The weapons of our warfare

AELW 8:238

Genesis 49:10

10. The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until Shiloh comes;
and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

AELW 8:244

"it is our duty to inculcate these matters diligently and to heed this striking difference between the kingdom of Christ and that of others, even David’s. For this is what Jacob means: “The kingdom of my son David, which cannot be administered without the sword and arms, will not endure; but the kingdom of שִׁילֹה will follow, and it will be governed by the Word alone.” Thus Christ says: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). For that Word is most powerful. It is able to save from the hands of death and the devil as well as from the power of hell, and to translate into the kingdom of God. To this king, then, the nations shall listen; that is, they will be ruled by the Word. The work will be done through preaching. This will be the mark distinguishing the kingdom of Christ from the empires of the world, which are ruled by the sword and physical might. “The weapons of our warfare,” says Paul, “are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4). “I absolve you; I baptize you; I declare you to be a child of the kingdom; I announce to you the remission of sins; I promise and offer you victory over the devil. Believe, and you will be saved.”

Thinking about Scipio Africanus

What with a new book out on Scipio Africanus (June of 2008, Richard A. Gabriel, ISBN-10: 1597972053 ) that our library does not yet have and I have been too cheap to buy.....this quote from Luther is spot on...

AELW 8:237

"Psalm 44:4-6 "Through Thee we push down our foes; through Thy name we tread down our assailants. For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me." He is a king of faith, and his kingdom is a kingdom of faith; and although he is a temporal king, nevertheless he has been fortified with and surrounded by divine promises.

And this is the way to read the histories of the saints, which should be preferred to all chronicles of the achievements of Hannibal, Scipio, and Alexander the Great. Although those chronicles were held in the highest esteem among the Greeks and Latin authors, they are by no means to be compared to these. For they lack this glory of a divine quality; they have no promise. Therefore they are fortuitous and uncertain. But even though seemingly trifling and obscure things are described in the histories of the saints, nevertheless they are actually very important and glorious; for here it is not one nation and the people of the Philistines, the Moabites, etc., that are conquered. No, the prince of the world, who wanted this small and feeble kingdom to be destroyed and annihilated, is overcome. Therefore they are very find and precious histories in the sight of God. For they have greater weight and influence than all other chronicles, which are uncertain and contain things that happen fortuitously, especially before the fact. They cannot boast of a successful outcome except after the fact."(emphasis mine)

Understanding of the flesh and the eyes

AELW 8:235-236

"Thus we in the New Testament have the promise of the forgiveness of sins and of life in the sacraments and in the Gospel. But if you look at the fact and follow the judgment and understanding of the flesh and the eyes, you will come to the conclusion that nothing is less true than what is announced to you about the remission of sins and eternal life. For we see that men die and are buried most ignominiously, are even gnawed and consumed by worms in such a way that the cadaver of no beast stinks more and is more loathsome than the body of a human being. To be destroyed, to be buried in the ground, to be consumed and reduced to dust, and indeed with such foulness that, as cadavers are commonly depicted, owls are born from the human brain and serpents from the intestines - this is not what it means to have eternal life, is it? Yet here faith must come to a firm conclusion and expect resurrection and a return to life."

Faith and fear

AELW 8:204

"Faith and fear should exist in the hearts of men, because a promise and faith, like a threat and fear, are correlative. There is no promise if faith is not present; and, on the other hand, there is no faith without a promise, just as there is no fear where a threat is lacking. But God defers both in order to test us. And since the world is not willing to endure this trial, it despises both and neither fears Him who threatens nor believes Him who promises."

They want the belly to be full

or "Dem bellys full but dem hungry"(Bob Marley)

AELW 8:203

"the flesh neglects God when He threatens and when He promises liberation. For because He delays and defers His help, He is despised. No one wants to become accustomed to the exercises of faith, but men want to live without faith and to enjoy the things that are at hand. They want the belly to be full. But they reject the sure promise. Even though this promise concerns invisible things, yet these things will surely come to pass."

He does come, and comes for sure

AELW 8:202

"But the flesh is so smug and evil that it not only distrusts the promises but also despises the threats. For the threats, too, are delayed. Therefore the flesh does not believe God when He threatens. And when those despisers and irrational people hear that a judgment against sin remains for that Day, they say: “Perhaps what you are threatening is true. I wish I had money to count in the meantime.” God wants His threats to be feared and His promises to be awaited. But this is impossible except by faith.

For the world cares about neither of these things, no more, in fact, than if a goose were hissing at it. For God is patient and slow in carrying out both His promises and His threats. But He does not lie, and He makes up for that slowness either with the severity of the punishment or with the large number and the greatness of His blessings. Finally He does come, and comes for sure."

God feeds us with His Word

AELW 8:200

"This was the cause of all the idolatry among the people of Israel, even in the desert, as Ps. 78:8 testifies: “A generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.” For they wanted to be led and governed in such a way that they did not live from faith in the promise but from what was actually present. On the other hand, God wanted them to rely on faith and not to long for the things that were pleasant at the time. Therefore they raged in indignation, saying: “God should not feed us with words. No, He should give us what we need.” Thus they seek what is plainly contrary to the will and government of God, and if at this time they do not get what they seek, they look for another god. This perversity of human minds is described throughout the aforementioned psalm, where we read: “They did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to His Law. They forgot what He had done, and the miracles that He had shown them.” (Vv. 10–11.) Likewise in Ps. 106:13: “They soon forgot His works, they did not wait for His counsel”; that is, they refused to believe. Stephen reproaches them with the same thing in Acts 7:43: “And you took up the tent of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan, etc.”

Therefore one should carefully observe these things in the Holy Scriptures, which contain accounts far different from the records of the heathen, which do not have the promises of God. On the other hand, God makes promises to His people, to be sure; but at the same time He also tests and exercises them in the faith and teaches that they should live more by the Word than by bread, as Moses testifies in Deut. 8:3–4: “He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.”

Live by the Word that Promises....

AELW 8:199-200

Genesis Chapter Forty-nine

1. Then Jacob called his sons, and said: Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in days to come.

2. Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob,
and hearken to Israel your father.

This chapter is somewhat obscure and difficult, especially because it has many teachers and interpreters with completely divergent views. Therefore we must make the crooked and curved road we are following smooth and straight. But we shall do what we can.

Jacob arouses his sons and gets their attention. He is about to speak on a great and memorable matter, namely, on the promise and the threat. And it is truly a great and difficult thing to speak beforehand about future matters with such certainty.

But we know from Holy Scripture and from actual experience that when God’s promises and threats are being fulfilled and taking their course, as it were, they seem to be altogether contradictory. For although the people of Israel had excellent promises, yet if you look at their history and at matters as they stand at present, they seem to be very miserable people and forsaken. It seems that God is either untruthful when He makes promises or is negligent, as we have had several examples above with respect to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The histories of these men seem to show nothing else than that they were without God or that God forgot them or had ceased completely to take care of them and had permitted their adversaries to reign and triumph over and to rage against the godly and innocent people with impunity.

In the same manner the people of Israel were harassed by hostile neighbors, the Philistines, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Idumaeans, the Egyptians, etc. Therefore nothing seemed less likely than that they had the promise. And what could be mentioned or thought of that would be more wretched than the history of the patriarch Jacob, which is full to overflowing of troubles and disasters of every kind? This is not a promise or a blessing, is it? This is not what it means to have God, life, and eternal bliss and happiness, is it? Surely the godly have the very opposite in sight, and, as it seems, what they experience is, in effect, completely different from what is offered in the promises, which reason declares to be false and, as the saying goes: “The good fare badly; the bad fare well.”

Accordingly, faith, which should rely on and live by the Word that promises, pertains to the promise. For if it is not present to cling to the promise and live by it, things certainly seem to conflict with the promise, in such a way that men are driven to despair."

True Faith

AELW 8:193

"Historical faith does not rely on the Word or trust in it. No, it says: “I hear that Christ suffered and died, etc.” But true faith judges as follows: “I believe that Christ suffered and died for me, etc. About this I have no doubt, and in this faith I find rest. I trust in that Word in opposition to death and sin.” [Emphasis mine}]

A great All Saints Day quote

AELW 8:191

Genesis 48:21. "Then Israel said to Joseph: Behold, I am about to die; but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers."

"We who believe have this beginning, that even when we feel death, we nevertheless do not fear it as others, who are tormented by an evil conscience and grow pale even when the word “death” is mentioned, feel it. But the godly and saintly martyrs despise death and laugh at it. Thus when Agnes was being carried off to prison and torture, she said that she felt just as if she were being led to a dance. What, I ask, was the source of such great courage on the part of the maiden? She was not afraid. She did not tremble. No, she exulted as though she were being summoned to a most sumptuous feast. This was no Epicurean contempt of death; it was true wisdom and understanding, because of which she concluded that life was very close to her. Therefore she laughed at the devil and death and regarded them as a joke, because for her death had been swallowed up through life.

This is the theology we teach. It is altogether different from the theology which the blind and foolish scholastics and papists retain. These men are completely ignorant of it and despise faith. Therefore let us listen to the patriarch Jacob as he speaks of death as if he were speaking of sleep. For if you should ask him: “Why are you not terrified at the sight of death, Jacob?” he replies: “To be sure, I shall die and be buried in the tomb; but God lives. He has promised the land into which He will bring you back, but He will transfer me into another, far better land; for He has given His promise.”

A Great Reformation anniversary passage - "Confidence because of the command of Christ"

Justification by Faith alone!

AELW 8:188-189

"But look, I ask you, at Jacob’s faith and at his extraordinary comfort. For when he says: “God will be with you,” he has no doubt whatever that God will take care of them, just as we in the New Testament are certain that Christ will be with us until the end of the age (cf. Matt. 28:20). In addition, he promises that they will be brought back to the land of their fathers. It is as though he were saying: “I am leaving you and departing from you from this life; but you have not been forsaken or abandoned, since the same God and וֹּאֵל (SEE NOTE BELOW) who was with me in such great troubles of this life will also be with you and will bring you back into the Promised Land.”

These are certainly bold words, as if I were to say to one who is about to die: “I absolve you from your sins and commend you to God and all the angels that they may protect you and lead you into eternal life.” This I can and should declare with confidence because of the command of Christ and the infallible promise of God on which such absolution depends. Therefore we can absolve those who believe the Word and send them over into the kingdom of God, for this blessing of the fathers has been given to us too.

But the pope consigns afflicted consciences to purgatory and makes no certain promise about their salvation but demands contrition, confession, and satisfaction, if perhaps God may be appeased and reconciled by such means. “Your contrition could be so great,” he says, “that God Would have regard for it.” Thus he leaves hearts in perpetual doubt and finally drives them to despair and to hatred toward God.

Therefore we encourage fearful hearts in this manner: “Believe that you have been baptized into Christ. I absolve you from your sins in the name of Christ, who died for you and rose again, and said: ‘Because I live, you will live also’ ” (John 14:19). This is solid and firm consolation. In it alone the godly can find rest. Therefore the devil perpetually assails it. Thus recently the asses in Louvain had the audacity to defend purgatory by publishing articles under the seal of Emperor Charles by which they betray their stupidity and madness and openly declare that God has increased their blindness a hundredfold, since they try to extinguish the light of that promise which God, in His wonderful goodness and mercy, has again kindled in our churches."

NOTE:

Regarding the word וֹּאֵל ? The Electronic version prints it out with the spelling as is in red here and seems to be repetitive, e.g., "and God" which would render the sentence..."same God and and God."

The printed version uses the spelling, גֹּאֵל which can mean "Kinsmen or redeemer" which would render the sentence..."same God and redeemer"

Any expert advice on which word was intended is appreciated....maybe the German St. Louis version is clearer here?

The boundless kindness of God

AELW 8:182-183

"At the present time, thanks to the boundless kindness of God, we have the most glorious honor of Christ, as is clear from our sermons and the whole ministry. Look at Baptism, the Lords Supper, absolution, and the Gospel. These great gifts of the Holy Spirit should be praised and proclaimed by all, and in them God, who has given such power to men (cf. Matt. 9:8), should be acknowledged and praised. I am not the patriarch Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. But observe what I do. I take an infant, and by baptizing it I redeem it from death, the devil, and sins, and translate it from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. This a pastor of the church does, and in an emergency any Christian does so.

Therefore it is meet and right that we should wonder at and proclaim such great mercy and goodness of God. He blesses us with an eternal and spiritual blessing, so that the devil is compelled to flee when he sees an infant being baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. For here I am not destroying the kingdom of the Turk or of Augustus or of the king of the Persians. No, I am destroying the kingdom of the prince and god of this world.

In the same manner, when a sinner comes confessing his sins, I say to him: “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” For here I am recalling from the depths of hell one who was confused, lost, hopeless, swallowed up, and eternally dead in his sins.

Thus in the Lord’s Supper I eat the body and drink the blood of Christ, the Son of God, given and shed for me for the remission of sins, that is, for eternal life.

Accordingly, this glory is far greater and far more lustrous than that of the fathers. The only thing we lack is that we do not open our eyes, ears, and hearts and do not value these gifts in accordance with their importance and worth. It is true and certain that he who is baptized and absolved at the hand of a pastor, and, in case of necessity, at the hand of any brother, is undoubtedly holy and saved, and that the kingdom of the devil, death, and sin has been destroyed. How? Through the mouth of a miserable man, a priest or a brother.

Surely these are great and immeasurable miracles, and the power given to us by God is incomparably greater than that of the fathers, which nevertheless was surpassingly great. For Christ says to us: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Matt. 28:20) and “I go away, and I will come to you” (John 14:28). Likewise: “We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).

The church shall be my fortress, my castle, and my chamber, as is stated in Is. 31:9: “Says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.” Therefore when we baptize, Christ Himself is baptizing through the mouth and hand of the minister."

Bow and revere God

AELW 8:145

"When we hear the Word of God, we should receive it with special reverence and piety, if not with bended knees, at least with humble hearts. Thus it is good that the Sacrament of the Altar is honored with bended knees; for the true body and blood of the Lord are there, likewise the presence of the Holy Spirit and the promise or the Word of God, which should be heard reverently. For God works there, and the Lord shows Himself. In Moses this is sometimes called the face of God. He means that God is present and appears to me. Here it is certainly fitting for me to rise or to fall on my knees. And the appearances and faces of God we experience are equal to, yes, superior to, all the appearances in the Law of Moses. When I approach Baptism, I must certainly conclude that nothing human is being done there. But the water is a veil or a means. So is the Word with which God is veiled. Behind these stands our Lord God, and they are the faces of God through which He speaks with us and works in every person individually. He baptizes me; He absolves me and gives me His body and blood through the tongue and the hand of the minister. For God works salvation in Baptism. And this is the presence or form and epiphany of God in these means. Therefore we do the right thing when we bow and revere God when He speaks with us. If we do not do so with our bodies, we should at least do so with all our hearts.

And in Baptism, of course, our eyes and hearts should always be directed to the manifest appearance in the Jordan, where the voice of the Father is heard from heaven, the flesh of the Son is seen, and the Holy Spirit appears in the form of a dove. Thus also in our Baptism. And what is primary in the Lords Supper is the means by which Christ gives me His body. Thus it is actually God, not the minister, who nourishes and feeds us. In Baptism the voice of the Trinity is heard, and the words of Baptism must not be understood or received in any other way. Therefore this adoration is necessary, if not with a bending of the body, at least with spiritual reverence."

Resources and Lutheran Insider Speak

Looking over some previous posts I note that I have broken at least a one of my own rules...

and that is....

to never to use acronymns without immediately explaining what they mean.

In every type of business there is "insider" or "code" language used. It is always frustrating if you have not yet learned what something means, compounded by the fact that everyone around you is nodding their heads knowingly following what is meant. I know personally that I find a hard time revealing in a large group that I don't know what some acronymn means...

Okay, what are you saying and give an example...

Previously I referenced the LSB, a book published by CPH in 2006 for the LCMS.

See how easy it is to use acronyms and what I meant about insider speak?

LSB = The Lutheran Service Book. A Hymnal and Service Book, published in 2006, filled with hymns. devotional materials, as well as, a plethora of other resources. More information may be found regarding this resource at...

http://lsb.cph.org/

CPH = Concordia Publishing House. A publisher with Christian resources for any and every occasion. Well worth reviewing their website and the great materials which they publish....

http://www.cph.org/cphstore/default.asp?ct=true

(btw a tremendous devotional resource being released at the end of this week (October 24, 2008) is The Treasury of Daily Prayer, more information here...

http://www.cph.org/cphstore/pages/resources/tdp/index.asp)

LCMS = The Lutheran Church Missour Synod, an organization of Lutheran Church, founded in 1847. More information here....

http://www.lcms.org/

Thanks and as Tigger (from Winnie the Pooh) would stay TTFN....(ta ta for now)

Two kinds of gray hair

AELW 8:113

" Pharaoh took the opportunity to question Jacob because he saw his unkempt gray hair and his dirty and wrinkled face. But there are two kinds of gray hair. Sometimes it is the result of age, and sometimes it is the result of trouble. People are said to become gray from worries and heartache, as the German expression “This could give me gray hair!” puts it. And in Ps. 6:7 we read: “My eye wastes away because of grief, it grows weak because of all my foes.” It is as if the psalmist were saying: “I am surrounded to such an extent by enemies and vexations that the moment one vexation has come to an end, three other far more serious vexations follow.” For no disaster is alone, as a common saying goes.

But such tribulations and troubles hasten the coming of gray hair, wrinkles, and finally death itself. This is the source of the well-known complaints of afflicted people who say: “You will make me turn gray; you will kill me!” For grievous trials certainly mortify and kill. Therefore Solomon warns as follows in Eccl. 11:9: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.” A young person should be happy. A young man should not torment himself with the anxious and biting cares that consume strength and exhaust the vigor of life. Do not start tormenting yourself when you are young. Later, when age approaches and you are preoccupied with troubles of all kinds, worries and vexations of every kind will also follow. Trouble itself will surely be your teacher.

Therefore Jacob says: “I am an old man, not in years but in the multitude of evils, which are more effective killers than the number of years.” And if we look at the age in which we live, how few there are today who reach 60 years! How many thousands of men there are who are killed by the sword, plague, sorrow, and tribulations before this time! And old age is now 40 or 50 years."

Timeless and timely irony

AELW 8:107

Luther on Genesis 47:3-4 Joseph and his brothers...

"Joseph manfully and prudently advises his brothers to remain in their calling and in the position in which they have been up to this time. They should not seek great honors in a foreign realm but should be content with their lot and condition. Nor should they imagine that because of the exalted honor in which they see their brother established they, too, must aspire to like rank and glory. And this is also foreign to our customs and examples. For you could see many from among the courtiers who, on being elevated to some position of rank, are immediately eager to elevate and enrich their relatives and friends."

The garment of the eternal Sabbath

AELW 8:67

"The earth will be adorned with another garment, and heaven and the heavenly bodies will be much more splendid, as is stated in Is. 30:26: “The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold.” An old coat that is torn must be replaced with a new one.

In the same manner God also cleanses us from sins and frees us from death. This is the work of the six days of this world. But when these are past, when we have entered into His rest, then our torn and filthy garment will be changed into the garment of the eternal Sabbath (cf. Heb. 4:3–9)"

Sermons now online

Sermons from Our Savior Lutheran Church are now online.

We use the Lutheran Service Book (LSB) One Year Lectionary

Below, and on the left hand side, there is a link from this site to the sermon site.
Here's the site: http://oslcmidlandmi.blogspot.com/

Also can link through our website here
http://www.oursaviormidland.org/

The Mackinac Bridge Walk - 5 miles from the U.P. to the L.P. eh!

<= Our Family ready to begin the 51st Annual Mackinac Bridge walk (our first time walking)


Here we are with 40,000 of our newest "friends." =>











<= On the "downhill" side!

A beautiful morning for a walk! =>



<= And the Payoff! My family and I are now "Official" Michiganders as we completed the Mackinac Bridge walk on Labor Day! Thank you to some very special members of our congregation who invited us to stay with them at their family homestead near the bridge. We had a great time and it was the first time over the bridge (walking) for every member of our family....

The peculiar duty of bishops and pastors

Genesis 45:15. And he (Joseph) kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

AELW 8:54

"Accordingly, the example of Joseph is a true and clear picture of the resurrection of Christ. And such things happen daily in the church. For it is the peculiar duty of bishops and pastors to teach, buoy up, and comfort, not hardened and foolish persons who cannot be set right with words and should rather be left to the executioner and hangman, but tO apply the balsam of Holy Scripture to the afflicted and the distressed. “Do not fear! Have confidence, my son! Your sins are forgiven you!” (Cf. Matt. 9:2.) But how difficult this application is both my own experience and that of others testifies. I have read the Bible with the greatest zeal and diligence for about 30 years, but I have not yet been cured in such a way that I could with full confidence find rest in the remedies shown by God. I would desire to be stouter and stronger in faith and prouder in Christ, but I cannot be.

Therefore the wound is healed in the inn after oil and wine have been poured on it (cf. Luke 10:30–35). For the churches are nothing else than lodging places of this kind in which the people who feel sin, death, and the terrors and vexations of an afflicted and wounded conscience are healed. There, to be sure, faithful and diligent care must be exercised by the ministers by pouring on oil and wine. For sin is a very cruel disease, and conscience is a very delicate thing and a most tender wood grub, so to speak, as the old translator said about David in 2 Sam. 23:8. For this grub is destroyed even by a slight injury to the skin.

And a good little line teaches the same thing: “Reputation, faith, and the eye allow no jesting.” For just as faith, that is, conscience, is offended in a very brief moment, so the eye and reputation are most delicate things that can very easily be injured. From one little word imprudently uttered or wrongly understood, innumerable calumnies and slanders often arise. Thus, therefore, a reconciliation and healing of these brothers took place, even though they were not yet completely restored. And this is a clear example of the healing which customarily takes place in the church through ministers and teachers."

The Law and the Word of promise

AELW 8:40-41

"Wrath and judgment are shown through the Law to keep us from sinning. But when we have fallen, we have the Word of promise by which we are taught not to despair but to bear in mind that the goodness and mercy of God are boundless. He gave His Son for us that He should be our satisfaction and that by His blood our sin should be devoured and destroyed.

God should not be tempted. Nor should one be presumptuous with regard to His mercy. No, one should ask and hope for the remission of sins in faith and in the humility of repentance. Thus when Joseph praises the wonderful governance of God, he does not adduce merits or crimes and the impudence of the brothers; he adduces the mercy of God, who does not want sinners to perish but wants all to be saved."

Let God rule

AELW 8:36-37

"we are in the midst of death, and the world gives signs of falling in ruins. But the Lord lives. Everything belongs to the Creator, who is the almighty Father. Therefore we should have no regard for the magnitude of the disasters and for the power of those who persecute us. Nor should our own dangers or those of our wives and children terrify us. Thus Joseph does not look at prison, disgrace, death, and the very sad and horrible things that befell him. No, he clings to the Word and believes in the almighty Father. But if the Turk or the pope swallow us alive, what are they doing? They are swallowing our death, miseries, and troubles, and are exchanging this unhappy life for eternal life, provided that we believe in the almighty Father.

“Meanwhile, however, religion is being destroyed,” you will say. What will happen then? What of it? Let God rule. Let Him take care of this. The Lord will see to it that the church and a holy seed are preserved on earth. Certainly Joseph was sent to the Egyptians, a barbarous and godless nation with no knowledge of God, where there was great danger that his tender heart would be seduced after being imbued with perverse dogmas and with superstition. But the outcome bears witness that that very mission and danger led to many blessings. Thus it is possible for God also to preserve some of us to be a nursery for the church when the Turk and the enemies of God have been destroyed. For He allows them to rave and rage with no other end in view than that they may be destroyed and perish. In the meantime, however, the light of the Gospel is gradually being propagated more and more. Only let us keep on believing, teaching, suffering, and dying; for they, too, will have to perish.

“But you are being slaughtered in spite of this,” you will say. What then? I know that I must depart from this life. Therefore I do not care, no matter whether I am killed by the pope or the Turk. I believe in Christ. Him I confess and invoke. Anyone who wants to may be angry or laugh.

In this manner the very saintly fathers placed all trust and hope in Christ, and with this faith they conquered death, hell, and Satan with great strength of heart and obtained the eternal glory which is laid up for them and for us in heaven. If Joseph had remained at home and in the household of his father, he would have lived there as a private individual and would have benefited only a few. But after the seed has fallen into the ground (of. John 12:24), it becomes the physical and spiritual salvation of many lands."

Absolution

AELW 8:24-26

Genesis 45:5. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here.

"There is no heavier grief than sorrow of heart, for it is death and hell itself. Therefore it must be counteracted, whether it disturbs you or someone else. Let anyone who can do so close hell and open heaven. Then heaven must be opened, and hell must be closed lest the sick heart be consumed by awareness of sin and grief over it.

Thus Joseph deals here in a most kindly and friendly manner with his brothers to give them more courage. For he was a wise man. He had an understanding of the struggles of conscience. Therefore he applies remedies which soothe the grief. He applies them at the right time. “Let there be no anger in your eyes. Do not think that I am angry. All has been pardoned, forgiven, and consigned to oblivion. I love you heartily and like a brother.”

This indeed is what it means to forgive a brother his fault from the whole heart (cf. Matt. 18:35), especially when he is distressed and grieving. So far Joseph has aimed at humbling his brothers, in order that they might despair completely of their safety and of returning to their father and might have certain and perpetual slavery before their eyes. But when they have been disturbed and terrified, he pardons them with such great clemency and affability that he even weeps with them as they weep.

Therefore this is an outstanding passage and one that is worthy of accurate observation. For one cannot say or believe how difficult it is to buoy up and revive a heart in despair and a conscience overwhelmed by sadness. Those who are not being tried are easily gladdened, but it requires toil and labor to bring a man who lies oppressed by spiritual grief and sorrow back to a knowledge of and faith in the goodness and mercy of God."

More Medicine

Dr. Just, beloved professor at Concordia Theological Seminary, stated it this way (from fading memory not an exact quote)..."Christ came into this world to make right all that has gone wrong..."

And here's Luther....

AELW 8:16

"the Holy Spirit and grace are a medicine, so to speak, for nature—a medicine by which what had been ruined or destroyed in the original corruption through sin is set to right and restored."

I have been baptized

AELW 8:8

"Those who are afflicted feel and complain that they are perishing and dying. Nor can nature think anything else when it is being mortified. It can say nothing else than “I am lost.” But oh, how happy and blessed the voice of Christians is if they can cling to the Word and say: “I have been baptized. I believe in God the Father. I believe in Jesus Christ”! Let only this remain firmly fixed in the heart. Then all will be well."

The medicine of God

AELW 8:7

"we must be troubled and humbled, if not by bloodshed and imprisonment, as the saintly martyrs suffered, at least through spiritual trials, sorrow, grief, and anguish of heart. Otherwise we shall perish in our sins. For the flesh is corrupt, filled with poison, leprous, and has need of a physician to counteract that rottenness by means of cross, martyrdom, sadness, confusion, and disgrace. These, you see, are the medicines with which God purges away sin."

Volume 8, Luther's prophecy

AELW 8:x

“Dr. Luther, the man of God, concluded his lectures on Genesis on November 17, 1545. He had begun them in the year 1535, when he said in his preface: ‘I shall linger over the exposition of this book and shall die in the process of doing so [immorabor et immoriar].’ In accordance with this prophecy concerning himself, he died piously, with earnest prayer to God, in his homeland, at Eisleben, on February 18, 1546.

Thus it seems certain that most or all of the lectures on which these transcripts were based were delivered during the calendar year 1545, and that Luther’s lecture on the last verses of the Last chapter of the Book of Genesis was delivered on Tuesday, November 17, 1545. It was to be not only the last lecture of his most massive work of Biblical exposition but the last lecture of his professorial career. Three months and one day later he died."

AELW Volume 8 - Genisis 45- 50

LUTHER’S
WORKS

VOLUME 8

LECTURES ON GENESIS

Chapters 45–50

Of God and State

AELW 7:348-349

"today the world stands and empires are preserved for no other reason than that God gathers a church for Himself in the midst of a perverse nation. The existence of a state and its administration must not be credited to princes or kings, who are generally ungodly and the very worst of men; but all things are preserved on account of the Word, Baptism, and the holy seed that is left in the church. For if the world were without godly men and those who are to be saved, it would not stand; and when the last saints are living, the Last Day will soon come. For God has no concern for the state and the household except for the sake of the church."

What do I care if only I have a gracious God?

AELW 7:335-336

"an evil conscience can in no way be satisfied or converted to God unless it has died. Otherwise it always flees from God, from whom it should neither flee nor shrink, since God is such a good God that He should be the sole Refuge of all those who despair and are destitute of the help and comfort of all creatures. But a heart conscious of its guilt would rather be changed into a thousand forms and sooner rush through rocks, fires, bronze mountains, and finally to the devil himself than approach God.

Is it not great and deplorable wretchedness that we fear and shun Him concerning whom Holy Scripture so often asserts that He has become our Refuge from generation to generation? Indeed, if father and mother forsook us and east us off, He would receive those who have been east off, as Ps. 27:10 states: “My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me up.” Therefore if all creation were to declare nothing else than that you are lost, cursed, and damned, you would nevertheless have to say with Ps. 73:25–26: “Just as long as I have Thee, my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” What do I care if only I have a gracious God?"

Afraid of a sausage?

AELW 7:335

"The same thing happens to us that formerly happened to me in my boyhood and to my companions with whom I used to gather contributions for our support during our student days. For when at the time of the celebration of Christs birthday in the church we were singing in four voices from door to door in the villages the usual songs about the boy Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, it happened by chance that we came to a country house situated in a lonely spot on the outermost borders of a village. When the farmer had heard us singing, he came out of the house and asked in a boorish voice where we were. “Where are you, you rascals?” he asked. At the same time he brought out sausages which he intended to give us. But at the sound of these words we became so terrified that we all scattered, although we knew no reason at all for our terror, and the farmer was offering the sausages with the greatest goodwill. It is possible, of course, that our hearts, beaten down as they were by the constant threats and the cruelty with which teachers were accustomed to rage against their pupils, were more likely to be upset by sudden fright. Finally, however, he called us back from our flight; and we laid our fear aside, ran up, and took the contribution he was handing us.

We are accustomed to tremble and flee in the same manner when our conscience is guilty and perturbed. We are afraid of a sausage, and we even fear those who wish us the best."

"God is not angry with you..."

AELW 7:332, notes that the first statement in bold below, "God is not angry with you..." is elsewhere attributed to Staupitz. And as a side note this particular quote is also reflected in "Luther - The Movie."

The second bolded text, "If the devil..." I highlighted because I liked the statement ;-)

And the sentence beginning with, "But a heart..." is similar to a later writing of Shakespeare, Richard III, Act V, scene 3, lines 193-195...

"My Conscience hath a thousand several tongues
And every tongue brings in a several tale,
And every tale condemns me for a villain."

AELW 7:332-333

"the conscience is affected toward God; for when He smiles and is most favorable toward us, it fears His wrath in spite of this and thinks that He is hostile and angry. Therefore it was an extraordinary statement on the part of a certain brother in our monastery who used to say to those who were afflicted and disturbed: “God is not angry with you. Do not be angry with Him. For you are more likely to be in a rage against Him.” This is really the feeling of hearts alarmed by fear, because an impure heart cannot see God, as Christ says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Accordingly, those who do not have a pure heart are by far the most unhappy of all; for they do not see God but think that they are looking at or listening to Satan when they think, speak, or hear about God.

Nothing so salutary, so good and pleasant, is offered to an evil conscience in the hour of trial that it does not turn to fear, pain, and terror. It can do nothing else than testify and fight against us. And when it finally lies prostrate, the whole world does not suffice to raise it up. For it is the death of the soul, and to raise up and arouse consciences is nothing else than raising the dead. Therefore the church quickens more through the spoken Word which it has than Christ Himself did during His ministry. Thus He says in John 14:12: “He who believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do.” Accordingly, many great miracles are performed daily—works which we do not see and to which the world gives no heed.

Conscience is something greater than heaven and earth. It is killed by sin and quickened through the Word of Christ. Therefore we should make efforts to be freed from this exceedingly evil beast from hell. For without it hell would have no fire or any tortures. But this beast inflames and strengthens death and hell; it arms all creation against us. For all things are angry and are sad, fierce, and gloomy; they are against us. And this is not the fault of the creature, which is good and neither threatens nor harms us. No, we, who are afraid and flee, are to blame for this.

On the other hand, a joyful and untroubled conscience breaks through, triumphs, and despises death and the devil, as is excellently described in Ps. 112:7–8: “He is not afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady, he will not be afraid.” No matter whether the devil and the world laugh or are angry, it does not care. If the devil does not want to laugh, then let him be angry. But a heart conscious of guilt is terrified even at a good report; for conscience, as is commonly said, is a thousand witnesses, yes, a thousand armies, against us. But how these terrors are overcome is taught elsewhere, in the doctrine of the Gospel."

Conscience is an evil beast...

AELW 7:331

“Conscience is an evil beast which makes a man take a stand against himself.” The Italians also have a common saying: “It is necessary to kill one’s conscience and to say that it is nothing.” But how long will this evil be lulled to sleep? Until the Law comes. When it accuses and terrifies, I am killed; and I persecute, attack, and torture myself with vain thoughts that amount to nothing. Thus over and above the fact that we sin gravely against God, we also afflict ourselves; we take a stand against ourselves and fight until a brother comes up to console and buoy us up with the Word and say: “Why are you insane? Why are you imagining things in your dreams? You are mistaken. God is not angry with you; He has taken away your sin, etc.” For a heart that tortures itself needs such a remedy and the comfort of a brother."

Comfort in the Resurrection not Introspection

AELW 7:329

In Augustine’s Confessions we find this memorable and excellent statement: “Thou hast commanded, O Lord, and so it has come about that every disordered heart is its own punishment."[Augustine, Confession, I,12, 19]

This life is just a dream

AELW 7:319-320

"we, too, pass this life in dreams. But it is not yet clear that we are sleeping. We have not yet been freed from sleep. But there will come a time when we shall be aroused and our eyes will be opened, provided that we can believe the Word of God. But if we cannot lay hold of the great confidence in our hearts which the truth and strength of God’s promises requires, at least we should believe in our feeble way, as the fathers did, and not murmur or become weary in our praying and crying out to God. Thus Jacob undoubtedly prayed; for where prayer remains, there the promise and faith must be. Although it is a dimly burning wick (Is. 42:3), yet it does not rage against God. No, it sobs, and with this unutterable groaning the Holy Spirit is joined (cf. Rom. 8:26). He does not let you murmur and be broken by impatience. Therefore if you cannot believe, praise, and pray as you were accustomed to do in prosperity, at least do so as is customary and can be done in adversity. Trust and pray, as is written: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you” (Ps. 50:15).

These things must be set before the church for the strengthening of our faith, lest we fall away from God when we are tried and plagued somewhat harshly. For finally we shall see that our life, no matter how troublesome, has been like a sleep. And although we seemed to be in hell, we shall soon be awakened and shall realize that we have been carried into heaven. We shall wonder at that sudden elevation—an elevation which formerly we were not able even to dream of."

A propitious God

AELW 7:304

"This is what we often say and what Scripture bears out, namely, that we are still in the flesh, although we are righteous and have the Holy Spirit and the remission of sins, since we confess Christ, which would be impossible if the Holy Spirit, who glorifies Christ, were not in us. Accordingly, he who seriously honors Christ and does so with a good conscience has a propitious God, as Scripture and the words of the apostles and of the Son of God Himself bear witness. They cannot deceive us or lie. Why, then, are we mournful and sad? Why does Jacob, who also has the promises and yet forgets them, still mourn? He is wholly carnal; sin not only fights in his members (Rom. 7:23) but makes war on him and takes him captive. Or is it not unbecoming for us to be plagued and weakened in this way by our flesh? On top of this, the devil approaches, takes the opportunity offered by the flesh, and increases disbelief, mistrust, and forgetfulness of God."

pro•pi•tious \prə-ˈpi-shəs\ adjective

[Middle English propicious, from Latin propitius, probably from pro- for + petere to seek — more at pro-, feather]

(15th century)

1 : favorably disposed : benevolent

2 : being of good omen : auspicious 〈propitious sign〉

3 : tending to favor : advantageous

Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. (Includes index.;, 10th ed.; Springfield, Mass., U.S.A.: Merriam-Webster, 1996, c1993).

Gehenna, Sheol, & Christ's descent into Hell

Genesis 4238. But he said: My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm should befall him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.

AELW 7:291-294

Finally, in this passage the Hebraists argue about the word שְׁאוֹלָה, which they understand to mean the grave and translate with “pit.” But they laugh at us for explaining it as Gehenna. But we care nothing about those unlearned asses; they have been given up to a base mind (Rom. 1:28) and outer darkness, so that they do not understand the language which is their own mother tongue.

But קֶבֶר has to mean one thing, and שְׁאוֹלָה has to mean something else. Just as the word “sepulcher,” קֶבֶר, is common to both the godly and ungodly, so is שְׁאוֹלָה. This is certain, and it is based on the usage of Holy Scripture, except that there is this difference: the sepulcher, קֶבֶר, properly speaking, is the earth which is dug out and in which the dead body is laid. For many die who are not interred, like those who are torn to pieces by wild beasts, are crucified, or are consumed by fire. To those a sepulcher is not granted, yet they are all said to descend from this life into the pit.

Therefore these words are correctly distinguished in such a way that the sepulcher is the place in which the body and bones of the dead are buried and where a definite time, person, and place are involved. But שְׁאוֹלָה is a kind of common receptacle not only for the bodies but also for the souls, where all the dead are gathered. In his Enchiridion to Laurentius Augustine mentions “secret shelters for souls.” Therefore this is that chaos in which, although it is unknown to us, there is no difference of places, times, and persons. Thither even those who lack sepulchers descend. It is a common place—provided that it can be called a place—not for the body but for the soul.

In the Apostles’ Creed we say that Christ died, suffered, was buried, and descended into hell. Here, according to the Hebrew way of speaking, these two things, the sepulcher and the descent into hell, are distinguished. And in Ps. 16:10 Christ says: “Thou wilt not leave My soul in Sheol.”

Properly and definitively speaking, therefore, שְׁאוֹלָה is shelter for the souls. But of what nature that place is has led to countless disputes and questions on the part of the ancients. For us this difference should suffice, that just as the body is kept in the earth, so the soul, when freed, comes into its own שְׁאוֹלָה. Nor is mention made of one שְׁאוֹלָה for the godly and another for the ungodly. Others, to be sure, engage in sharp disputes, and there are various arguments on both sides—arguments that do not particularly impress me.

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus it is said that the rich man was buried in Hades (Luke 16:22–23), which is a sepulcher for the soul, not for the body. Nevertheless, we must think otherwise of the godly than of the ungodly, who are in the same שְׁאוֹלָה.

Thus Jacob says here and also above: “I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning” (Gen. 37:35). Likewise: “You would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol” (Gen. 42:38). Concerning the death of the godly there is a sure and very clear passage in Isaiah, when he says: “The godly enter into peace; they rest in their beds” (Is. 57:2). Likewise in Gen. 15:15: “As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.” In Gen. 25:8 we read: “Abraham was gathered to his people.” This is שְׁאוֹלָה, that is, a certain place into which the godly are gathered. Is. 57:2 calls it peace, saying: “He enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.” Here, of course he is speaking of the dead. Thus to Josiah it is said in 2 Chron. 34:28: “I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.”

All these passages from Holy Scripture are plain and certain, namely, that the saints, according to the body, go into their קֶבֶר, just as Abraham is buried in the field of Ephron, east of Mamre (Gen. 25:9). According to the soul, however, they enter into their chambers of rest, into שְׁאוֹלָה, where they are gathered with their fathers. The godly indeed have a pit into which they descend, but they do so in order to rest in it. And although they descend with grief, nevertheless they pass over to rest and peace. Therefore this descent of the godly is nothing else than the changing of this life into another state, where one no longer lives under the sun and on the earth. But after leaving this life the godly enter their chamber or bed, in which they sleep and rest until body and soul are again united in the future and eternal life.

Therefore Scripture contains nothing at all about purgatory but says that the saints and righteous men pass over into their שְׁאוֹלָה, where they enjoy the sweetest peace and rest.

But that man is righteous who, although he is a sinner, nevertheless believes in God’s Son, receives absolution from sins through the ministry of the Word, has been baptized, and has partaken of the Sacrament of the Altar. He is truly absolved and righteous. For this man no purgatory has been prepared; but there is a sepulcher for his soul, the שְׁאוֹלָה of the godly, peace and rest in his chamber."

Raca

Genesis 42:35, " And as they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed."

Genesis 42:35

וַיְהִ֗י הֵ֚ם מְרִיקִ֣ים שַׂקֵּיהֶ֔ם וְהִנֵּה־אִ֥ישׁ צְרֹור־כַּסְפֹּ֖ו בְּשַׂקֹּ֑ו וַיִּרְא֞וּ אֶת־צְרֹרֹ֧ות כַּסְפֵּיהֶ֛ם הֵ֥מָּה וַאֲבִיהֶ֖ם וַיִּירָֽאוּ׃

Matthew 5:22 "[Jesus said] But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. "

Matthew 5:22 ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει· ὃς δʼ ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ· ῥακά, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ὃς δʼ ἂν εἴπῃ· μωρέ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός.

AELW 7:286

"רִיק means “to empty.” “Raca,” in Matt. 5:22, is derived from this word. It means a vain, empty, or good-for-nothing man. Here they open all the sacks, for we said above that they had several but did not open all at the inn. But now each one of them empties his sacks, and the grain is put in the common storehouse in the control of their father, in order that he may take it out for their daily use."

Therefore learn carefully the article about original sin.

AELW7:281-282

"Therefore learn carefully the article about original sin. And you should not argue about why God has permitted what people with an inquisitive bent are accustomed to inquire into. No, you should rather ask how we are rescued and freed from this evil and know that God speaks with us to arouse us to acknowledge it. When it has been acknowledged, He says: “Your sins are forgiven you; take heart, My son (cf. Matt. 9:2), because I have given My Son as a Lamb that is spotless from the beginning. If you acknowledge and confess your iniquity and transgressions, then My Son will be the propitiation for your sins; He will be your sanctification, redemption, righteousness, and wisdom, 1 Cor. 1:30.”

Then Holy Scripture is open, and you will see that it teaches nothing else than the fact that God sets forth His Son, who was crucified, resurrected, and delivered for our sins. Yet this will not enter your heart, nor will you attain to the knowledge of what Christ is, unless you understand, with Scripture as your mentor, what you are before God. But you will learn this from Gen. 3:19, where it is taught that the punishment of death was inflicted on the whole human race on account of original sin, the fruits of which show how great its wickedness and perversity are. For what great rebellion and obstinacy there are in man’s earliest years! What ragings and flames of lusts, hatreds, greed, and envy there are in youth and throughout life! Although we are born without actual sins, later, as time goes on, an infinite multitude of vices bursts forth. What is the source of these foul monsters?

The philosophers Socrates and Cicero do not know. But Scripture says that we are born as children of wrath (Eph. 2:3) and subject to original corruption; and the healthier, more learned, and wiser we are, the more pride and other sins we have. For nature is vitiated. But the papists interpose that it has been healed through Baptism and that sins have been forgiven. True enough; but, as Augustine says, they have not yet been removed. Because the papists do not know this, they never penetrate to the true light of Scripture, of the kingdom of Christ, and of theology as a whole.

To be sure, the wounds of the half-dead man have been bound up, as the parable in Luke 10:34 states. Oil and wine have been poured on them, and the gift of the Holy Spirit has begun. Nevertheless, the wounds are still deadly. Care has been taken to heal him. But he has not yet been completely restored. If you should want to say that there is no wound, that there is no danger, find out whether a half-dead man can walk, work, and do what a healthy man can do. He is carried by the beast on which he has been placed. He does not work; he does not walk. Thus through Baptism we have been taken upon God’s beast, that is, the most precious sacrifice for us, or the humanity of Christ, by which we are carried. Although we have been accepted once, yet we are cared for and healed from day to day."