We resume our
series on Luther’s Small Catechism by focusing on Justification by Grace through
Faith. My thanks to Our Redeemer Lutheran
Church in Lexington, Kentucky, which published many of Martin Luther’s sermons
on its website. I mention this for your ongoing edification. We find there two
Easter sermons the Doctor preached on our text (Mark 16:1-8).
Regarding The Fruits and Benefits of the Resurrection of
Christ, Luther wrote:
“ … When I come to understand the fact that all the works
God does in Christ are done for me, … the effect of his resurrection being that
I also will arise and live with him; that … [causes] me to rejoice. This must
be brought home to our hearts, and we must not merely hear it with the ears of
our body nor merely confess it with our mouth.
You have heard in the story of the Passion how Christ is
portrayed as our exemplar and helper, and that he who follows him and clings to
him receives the Spirit, who will enable him also to suffer. But the words of
Paul are more Christian and should come closer home to our hearts and comfort
us more, when he says: "Christ was raised for our justification."
Continuing, Luther reflected upon Paul’s phrase: “’Christ
was raised for our justification.’ Here Paul turns my eyes away from my sins
and directs them to Christ, for if I look at my sins, they will destroy me.
Therefore I must look [to] Christ who has taken my sins upon himself, crushed
the head of the serpent and [became] the blessing. Now they no longer burden my
conscience, but rest upon Christ, whom they desire to destroy.” …
“The question now arises: If Christ has taken away death and
our sins by his resurrection and has justified us, why do we then still feel
death and sin within us? For our sins torment us still, we are stung by our
conscience, and this evil conscience creates the fear of hell.
To this I reply: I have often said before that feeling and
faith are two different things. It is the nature of faith not to feel, to lay
aside reason and close the eyes, to submit absolutely to the Word, and follow
it in life and death. Feeling however does not extend beyond that which may be
apprehended by reason and the senses, which may be heard, seen, felt and known
by the outward senses; For this cause feeling is opposed to faith and faith is
opposed to feeling. … Therefore we must disregard our feeling and accept only
the Word, write it into our heart and cling to it, even though it seems as if
my sins were not taken from me, and even though I still feel them within me. … Thus
faith leads us quietly, contrary to all feeling and comprehension of reason,
through sin, through death and through hell. Then we shall see salvation before
our eyes, and then we shall know perfectly what we have believed, namely, that
death and all sorrow have been conquered.”
Because
our sins remain active throughout our lives, Luther taught, “When death comes,
they must also die, and then we are perfect Christians and pure, but not
before. This is the reason why we must die, namely, that we may be entirely
freed from sin and death. These words on the fruits of the resurrection of
Christ may suffice for the present, and with them we will close. Let us pray
God for grace that we may understand them and learn to know Christ aright.[i]”
[i]
Martin Luther,
A Sermon on Christ’s Resurrection; Mark 16:1-8. http://www.orlutheran.com/html/mlsem16l.html
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