LESSON: MATTHEW 9:18‒22

He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50

This Gospel (Mark 7:31‒37) suggests discussion on the part played by another’s faith in our salvation. These men brought the deaf man to Jesus as a fruit of their faith in Jesus. The deaf man made no contribution at all; he played an entirely passive role.

We should note at the outset that it is quite impossible to be saved by another man’s faith in the sense that the other man does the believing for you and in your place. But it may well happen that through another man’s faith, you yourself come to personal faith. In a similar way, the works of another man can help me or influence me to perform works of my own. Those people are lying who claim that we can be saved through the works and faith of others, whether we have personal faith for ourselves or not. It is not so! Unless you derive a personal faith for yourself from God’s goodness and mercy, you cannot be saved.

This is how the case stands. If you do not have your own personal faith, neither the faith nor work of another man will help you, not even Christ who is a Savior for the whole world. His goodness and His help avails you nothing unless you yourself have faith in Him, and are thereby enlightened. Therefore, be on your guard against anyone who directs you for help to another’s faith. Tell such a would-be helper, “If you want to serve me with your works, make an approach to God and say to Him, ‘Dear heavenly Father, through Your grace I have come to faith, therefore I beseech You, my God, give this poor man faith also.’ This could help me, but it is impossible for you to give me your own faith. And even if you could do so, it would help me not at all.”

SL 11:1518 (7‒9)

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, of all the many gifts which You have bestowed upon us in Your grace and mercy, none is more important to us than the gift of faith. Make our faith strong and a powerful source of good works, through Your holy Gospel and for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:370-380.

LESSON: GALATIANS 3:23‒29

In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. Galatians 3:26

You know now that man is accounted righteous before God and becomes acceptable to God on no other ground but on the basis of faith alone. Hence it is nothing but a false fabrication to teach what has hitherto been taught on this matter in the church, namely, that we must have dealings with God on the basis of our works.

Over and above all this, it was even more foolish for the church to direct men to other sources of help besides faith and works. It was asserted that nuns, priests, and monks could help others with their nocturnal howling in their cloisters and distribute their treasures among others.

We should note that no one should ever make up his mind to be saved through another’s faith and work. Your salvation is beyond the work and faith of Mary or any other saint. It cannot even result from the work and faith of Christ Himself.

To be saved you must believe for yourself. You can be saved only by your own faith. God will not give His consent to permit Mary, or any other saint, not even Christ, to take your place in this respect. You can be accounted righteous in His sight and justified before Him only by your own faith. If Christ’s own faith and work are of no account here, you will achieve even much less with the work and faith of all monks and priests.

SL 11:1518 (7)

PRAYER: We praise and thank you, heavenly Father, for the gift of faith which you have bestowed upon us in your free and unmerited grace. Let this faith now become a real fountain of good works in us which we perform in the interests of our neighbor, for Christ our Savior’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:370-380.

LESSON: PSALM 57:1‒3

Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

The Gospel for this week (Mark 7:31‒37) describes works of love. These men seize the initiative and go to the poor, deaf man with speech troubles to lend him a hand. Without their merits or any initiative from them, Christ sends forth His Word and attends to the spreading of His goodness and mercy. Accordingly, after drawing from the fountain, there is an outflowing from them which is quite spontaneous. They now share gratuitously with their neighbor, without any condemnation of merits.

Love must always do its work in this way, quite freely and with no other consideration but the neighbor’s welfare. Among other things, St. Paul says of love that it “does not insist on its own way” (1 Corinthians 13:5). To the Philippians he writes, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).

This is the attitude which we find here also among these pious people. They do not need the work in question. They do not consider simply their own interests; they think only of the poor, deaf man and of how they can help him. They seek no reward. They render their services to this man quite gratuitously.

This is also the kind of sincerity which should mark your good deeds to your neighbor or otherwise you are not Christians. Mark well, then, how love is described here. It takes upon itself another man’s troubles. If we follow this example, good for us. If we refuse to follow it, God can punish us with the blindness which afflicted our forebears for almost four hundred years.

SL 11:1517 (5‒6)

PRAYER: It is your will, heavenly Father, that we should always practice our faith, especially in the love which we show to each other. Grant us your grace that we love each other without any self-interest, looking not to our own things but to the things of our neighbor, in and through Christ our Savior. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:370-380.

LESSON: MARK 7:31‒37

How are men to call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14

The external history of this Gospel or the example it sets before us is good in itself. For here we see how many adopted the pressing need of this poor man as their own need and brought him to Jesus that He should help him. In this action there is set forth an example of both faith and love. It is an example of faith. They had heard that the Lord is good and merciful and helped all who came to Him. The Word, portraying God’s goodness to us, must be heard beforehand and reach our hearts so that we cling to it in faith. Christ’s words must have taught these people these basic facts about God; otherwise, in the absence of that Word, faith and works are also absent.

Although the actual details are not recorded here, we must infer from what actually took place that before these people brought this man to Jesus they must have heard the good news, the Gospel concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, by which they were brought to faith. For the Gospel in its real essence is good news, a good report, not written on paper but promulgated and made known in the world in the living voice. Accordingly, they had no doubt heard that Christ is good, friendly, and beneficial, helping everyone. This was the beginning of their faith.

So you must take a firm grip of the Gospel. You will always find that the good news must first go out and bring us to God. God must lay the first stone or otherwise all is lost. Secondly, they adhered to this good news. They came to Jesus and expected to obtain from Him what they had heard about Him.

SL 11:1516 (2‒4)

PRAYER: The Gospel which you have made known to us, O God, is a message of good news. May this message ever draw us closer and nearer to our Savior and keep us with Him. In His name we ask it, and for His sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:370-380.

LESSON: LUKE 7:36‒50

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16

The tax collector (Luke 18:9‒14) stands there and humbles himself. He mentions no fasting, no good work; he mentions nothing at all. And yet the Lord says that this man’s sins are not as great as the hypocrite’s. A man must really be bold if, in the face of all this, he would feel inclined to exalt himself above the least of sinners. If I draw myself up even a finger’s breadth above my neighbor, or above the worst of sinners, I am thrown down. The tax collector during his whole life did not commit so many and so great sins as this Pharisee here committed when he said, “God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men,” and lied so that heaven might well have thundered in reply. You hear no word here like the tax collector’s plea: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” God’s mercy, tenderheartedness, and love are clean forgotten.

God is nothing but sheer and pure mercy, and he who does not see this does not believe in God at all, as the psalmist also declares, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). This is where the unbeliever finishes up with his lack of self-knowledge.

I will add just one more remark here. Even if this man had committed the very worst of sins like deflowering virgins, it would not have been as bad as saying, “God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers.” To be sure, Pharisee, do I hear you? Do you have no need of God? Do you despise His goodness, mercy, love, and all that He is? These are real sins. It is not a question here of open sins breaking out. It is a matter of unbelief in the heart, which we cannot see. This is always the real sin.

SL 11:1493 (20)

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, the consequences of unbelief, cutting ourselves off from all grace and mercy, are truly fearsome and must lead to despair. Keep us firm in faith and duly humble by keeping us close to our Savior, in whose name we also ask this. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:336-347.

LESSON: LUKE 14:7‒11

“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:14

We must take a look here at the foolish hypocrite, the Pharisee. He is adorned with the most beautiful works. First, he gives thanks to God, fasts twice in the week, and gives a tithe on his whole income to God, not to St. Nicholas or St. Barbara. He has not broken up his marriage or committed an act of violence against anyone. He is not the kind of man to insist on his rights; he has always preserved an unblemished record of piety. If that is not a fine, honorable life, I would like to know what is! No one could really fault this man; as far as the world is concerned, he deserved nothing but praise. In fact, he praises himself.

God intervenes here to demonstrate that the works of this Pharisee are blasphemies. Lord God forbid! What judgement is this! Nuns and priests might well be dismayed here and tremble in the marrow of their bones. None of them are half as pious as this Pharisee. Would to God that there were still many such hypocrites and Pharisees today!

What is there lacking in this pious man? The simple fact is that he does not really know his own heart. Here you see that we are our own greatest enemies, inasmuch as we close our eyes and heart. This man tells us how he feels. If I were to ask such a hypocrite, “My dear man, do you really mean what you say?” he would affirm with an oath that he has his facts quite straight. Note, however, how deep God’s sword cuts, “piercing to the division of soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12). Here everything must crash in ruins and fall to the ground. Without humility, no one can stand before God.

SL 11:1492 (17‒19)

PRAYER: Open our eyes and hearts, O Lord, that we really recognize ourselves for what we are, miserable and wretched sinners, utterly lost and condemned if left to our own resources. Fill up our emptiness with Your grace and mercy, and continue to shower Your blessings upon us, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:336-347.

LESSON: PSALM 9:7‒12

“The tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast.” Luke 18:13

We are urged to produce works as evidence of faith, not that we should pile up merits by them. Doing works freely and gratuitously for the benefit of our neighbor must become our normal procedure. In urging such works upon us, God is saying to us in effect, “If you have faith, heaven is yours. But even so, in order not to deceive yourselves, do some works.”

The Lord pointed this out in an excellent manner when He said to His disciples, “This I command you, to love one another” (John 15:17). And just before this, during evening supper, He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34‒35).

Before this He stated, “I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). Christ means to say here, “You are My friends, but no one can detect this from your faith. But if you show forth fruits of faith, and your love bursts forth, people will be able to recognize you as My friends. The fruits will not save you or make you My friends; you must prove yourselves to be My friends, and that you are saved by your fruits of faith.”

Therefore, note this well! Faith alone makes you godly. Although it is a living force and a great treasure, because it lies hidden in you, works must emerge and attest your faith to the praise of God’s grace and the condemnation of the works of men. You must lower your eyes and humble yourself before everyone so as to win over your neighbor by your service to him. For this reason also, God prolongs your life; otherwise, you would have deserved to lose your head long since. This you see well illustrated in this pious tax collector.

SL 11:1490 (13)

PRAYER: Strengthen our faith, heavenly Father, by Your means of grace, that we may always produce abundant proof of our faith in good works to our neighbor, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:336-347.

LESSON: 1 CORINTHIANS 2:1‒5

By God’s power [we] are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:5

The reason why St. Luke and St. James put considerable emphasis on works is to prevent men from laboring under the false delusion that faith is merely some vague sort of feeling that floats about on the heart like froth on the beer This is absolutely wrong!

Faith is a vital, living reality, making a man quite new, changing his whole disposition, giving his life a completely different direction. Faith brings a man right down to the grass roots of existence, and a complete renewal of the whole man takes place. Hence, if I formerly knew a man to be a sinner, I can see from his changed behavior, his altered being, and his different life that he is now a believer. Faith is always a most important factor.

The Holy Spirit has also seen fit to emphasize works because they are witnesses of faith. If there are those who produce no evidence in the form of works, we can quickly conclude, “They heard the message of faith, but it never penetrated to any depth in their case.”

If you want to persist in pride and immorality, in greed and wrath, while continuing to chatter a lot about faith, St. Paul will come to you and say, “The kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). The kingdom of God must be lived and put into action; it cannot be adequately attended to with little more than idle chatter.

SL 11:1489 (11)

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, faith is the power which You use to bring men to salvation and to keep them as Your children and disciples. May we never lose this faith, but may it ever increase in us, continuing to manifest itself in rich fruits of faith for the welfare of Your kingdom and in the interests of our neighbor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:336-347.

LESSON: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:13‒15

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.” Luke 18:14

The tax collector’s faith certainly proves itself by its fruits. How do we explain Christ’s statement here that he “went down to his house justified rather than the other”? We have suggested that this tax collector was justified before the happenings recorded in this Gospel and before he beat upon his breast as here reported. What does Christ mean here, then, with the statement that “he went down to his house justified”?

This refers to something I have frequently stressed previously: if faith is as it should be, it will break out and produce fruit. If the tree is green and good, there is no coming to a standstill; it must sprout and produce fruit and leaves. Nature sees to this. I do not have to command the tree and say, “Listen to me, tree, produce apples!” If the tree is there and it is a good tree, fruit comes of its own accord. If true faith exists anywhere, works must follow.

If I confess myself to be a sinner, it follows that I must also say, “Dear God, I am a rogue; make me godly!” So also the tax collector here. He does not hold back, but speaks out quite freely. He is not afraid of disgracing himself before other people. He must come out with his faith, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” It is as though he meant to say, “Now I see that all is shattered for me; I am a rogue and acknowledge my sin. There is nothing else for me now but to believe in God and cling to His mercy, to implore His grace; otherwise I am ruined.”

In this way faith casts itself upon God. It breaks forth and establishes itself through works. When that happens in a man, I can recognize him as a believer and so can others.

SL 11:1488 (8‒9)

PRAYER: When You bring men to true faith, heavenly Father, You also empower them to prove their faith in their lives. Make our faith such a power in our lives that all men will know that we are Your children and glorify Your holy name, in and through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:336-347.

LESSON: 1 PETER 5:6‒11

“The tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” Luke 18:13

It seems that the tax collector must have heard something of God’s Word beforehand, that he believed this Word and became a godly man as a result of this, as Paul says, “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ” (Romans 10:17). When God’s Word takes hold of a man’s heart, it purifies him and makes him truly pious and godly. The evangelist does not expressly say here that the tax collector had heard the Gospel, but he gives certain indications that he had heard it somewhere or other, for he makes the tax collector exclaim, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

Such an exclamation is beyond all the powers of human reason. Therefore he must have become acquainted previously with the fact that God is gracious, merciful, and friendly to all who recognize their sins, who call upon Him and desire His grace. He had heard that God in His heart of hearts is gracious to all who humble themselves and who look to Him for comfort and consolation.

The beginning of all true piety must never be sought in ourselves but in the Word of God. God must first let His Word sound forth in our hearts. Through this Word we learn to know God and come to faith in Him. After this, we are equipped for good works. Accordingly, we must also infer here that the tax collector in some way or other heard the Word of God. If this were not so, it would certainly have been quite impossible for him to confess himself to be a sinner as the Gospel reports it. He would not have been humbled and beaten his breast unless there were true faith in his heart beforehand.

SL 11:1487 (5‒6)

PRAYER: Thanks and praise be to You, heavenly Father, for the precious gift of Your Word. Grant that we may always accept Your Word with our whole heart so that it always proves itself a powerful influence in our lives, fully sanctifying us, for Christ the Savior’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:336-347.