very easy, from which you can judge for yourself whether you can also partaker of the mercy of God which Mary so highly praises; namely, if you so dispose yourself to it that you fear God, recognize and bewail your misery, and are hungry for righteousness. “But if you do not find this in yourself,” says Mary, “then the Magnificat does not concern you, that God shows mercy to all generations on earth.”
But what hinders the greater part of the world from enjoying the mercy of God? Or from what ought I guard myself that might hinder me from enjoying it? Mary says, “God has a mighty arm and punishes three things that resist his mercy, namely, pride, violence, and riches. These are three little worms (drei Würmlein) that stab the heart.”
Now one could well understand this in a political manner (politice), for it is also true that God cannot tolerate pride. But Mary speaks of the pride that is in the mind of the heart (in deß Hertzen Sinne), which can also be present even when great external humility (eusserlich grosse Demut) is present. And such is pride when man is not content with that which God has commanded, he thinks it too lowly for him, institutes a new form of divine worship (Gottesdienst) outside of the Word of God, and alters what God Himself has instituted. This God cannot suffer. Such are the proud papists who shamelessly exalt themselves above God (2 Thessalonians 2[:4]).
Likewise, when someone does not take his reason captive under the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10[:5]), but rather insists Scripture must yield to him, and if God will not give him an account of all things, then he says, “That is impossible. That cannot be. I will not accept that.” Such men of pride are all heretics.
Finally, those are also laden with this pride who knowingly continue in their sins against God’s Word. They could well leave them, but they do not want to. They allow themselves to be moved neither by the lovely promises of God nor His earnest threats. Such is a proud mind. All of these God scatters, that is, He gives them over to a perverted mind so that they fall from one sin into another (Romans 1[:28]), and they pay heed to no warning or admonition.
The second heap is the powerful who sit on high thrones, who have power; not as though all authority in itself were damnable, for it is from God (Romans 13[:1]), but rather because the powerful generally to not inquire after God, but despise His wrath, set their throne beside God’s throne, think they will endure and nothing will touch them (Isaiah 28[:14–15]). These God casts down from their thrones, as all the monarchies of the world testify.
The third heap is the rich who think they do not need God’s grace and mercy; they have so many good works that they can share them with others and sell them, or they rely on their uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6[:17]) and hold them as a god (Ephesians 6[:5]). To these God will not allow His mercy to befall, but rather “He will leave them empty,” says Mary. For the time will come when they will see that they lack the honor which they ought to have before God and that they must leave here naked and bare. Then, their riches will not follow them, but rather they will be left empty.
Behold, thus we have here how we ought and must dispose ourselves if we want to become partakers of the mercy of God, which has been promised forever to Abraham and to His Seed. Therefore, you should now examine yourself (selber prüffen) so that you can sing the Magnificat with joy.
[Conclusion and Summary]
We have spoken of this then in the simplest manner by God’s grace concerning the Magnificat, in which we have listened and heard:
First, how the highly praised virgin Mary extolled and praised with great praise God’s great unending goodness and mercy which He showed and testified in her unworthy person, and set it forth as an example so that we might not forget how much the Lord has also done for us and for each one of us, so that our soul and Spirit be stirred up in that manner and His praise always be in our mouth.
Second, that in her heartfelt thanksgiving she also sets forth and draws out the immeasurably great goodness and grace of God, which shall be spread out to all generations of the earth’s circle, as far as the dear sun shines, and that children’s children shall partake of it.
Finally, she also teaches us how we may become partakers of and enjoy the glorious mercies of God through His compassion which has been revealed and offered to the human race; and what hinders the greater part of the world so that they so shamefully exclude themselves from such unspeakable glory and riches of grace, or willfully despise them and pass by them as something contemptuous.
May the eternal Son of God, who has been given to us by the Father as wisdom, holiness, and righteousness [1 Corinthians 1:30], preserve us through His Spirit of truth and knowledge in such His light and saving Word unto eternal life. Amen.
The following is my translation of Chemnitz’s homily for the First Sunday after Trinity on Luke 16:19–31 as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pg. 280–87). Square brackets indicate my notes and additions. I have broken up some of the longer sentences and paragraphs for the sake of readability in English.
Explanation of the Gospel
Beloved in Christ the Lord,
Whoever wanted to demonstrate high art in this Gospel and had excessively inquisitive hearers (fürwitzige Zuhörer) whose ears itched for high questions, he would here have a good opportunity and reason to speak and to dispute subtly of such things which he himself would not understand and by which the hearers also would be bettered little, namely: what is the bosom of Abraham in which Lazarus is comforted, where it is to be found, and how Lazarus can be in the the bosom of Abraham, and how he can have a finger even though his body has not yet been raised to the joy of eternal life; likewise, what and where the place is where the rich man is tormented because he is not yet in the true hell (der rechten Hell) to which he will only come to on the Last Day, what the tongue is which he would gladly let him touch, what also the eyes are with which he saw Lazarus from afar even though his body is also not yet in the true condemnation (die rechten Verdammniß), but rather lies buried in the earth, also what is the chasm which is fixed between the two places. However Paul says in the first letter to the Corinthians in the fourteenth chapter that he would rather speak five words in the common [tongue] with his understanding in order that he might also instruct others rather than otherwise speak ten thousand words in tongues by which no one would be improved (1 Corinthians 14:19). Thus St. Paul elsewhere wills that one ought to arrange all things in the Church of God for edification and improvement [1 Corinthians 14:26, 40].
Homily Outline
Thus we also have here an explanation from the Lord Christ of a high difficult question, not that we might repent of our excessive inquisitiveness (Fürwitz), but that we may make use of it for edification (Erbauung), for warning (zur Warnung), and for comfort (Trost); and from this, the following three points are set forth in this text:
First, what sort of state or condition there is with the souls of the deceased righteous men and the godless [i.e., intermediate states].
Second, how we may can make use of this Gospel profitably for warning and comfort, both in prosperity and while under the cross (beid im Glück und im Creutz).
Third, why it is that the rich man is condemned and the poor man is saved, so that we may not err from the right way here along with the rich man, but rather may finally be comforted with Lazarus.
Concerning the First Point: [Intermediate States]
Thus, the first doctrine here in the Gospel concerns the state (Zustandt) of the blessed and the damned soul after a person’s death until the Last Day. For you know that on the Last Day, all the bodies of the dead will rise again and entire great crowd of all men will be divided from one another into two parts, some to the right hand of the Lord Christ, and some to the left hand. Those who are placed at the right hand will be directed to eternal life, but the godless at the left hand [will be directed] into eternal hellish fire (Matthew 25[:31–46]). But the question arises, how does it go now and how will it go when someone has died until the Final Judgment? The body is laid in the earth as we see and know before our eyes, but where does the soul remain? And such is not an unnecessary question, for the right answer to it has foundation in God’s Word and is useful for our betterment (Besserung). Now this is an old error of the Greeks which is also being stirred up again in our time, as though the soul of man, after his death, should sleep and neither understand, nor know, nor feel anything [i.e., “soul sleep”]. But Christ speaks here of a damned soul and of a blessed soul and He distinguishes between the godless rich man and the poor God-blessed Lazarus, as He will on the Last Day, and He says that after the death of pious Lazarus, his soul was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom [Luke 16:22], which is not yet the true place (der rechte Ort) of the perfect joy in eternal life, which Lazarus, along with all the elect, shall only fully come to on the Last Day. Likewise, He says that the soul of the rich man came to the place of torment (den Ort der Qual) [Luke 16:23], which is also called hell here [i.e., “Hades,” ᾅδῃ], and yet it is not yet the deepest hell (die tieffte Hell) into which the body and soul of the rich man shall only be cast into at the Final Judgment (Matthew 25[:46]).
Now the Lord Christ says that Lazarus followed in the footsteps of his father Abraham and had believed in the promise made to Abraham [cf. Romans 4], but in great misery, so that no one could have thought that God should know him or that any angel should take care of him, for he lay there before the rich man’s door despised and full of sores. And yet, the Scripture says that God has commanded His angels concerning him that they ought to bear him up in their hands (Psalm 91[:11–12]). When he dies, the little angels carry his soul into Abraham’s bosom, not as though it were so heavy, but rather Christ had wanted to demonstrate by this what a precious treasure the souls of the righteous are to God and how certain and true the comfort from the Psalm is that the holy little angels have been commanded to diligently watch over such a soul and to bear it up in their hands immediately. So then, his soul is thus carried into Abraham’s bosom, which the Ancients rightly explained in this way, as when a mother has been away for a long time and finally comes once again to the house and the little children run to her with joy and fall into her bosom and the mother joyfully receives them to herself and hugs them and kisses them.
I could not locate a source for this allusion.
In this way, Abraham is called the father of all believers, as is said in Romans 4. To him comes Lazarus, and he is gladly received by him into his bosom and is comforted, and yet, he is not yet at the true place of salvation (den rechten Ort der Seligkeit), but rather, as the Revelation of John says, they are gathered under the altar, where they rest and are comforted, clothed in white garments, as a sign and pledge of the consolation which will surely follow (Revelation 6[:9–11]). And because the joy is already so great, and yet it is not yet the true, eternal, perfect joy (der rechte ewige vollkommene Freud) which will only begin on the Last Day, thus Lazarus had to comfort himself with this further, that such future joy will also be all the more momentous and glorious. Beyond this, it makes this his joy even greater, that he sees the rich man sitting in the flames and in the torment, and then he thinks, “Thanks and praise be to God! For You have graciously preserved me so that I did not come to the place of torment, but rather here, where I am comforted, and still have this before me, that it will soon be even better with me.” And finally, this also makes him greatly rejoice, that he hears the chasm (die Klufft) is firmly fixed and he need not worry that he will be deprived again of such joy in eternity; as it sadly goes here in the world where we are poor sinners and we find ourselves daily in worry and danger with regard to the joy of eternal life because of our sin. in addition to this, it often happens that one rightly and piously begins in his Christianity so that he hopes he will inherit the joy of salvation in Christ, but he does not remain steadfast until the end, but falls away, and thereby is deprived of the joy. Similarly, even when a joyful moment and a good season comes to Christians in which they rejoice, so nevertheless it does not last long, bur rather, one cross soon follows after the other so that their joy is disturbed and taken away. Such, alas, is how it goes in this life. But there it shall be said, “The chasm is fixed” [Luke 16:26], and the salvation of the righteous is so guarded and assured that they cannot be damned nor come to the place of torment, to the rich man, even if they wanted to go down to him.
On the other hand, what is the state of the soul of the rich godless man after his death until the Last Day? To this the text answers: He is in hell. What is hell? A place of torment. Where then is such a place? Where is the bosom of Abraham? Is the one a place beneath us and the other a place above us? Answer: Where it is, we do not want to dispute, but (as St. Augustine says) we should pray to God that may come to the place where we are refreshed with poor Lazarus and by no means to the place of torment.
I looked at several of Augustine’s sermons, but could not find a quote to this effect.
But here, Christ wants to describe and depict the pain, anguish, and suffering of the damned in this parable for us. For because it is a spiritual torment (Geistliche Qual) which one cannot see with bodily eyes (mit leiblichen Augen), so Christ takes a likeness (or a parable, Gleichnuß) from bodily things so that we who are still living in the flesh can reflect upon the matter a little better, as if someone were lying in the midst of a flame of fire and desired only a single tiny drop of water to touch his tongue and yet it was denied to him. So the rich man also thinks here, “Ah! Could I not have but a little refreshment? Surely, there is not another living soul on earth, however poor he may be, who could not at least obtain a little drop of water with which to quench my thirst! Could not even so much be given to me?” “No,” says Abraham. “You have received your good in your life.” David says in the seventeenth Psalm, “God fills their belly with His good things, thereby they have their portion there” (Psalm 17[:14]). And Jeremiah says in the twelfth chapter, “They are fattened and prepared as sheep for the slaughter-bench” (Jeremiah 12[:3]). This is what is truly dreadful, that afterward, in hell, they ought not receive even a single little drop of water from the exuberant grace and the infinite goodness of God, with which they may moisten their tongue only but a little. And this rich man must also reflect upon this in addition: If the torment is already so great, what then will it be like on the Last Day? Thus, he not only has the present pain, but also this anxiety torments and afflicts him even more: “Ah! What then shall become of me when I shall hear this verdict on the Last Day: ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal hellish fire’?” (Matthew 25[:41]). Likewise, Peter says in 2 Peter 2[:4, 9] that “if God did not spare the angels… then He also knows how to reserve the unrighteous under punishment for the Day of Judgment to punish them.” Beyond this, he sees Abraham living in joy who also had been rich, but also devout and God-fearing, who had taken in and fed strangers and the poor [cf. Genesis 18:1–8]. He also sees poor Lazarus sitting in joy, whom he had previously not looked upon with a single eye, which makes his torment even greater for him because he sees the joy in others and must go without it entirely and in addition be tormented, just as hunger is more painful to someone and plagues him more when food is set before him that he may see it and yet not enjoy it [Psalm 112:9–10]. There the worm of his own conscience bites and gnaws at him so that he must think, “Ah! This is what you wanted to have! It is your own fault! You did not want to let yourself be warned!” Finally, he must hear with terror, “The chasm is fixed.” But here “a chasm” means a great wide fissure so that no one can cross over at all, as Abraham says, “There is such a chasm between us and you so that no one can come to the other, no one from you can come over to us here.” [Luke 16:26] By this it is given to him to understand that his torment will never cease in eternity nor come to an end and that he will not partake of any joy in eternity, not even in the least. This makes the torment even greater for him still. This is the first point concerning the condition of souls after a man’s death until the Last Day as it pertains to both the righteous and the godless.
This same doctrine is repeated by Chemnitz in his Examination of the Council of Trent, “So far as the middle order, state, or place is concerned [i.e., purgatory]—Scripture makes only two orders or places for human beings after this life: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). “He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already,” likewise, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him” (John 3:18, 36). Thus in Luke 16 only two places are assigned to souls departing from the body prior to the Last Judgment, a place of comfort and a place of torments. And indeed, a chasm is so firmly fixed immediately after death that no one is able to pass over from the place of torments to the place of comfort.” (Vol. III, pg. 312) See also the discussion in Johann Gerhard, On Death (Part One), Theological Commonplaces XXIX/1, § 159, pg. 230ff.
Concerning the Second Point: [Warning and Comfort]
Second, we here have to pay attention to this Gospel how we make may make use of it profitably for warning in prosperity and good days (zur Warnung in Glück und guten Tagen) and for comfort while under the cross and in misery (zum Trostim Creutz und Elendt). For we ought not dispute so meticulously about what is the bosom of Abraham, or the flame, or the place of torment, or the tongue, or the little drop of water. Even if we actually knew all such things, it would still not yet justified. But rather we ought to direct our thoughts as to how we might rightly make use of the narrative.
This happens thus: God distributes His goods here unequally—the one is rich, the other is poor; the one is healthy, the other is sick; the one is blessed, the other is miserable. Now God says that it shall go well for the righteous and evil for the godless, and yet, the opposite is found, as Solomon says in Ecclesiastes that the same happens to both, to the righteous as to the wicked (Ecclesiastes 9[:2]). Indeed, one often sees quite the opposite, that it goes well for the wicked and the pious are laden with the cross and misery, as is demonstrated plainly in this narrative. For there is a pious, God-fearing man whose name is Lazarus, and yet he does not have much good fortune. Indeed, he is poor and (like Job [see Job 2:7]) full of sore and boils so that he cannot work, and there is no one who would even give him the crumbs that he might satisfy himself. He is so despised that only the dogs have regard for him. On the other hand, there is a godless man who has no regard for God, who despises his neighbor and is stingy and unmerciful toward him, and yet he is rich, has good peaceful days, and lives always gloriously and in joy. And when things go contrary to expectation so that the pious are stuck in misfortune, the world mocks them and thinks they have no gracious God nor any help from the Lord (Psalm 3[:2]), yet, on the other hand, when everything happens fortunately for the godless, the world once again thinks that they sit in the bosom of God and there can be no lack for them. Indeed, the God-blessed themselves are often troubled by it also and they take offense at it, as David says, “I had almost let my foot slip.” (Psalm 73[:2]) And Jeremiah says, “Lord, I will not murmur against You; but nevertheless, I must pour out the thoughts of my heart into Your bosom. These are your children, whom you inflict with all misfortune, and on the other hand, you heap up your goods upon the godless—how can this be?” (~Jeremiah 12). And in Malachi and Psalm 73, the righteous complain, “Is it in vain that I wash my hands in innocence?” “It is in vain that one serves God, and what use is there that we keep His commandments?” “We cannot accept it that God acts thus.” (Psalm 73[:13]; Malachi 3[:14]).
But as Psalm 73 says, one must look to the end (sehe das Endt an), for in the end it is evident whom He has struck (Psalm 73[:17ff.]). Lazarus was indeed inflicted for a long time, but, finally, when he died, he was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom where he is refreshed in eternity. But where Satan preaches (Matthew 4[:9] and Luke 4[:7]), “Behold, all this I will give you if you fall down and pray to me” and someone thereupon prays to the devil and all is given to him, then the world says, “Oh, these are the blessed people! Happy is the people for whom it thus goes” (Psalm 144:5). However Christ says here, “Look to the end” (Sihe das Endt an), for it did not endure with this glutton. He finally died and came to hell, into the place of eternal torment, and had to hear, “You received your good things in your life” [Luke 16:25]. Let us consider this well, and truly strive after it, not that we may receive our goods here, but rather that the end may be good, so that we do not desire to give ourselves over to vain joy, merriment, and splendor. For when the end comes, then the splendid garments and well-living is then over. Where will we find ourselves then? In hell. Therefore, live in the fear of God (in der Furcht Gottes). If you are stuck under the cross, then be patient and think: “It will someday all come to the end.” Then, you shall be comforted in endless eternity.
Thus, we ought to learn to look to the end (auff das Ende sehen), both in fortune and misfortune. The Law of God says rightly, “It shall go well for the pious, and it shall go ill for the godless.” If such does not happen now in this life, then there is still another life existing where it can happen and will happen abundantly. Therefore, if someone in this life fears God, hears Moses and the prophets, and yet he lives amid a vain cross and opposition so that the lot of Lazarus befalls him, let him not take offense at it, but rather, let him comfort himself with the day the Lord will make when He shall be God’s own possession (Malachi 3[:17–18]). And, on the other hand, if you have fortune and riches, do not hang your heart on it, and do not forget God, for otherwise it will come to a wicked end, as with this rich man, as also Psalm 17, 37, and 73, Jeremiah 12 and [2] Maccabees 3 say. This is the second point: how we ought to make use of this narrative beneficially for warning in prosperity (zur Warnung in Glück) and for comfort under the cross (zum Trost im Creutz).
Concerning the Third Point: [The Way of Salvation]
The third [point] is nevertheless the foremost, [namely,] that we ought to learn wherein the rich man was lacking whereby he was condemned and by what it was made good for Lazarus that he had come into Abraham’s bosom so that we may follow such a right way with Lazarus and, indeed, not also go down to hell with the rich man. So now it stands thus that we ought not think it makes no difference how we live, that even if we die in unrepentance that God would nevertheless be gracious and we could be saved; or, as it was said in the papacy, that one might live a life however he wanted if only money were given for him and indulgence (Ablaß) granted to him, then he must be saved. “No,” says here the father of all believers [i.e., Abraham], “that is lacking.” Thus it is said that in this life we are on the way where we may be helped, but after death we are in the place where “the chasm is fixed” [Luke 16:26]. But here there are two ways. One leads upward to heaven, the other leads downward to hell. There now God steps forth through Moses and the Prophets and speaks to rich and poor. He calls, teaches, and warns, “Follow this path! Beware of that one! Hear Moses and the Prophets, so that you do not come to the place where the rich man is tormented, but rather to the place where Lazarus is refreshed.” Now, when God thus warns and admonishes, do they all follow then? Ah! Alas, no! And from this it is evident why the rich man is condemned. For the fact that he is rich and clothes himself honorably according to his estate (nach seinem Stande) and has a good cheerful little hour and takes delight in it is never the true cause of his condemnation (die rechte Ursach seiner Verdammnuß). After all, Abraham himself was also rich such that he had in his house about 400 men fit for battle [c.f., Genesis 14:14].
What then has condemned this rich man? Answer: This, that he led a godless life and did not hear Moses and the Prophets. How? Did he then know nothing of God or of Moses? Surely, he did. For when Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets,” then he immediately understood what he meant and who they are. And that he calls Abraham “father” has this understanding: He was at his foundation godless and unmerciful, and he misused his temporal goods, and even so he deluded himself in the midst of it that he would not go to to the evil on account of it. Thus he led an external glorious appearance that he had Abraham as his father, or as we say, that he wanted to be regarded as a good Christian (für guten Christen). For he also lived thus that he had stolen from no one, cheated no one, had done some good with his own goods and lived well. In this case, he demonstrated better than the stingy misers who do not have the heart to touch their goods and do something good with them, for which there is punishment from God over them.
If then, he did not perish from this, what then was he lacking? Answer: This, as he himself confesses, “Then they will repent.” From this it follows that He had not repented; he had paid no regard to God, Moses, and the Prophets, even if he heard them externally (eusserlich). From this then followed the evil fruits: that he had the goods of the world and saw his brother suffer poverty and closed his heart to him (1 John 3[:17]); that he paid attention to the lust of the eyes (auff Augen Lust) and had clothed himself in purple beyond his estate (uber seinen Standt), which at that time only the kings wore; and was not cheerful every now and then, but rather had lived every day magnificently and in joys.
Surely, at times, a poor Levite or priest must have come to him and warned him, “Look! Thus says Moses! Thus says the Prophets! Thus you shall live! Thus you shall care for the poor and have compassion for them! Etc.” This he had not paid attention to, he did not believe it, he confesses to it. His brothers also do not believe. He thus let Moses and the Prophets keep calling and he followed his own head and gave himself over only to pleasure (Wollust). And now that he is in torment, he would indeed want that his brothers be warned. But Abraham says, “Ought they not know? After all, they have Moses and the Prophets.” “Yes,” he says, “I had them also, and yet I did not believe. They will not believe them either. Why ought they pay attention to Moses or to a poor Levite? But if someone were to rise from the dead, then they would finally believe.” But Abraham says that the preaching of Moses and the Prophets is the only means (das einige Mittel) through which God wills to be effective, to work faith unto salvation; not that the dead should rise and say how it is going with them, nor that they should preach from Moses and the Prophets, but rather that the servants of God (die Diener Gottes) ought to do it.
Whoever does not heed them, it goes for him as it did the rich man, such the account demonstrates. But we ought not leave this hanging between heaven and earth. Rather, let every rich man examine himself whether he also hears Moses and the Prophets and pays attention to them, or whether he also does too much with clothing and good living and is unmerciful toward his needy neighbor. By doing so, he makes it that the Levite with Moses and the Prophets must fall silent. For where one thus remains unrepentant, there the bitter lament of the ears (Ohrenflawer) finally follows: “Ah! If I had done that! Ah! If I had listened to Moses and the Prophets!” And Christ, who has the keys of hell and death, as it is written in St. John’s Revelation 1[:18], opens here a window into hell for us and shows us the rich man sitting in hell; He stretches with His long arm into hell itself and draws out a burning coal and shows it to us so that we may believe, warning us still of it through Moses, etc. “Yes,” says the rich man here, “I would indeed have believed God Himself, if He had warned me. I do not accuse him of lying, but that Levite was too lowly for me. If someone had risen from the dead, then I would have believed.” “No!” says Abraham, “That is not the means nor the way.” What then ought the rich do if they want to be saved? Read the first epistle to Timothy, “They ought not be proud, nor place their hope in uncertain riches, bur rather in the living God, etc.” (1 Timothy 6[:17–19]).
On the other hand, from what cause is Lazarus saved? How did he do it? Did his poverty or his afflictions save him? No, for it happens often that the poor conduct themselves in their poverty in such a way that they go do to the devil along with the rich. Rather, from what was said before it is easy to see, namely, he had heard Moses and the Prophets, thus that He had repented, acknowledged his sin and the wrath of God, and feared it, believed in the blessed Seed of Abraham [i.e., Christ], was reconciled to God, lived in a Christian manner, and when the cross and poverty befell him, he bore it with patience, and even though nothing came to him from the rich man’s door, he did not grumble, but was content even when a kindness happened to him from the dogs. Now when he dies, God shortens his cross and brings him to rest. As Dr. Martin Luther says on the first book of Moses [i.e., Genesis], we are much more blessed than the Fathers before the Flood, who had lived so long and bore their cross and burdens so long, whereas we, like Lazarus, are delivered from them soon and in but a few years. Therefore, be patient in such hope, remain in faith and true repentance, and do not grumble. It will be that your misery and sadness will soon be transformed into eternal joy.
The closest Luther quote I could find from the Genesis Lectures was the following: “Consequently, our temptations, crosses, and vexations are nothing in comparison with the temptations, crosses, and vexations of the fathers. Even though we, too, observe monstrous evils in the world, we do not observe them for long and for this reason are more fortunate; for we leave such a wicked generation more quickly. Noah observed his degraded grandsons for three hundred and fifty years, and how much misery do you suppose he experienced during this time? In respect to this share of misfortune Noah is surpassed by his godly son Shem, who lived for five hundred years after the Flood. Oh, what martyrs! All the generations of men should thoughtfully consider them and learn patience from their example. St. Peter declares about righteous Lot that his soul was distressed when he beheld the ungodly actions of the Sodomites (2 Peter 2:7). Simeon states about Mary that a sword would pierce through her soul (Luke 2:35). The saints cannot behold the wickedness of the world without intense grief. But these crosses of later generations are nothing in comparison with those of the holy fathers, who were compelled to behold the great perversity of the world for five hundred years and more. Therefore let us, too, patiently bear these sad sights and the darts of Satan (Eph. 6:16), which he drives into our hearts; for we should not expect our situation to be better than that of the holy fathers, although, as I have said, it is better in this respect that we have a shorter span of life.” (AE 2:216–17)
Thus is this parable (diß Gleichnuß) directed toward this necessary reminder: Because after this departure “the chasm is fixed” in such a way that one cannot come from one side to the other, and yet the way is still here that one may come to the place of rest and refreshment, therefore let each person strive after it and conduct himself in such a way that he indeed finds the right way (die rechten Weg) and learn from the account of the rich man and the poor Lazarus how the rich man could have found such a way so that he may guard himself against it and not follow after the rich man. Or, if he is also a poor Lazarus, how he ought then conduct himself so that he may come into the bosom of Abraham with poor Lazarus and be comforted.
To this end, may God the Father help us through the power of His Holy Spirit for the sake of His beloved Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
The following is a translation of Martin Chemnitz’s sermon outline found in his postil for Sexagesima (Postilla, Volume I, pgs. 399–400). The Gospel reading is Luke 8:4–18. Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions.
Division of the Sermon (pgs. 399–400)
“This is the summary and content of this parable, which the Lord Christ himself has shown such understanding for us. Now, that we may thereby learn something useful from it, we will summarize it in these five points:
First, how the Lord comes to this parable, and how he thereby reminds us into which great misery we have fallen through the Fall of our first parents, and what God the Almighty does with us, so that He might restore us from such misery and corruption of our [human] nature, and bring us again to righteousness; how to this end He uses the noble seed of His Word, thereby sowing it into our hearts, and making good again whatever was corrupted in them; and from where the Word has such power.
Second, how everyone who considers himself to be saved should let this be a warning to him, that he should not despise the Word through which God solely accomplishes this, because the Lord says here, that He will strike the despisers of the Word with blindness, and because they will not receive the truth, He will never let them come to it. Therefore, how preachers ought to diligently admonish their hearers that they guard themselves against the despising of the Word, and each one remember that He is not to stop up his ears to God’s Word, but rather “gladly hear and learn it.” [cf. Luther’s Explanation of the Third Commandment in the Small Catechism]
Third, if we are now not despisers [of God’s Word], that we are are then to further learn how we ought to rightly prepare ourselves to hear the Word of God in order that we may hear it with fruit, and what we ought to guard ourselves against lest the seed be thereby hindered so that it not come into fruition.
Fourth, how we ought to apply ourselves diligently that we might be a good field (Acker) and bring forth good fruit, and everything that belongs to it: that one must hear the Word, grasp it in his heart, understand it, retain it in his heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.
And then finally, how each one should take the parable for himself, go through it, and examine himself, how he finds himself, by what he is struck, so that he might use it for his benefit, and thus conduct himself so that he does not let God work on him in vain, since He intends good for us from the heart.
If we thus make use with the parable in such a way and make use of it for ourselves, then we can use it usefully and fruitfully, and therefore we will deal with these points in an orderly manner.”
PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS 