Tag: Marriage

The following is a translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily summary found at the end of his postil for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany (Postilla, Volume II, pg. 296) I have added Scriptural references in brackets for easy of use.

“So now, this is the summary of the teaching which we ought to hold on to from this sermon:

1. First, as far as the history is concerned, [we ought to know] how it goes one after another, how after the Lord Christ entered His office (Ampt) at thirty years old, was baptized by John, and was publicly called (außgeruffen) by God His Heavenly Father form heaven that He was the Messiah, and that all the world should hold and recognize Him as such [Matthew 3:13–17]. Soon afterward, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, whereafter forty days [Matthew 4:1–11], He returned to John and once more received from Him the testimony that He was the Lamb of God who would offer Himself for the sins of the entire world [John 1:29–42]. From this testimony, five of John’s hearers were moved to follow Jesus, with whom he went down to Galilee and was invited to a wedding at Cana, where He performed His very first miracle (Wünderwerck) and made water into wine [John 2:1–11]. Thereby, He wanted to prove that He was not only a great prophet, but rather was the only-begotten Son of God. This miracle He had performed before He came to Jerusalem the following Easter, that He might make an appearance through it and His teaching; and how, for the very first, He gave His mother so much to understand, that she ought not interfere in the least with His office (Ampt) and prescribe Him what He ought to do.
2. Second, because the Lord did this His first miracle at a wedding (Hochzeit), the doctrine of the estate of marriage is to be dealt with in the congregation of God as a chief doctrine in this Gospel, and that we can first confront the heretics who bring in this devil’s doctrine (as Paul calls it in 1 Timothy 4[:1–5]), namely, that the estate of marriage is a fleshly estate which is forbidden to Christians. We have good reason [to believe] that the estate of marriage is a holy and God-pleasing estate, which God the Father instituted [Genesis 2:18–25], God the Son has confirmed [Matthew 19:1–6], and the Holy Spirit has spoken blessing over (Psalm 128). Then, how one ought to take hold of this estate in all the fear of God, live in it, and how married couples ought to behave toward one another [Ephesians 5:22–33], both in love and sorrow (in Lieb und Leid). Then, when the dear cross comes in, how one should grasp on [to the marriage estate] in patience, keep quiet for God, and take up prayer into his hands, and thereby seek help and comfort from God. However, when God tests us and does not help so quickly, when He allows the cross to become more difficult at first and it appears as if He does not want to help us at all, how we should then restrain ourselves and take a stand, fight with God in true faith and certain confidence in His Word and promise, and should not let ourselves be pulled away until He finally hears us.

These are the two points which we ought to hold on to from this Gospel. May the beloved God inscribe this teaching in our hearts, that, by God’s grace, we may grasp it well, hold on to it, and use it in a Christian manner. Amen.”