Yikes! But true...

Of Jacob and Leah

AND

of Luther and Katie

This gives a new meaning to the song, "Can I get a witness?" ;-)

AELW 5:298-299

"But the question is asked what kind of nuptial rites there were among those people, for Jacob alone sleeps with her alone in the bedchamber and on the same bed. Yet he does not realize that Leah has been substituted for Rachel. For he has lived in this house for seven whole years, and here he undoubtedly saw his bride occasionally and sometimes spoke with her. And if he could not have discovered this by touching her in the bed, yet he could have recognized and distinguished her voice. According to our customs, we act far more cautiously. For we lead the bride both to the church and to the nuptial chamber not in darkness but with trumpets and torches, and we also bring witnesses along, so that there can be no room for any imposture. "

the stone at the well...

Genesis 29:1- 3 "Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east. As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and lo, three flocks of sheep lying beside it; for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well, and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place upon the mouth of the well."

An interesting contrast? (my thought's not Luther's)

Jacob on a journey to the people in the east and saw flocks who had arrived for nourishment. Here the shepherds would roll away the stone, and water, that is to say nourish their flocks, and then the stone , the large one, was placed back upon the mouth of the well.

Christ on a journey from heaven to earth, from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, from Jerusalem to the heavenly Jerusalem, was born of Mary of whom shepherds sought. Christ arrived as the "bread of life" to nourish His flocks with his body and blood which conveys forgiveness and therefore eternal peace. The stone was rolled back, not by shepherds, but by the hand of God as Jesus rose from the dead. Nor is the stone in front of the well of life ever replaced, the tomb is open and from it Christ arises to offer forgiveness to all who would believe...

Sustained....Not by example, but by the Word!

AELW 5:254

"The fact that David killed Goliath, a bear, a lion, etc., does not edify me much. For I cannot imitate such things, since they surpass my strength and all my thinking. Although they commend the saints in their strength and heroic fortitude, they do not concern us; for they are too sublime for us to be able to match or imitate them. But when examples of weakness, sins, trepidation, and trials are set forth in the saints—as when I read David’s complaints, sobs, fears, and feelings of despair—they buoy me up in a wonderful manner and give great consolation. For I see how they, fearful and terrified though they were, did not perish but buoyed themselves up with the promises they had received; and from this I conclude that there is no need for me to despair either. For in this struggle with hell, in fears and struggles of conscience, they feel and speak as if they had no promises at all. Nevertheless, they are finally preserved and sustained by the Word."

What the church is...

AELW 5:250

"Thus the church is established among men when God dwells with men, with this end in view that it may be the gate of heaven and that we may pass from this earthly life into the eternal and heavenly life. Who can adequately marvel at or comprehend this, namely, that God dwells with men? This indeed is that heavenly Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from God and has the splendor of God, as is stated in Rev. 21:2. This is the definition of the church in its essence: “The church is the place or the people where God dwells for the purpose of bringing us into the kingdom of heaven, for it is the gate of heaven.” From this it follows most properly that in the church nothing should be heard or seen except what God does, according to the statement (1 Peter 4:11): “hoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies.” But if I am uncertain about the Word or the administration of God, I must be silent. But whenever I minister, that is, baptize or absolve, I must be certain that my work is not mine, but God’s, who works through me. Baptism is a work of God; for it is not mine, although I lend my hands and my mouth as instruments. Thus when I absolve you or call you to the ministry and lay my hands on you, you should not doubt that, as Peter says, it is God’s strength. This, then, is the complete definition of the church, which is the habitation of God on earth. Not that we should remain on earth, but the sacraments are administered and the Word is taught in order that we may be led into the kingdom of heaven "and through the church may enter into heaven.

The water of God the Savior

AELW 5:248

"But the blindness and stupidity of our minds has been put before our eyes like a cloud, so that we do not see such great glory. It is great honor and majesty, however, when one says: “This is the Word of God.” I hear a man’s voice. I see human gestures. The bread and the wine in the Supper are physical things. At ordination the hands of carnal men are imposed. In Baptism water is water. For the flesh judges in no other way concerning all these matters. But if you look at that addition with spiritual eyes, namely, at whose Word it is that is spoken and heard there, not indeed the word of a man—for if it is the word of a man, then the devil is speaking—but the Word of God, then you will understand that it is the house of God and the gate of heaven. The wooden house or the land per se does not deserve this name; but the land where the Word resounds is the land of God, not of the Creator but of the Ruler of His church, who governs His saints in such a way that they enter into the kingdom of heaven. Thus the water that is poured in Baptism is not the water of the Creator; it is the water of God the Savior."

Jacob's ladder, Christ, and the church

AELW 5:247

"...he describes the glow of this church in a very magnificent manner by saying that here the entrance to the kingdom of heaven is open. For God governs us in such a way that wherever He speaks with us here on earth, the approach to the kingdom of heaven is open. This is truly extraordinary consolation. Wherever we hear the Word and are baptized, there we enter into eternal life. But where is that place found? On earth, where the ladder which touches heaven stands, where the angels descend and ascend, where Jacob sleeps. It is a physical place, but here there is an ascent into heaven without physical ladders, without wings and feathers. This is how faith speaks: “I am going to the place where the Word is taught, where the Sacrament is offered and Baptism is administered.” And all those things that are done in my sight in a physical place are heavenly and divine words and works. That place is not only ground or earth; but it is something more glorious and majestic, namely, the kingdom of God and the gate of heaven. “Here one goes to the stars,” as is stated by the poet. There is no reason for you to run to St. James’s or to withdraw into a comer or to hide yourself in a monastery. Do not seek a new and foolish entrance. But look in faith at the place where the Word and the sacraments are. Direct your step to the place where the Word resounds and the sacraments are administered, and there write the title THE GATE OF GOD. Let this be done either in the church and in the public assemblies or in bedchambers, when we console and buoy up the sick or when we absolve him who sits with us at table. There the gate of heaven is, as Christ says (Matt. 18:20): “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Throughout the world the house of God and the gate of heaven is wherever there is the pure teaching of the Word together with the sacraments."

Faith does not snore...

AELW 5:205

"Therefore faith is not a laughable, cold quality that snores and is idle in the heart. No, it is agitated and harassed by horrible trials concerning the nothingness and the vanity of the divine promises. For I believe in Christ, whom I do not see. But I have His Baptism, the Sacrament of the Altar, and consolation through the Word and Absolution. Yet I see nothing of what He promises. Indeed, I feel the opposite in my flesh. Here, then, one must struggle and do battle against unbelief and doubt."

btw...

The section AELW 5:189 to 196 contains a wonderful exposition on marriage, well worth re-reading...

The constant course of the church...

AELW 5:202

"This is the constant course of the church at all times, namely, that promises are made and that then those who believe the promises are treated in such a way that they are compelled to wait for things that are invisible, to believe what they do not see, and to hope for what does not appear. He who does not do this is not a Christian. For Christ Himself entered into His glory only by first descending into hell. When He is about to reign, He is crucified. When He is to be glorified, He is spit on. For He must suffer first and then at length be glorified."

The definition of marriage

AELW 5:188

Genesis 28:2. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father; and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.

"The first part of this chapter is not theological, for it does not relate examples or spiritual doctrine concerning faith and other spiritual acts of worship. Yet the things dealt with here require and include both faith and the fear of God. But it is a section pertaining to morals. It deals with marriage, a topic that should be retained in the church and should be diligently urged because of the necessity and the dignity of marriage. For after the doctrine of the Gospel and faith, which is the proper doctrine of the church, marriage should be honored and respected above all. And this should be done because the world and the flesh do not understand what marriage is and how highly it should be esteemed. To be sure, men usually define it in the following way: “Marriage is the union or companionship of man and woman; it maintains inseparable companionship for life.” But this is not the whole definition, for the final cause and the efficient cause are lacking. It is taken only from the material cause, for the union of man and woman is material. But the following definition is truer and is complete: “Marriage is the lawful and divine union of one man and one woman. It has been ordained for the purpose of calling upon God, for the preservation and education of offspring, and for the administration of the church and the state.”

The Word and the promise...

AELW 5:185-187

"Thus we who believe the Word of God are the church. We have a most certain promise, into which we have been called and baptized, and by which we are nourished and sustained; we have the Sacrament of the Altar and the power of the Keys. But we are not Christians and have not been baptized in order that we may get possession of this land. Nor have we been baptized and born again into this life; we have been baptized and born again into eternal life. But what happens in regard to us too? Surely this, that when the church must be glorified and brought to those eternal joys which it awaits in the Word and in hope, then it is subjected to countless persecutions of tyrants and devils; it is harassed and torn by false brethren in many most pitiable ways. This is not what being led to eternal life means, is it? (emphasis mine) Indeed, it means being exposed to eternal misery. Yet hearts must be buoyed up and strengthened against this way of the cross. For we have the Word and the promise. Therefore the glory that has been promised is sure to follow. And meanwhile the church lives and is preserved by faith, which concludes firmly that GOD does not lie. And it learns this wonderful wisdom which is hidden from the flesh and reason, namely, that God is wonderful in His saints (Ps. 68:35) and that His counsels are wonderful. This is also why our Lord and Leader Jesus Christ has His name and is called WONDERFUL in Is. 9:6.

Accordingly, this points out that we should be instructed, in order that if we want to live in a godly manner, we may establish a way of life that is different from the way to which the world and the flesh are accustomed. For we must depend simply on the invisible God and give thanks to God with joy that we have the Word of God, which makes the promise. Concerning this Word Peter says (2 Peter 1:19): “And we have the prophetic Word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” For the Word is the light of our life. Otherwise we have nothing of the glow. I know that I have been baptized; I know that I have eaten the body and blood of Christ, that I have been absolved, called, and taught by the Word of the Gospel. I have nothing more of eternal life. I do not yet have a glorified body, which surpasses the splendor of the sun and the stars. No, I have a heart that is still weighed down by many great evils and terrors. I carry around a body that is exposed to many infirmities and to death. Nothing is less apparent in the body as well as in the soul than eternal life. But the promise will not deceive us. Therefore let us cling to and persist in faith and hope, and let us be content with the Word which promises. In addition, we have this external life and fellowship; we have parents, magistrates, the external ministry of the Word, and the external goods that are necessary for this life. All this is a preparation and an approach, as it were, to the life to come.

This is the proper and chief doctrine of the church. It has been handed down by the Holy Spirit. The world and the flesh do not know it. It teaches us that we are lords and heirs of eternal life in no other way than the way in which Jacob was an heir of the blessing. When he had obtained it, he was sent into exile from the land and the house of his father. For this is the way the Divine Majesty deals with His saints, and this is the faith of the saints concerning which we have spoken up to this point. Now matters pertaining to morals follow, likewise the fruits of faith."

The beginning of the blessing...

AELW 5:183-184

"Jacob lives in faith alone. He is wretchedly cast out, is lonely and destitute, and has nothing in his hand but a staff and a morsel of bread in a little sack.

This is the beginning of the blessing, for what is begun through faith is not yet in one’s possession but is hoped for. Thus God has promised us eternal life and has given absolution and Baptism. This grace I have at hand through Christ; but I await eternal life, which is promised in the Word. Those who live by this Word are saintly and blessed; but the godless live only by bread, not by the Word. Therefore they do not believe and do not wait for eternal life. Jacob waited 77 years for the blessing that was to come. Now, after he has obtained it, he is forced to go into exile and begins his rule and priesthood with a very great cross, with a very great calamity, and with extreme poverty. He is forced to be cut off from his very dear parents, and his parents are cut off from their dearly beloved son for such a long time.

If a person looks at and hears this only in passing, he considers it unimportant and easy. But one learns by experience how difficult and full of trials it is to leave parents, a blessing, and an inheritance, and to flee to a place of wretchedness and poverty. This is the wonderful government of God which the flesh can by no means bear, for it is a government that consists in faith. But this is written as an example for us in order that we may learn to depend on the invisible God and to be satisfied with the fact that at all events we have the comprehensible Word of this invisible and incomprehensible God. And let us order our lives in such a way that we have nothing from our invisible Creator but the Word and the sacraments, likewise parents and magistrates, through whom this life is governed in accordance with the Word. And let us wait for the promise itself in hope and long-suffering, for God will not lie. Nor will He deceive us. To be sure, the flesh believes with difficulty; for it is accustomed to things that are at hand and is moved by the things it feels and sees. But the flesh must be crucified and mortified; it must be withdrawn from the things perceived by the senses and must learn, in order that it may be able to live and act in accordance with the things that are invisible and are not perceived by the senses. This is the mortification of the perception of the flesh, which simply wants to sleep smugly on both ears in matters that are at hand and visible. Therefore when it has felt the opposite, it is vexed and sorrowful."

A gallows repentance

AELW 5:154-155

"Accordingly, this is how one should understand that statement in Hebrews (12:17): “He found no chance to repent,” for there was no true repentance. But he grieved over the harm he had suffered and over his folly through which he lost the birthright and his glory. Therefore he rushed horribly into hatred for his brother and for God, who blessed Jacob through his father Isaac.

This is an outstanding pattern and example of one who repents falsely. Therefore it should be noted, in order that we may learn to distinguish true repentance from that which is false and feigned, which we call “a gallows repentance.” For when a thief sees that punishment on the gallows is imminent for him, he also grieves and would gladly live longer. But if God gives him this grace and light that he truly acknowledges his sin and God’s wrath, he is no longer concerned about his life, provided that he gets help, lest his soul’s salvation be in doubt. And then he should be instructed and buoyed up with the mercy and grace of God revealed in Christ, not with confession or papistic satisfaction. Otherwise he would be done for."

A fisher of sin?

Regarding Jacob's deceit...

AELW 5:150-151

"This is how one should also regard this fraud on the part of Jacob; for when the saints perpetrate a fraud and have a command of God in regard to it, then, although it is a fraud in the sight of men, yet it is a saintly, legitimate, and pious fraud. Therefore there is no need to ask and debate in what way and whether Jacob sinned, but one must consider that what he took away from his brother by fraud had previously been granted to him by divine authority. Thus in their wars the saints frequently deceived their enemies, but those are lies one is permitted to use in the service of God against the devil and the enemies of God.

Thus a fisherman deceives a fish by enticing it with bait, and it was not unreasonable on the part of the fathers to apply this to Christ. For He came into the world clothed in flesh and was cast into the water like a hook. After biting Him, the devil was suddenly pulled back out of the water by God, thrown on dry land, and crushed. This means that Christ presented to the devil His weak humanity, which covered that eternal and unconquerable majesty. Then the devil struck at the hook of His divinity, and by it all his power as well as the power of death and hell was overcome, as is stated in Col. 2:15: “He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in Him.” But Satan could rightly have complained that he had been shamefully deluded and deceived, since he had thought that he would kill a man and was himself being killed after being decoyed by Him into a trick. But by God’s wonderful counsel the same thing happened to him that is commonly said:“That cunning might deceive cunning.”

God does not change His gifts

AELW 5:149

Genesis 27:34. When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father: Bless me, even me also, O my father! 35. But he said: Your brother came with guile, and he has taken away your blessing.

"At this point the question is raised why Isaac did not revoke the blessing, since Jacob took it away with guile....

...One should not imagine that Isaac, even though he was violently terrified, gave thought to a revocation; for he knew that the blessing was an utterly permanent and unchangeable work and gift of God. Thus when I give Baptism to someone, then my heart and will are completely certain that I really want to baptize. But if he who is being baptized acts deceitfully, I have still administered a true Baptism which is not my own but is truly a divine work.

In this way Isaac also said: “I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed.” And this he previously decided earnestly in his own mind, and it was not without special deliberation that he put it off to the end of his life. Therefore he was certain that when he blessed, he was uttering a definitive statement pronounced and confirmed by divine authority. And it was the same blessing that he had received by hereditary right from the fathers: from Adam, Noah, Abraham, and the others. Such statements cannot and must not be changed, for God does not change His gifts. He does not revoke Baptism, absolution, and the other gifts He bestows through His Word. If He forgives me my sins, then they have truly been forgiven."

In trials the blessing grows...

AELW 5:146

"One Christian who has been tried does more good than a hundred who have not been tried. For in trials the blessing grows, so that with its counsels it can teach, comfort, and help many in physical and spiritual matters. Thus in the world you are cursed, but at the same time you are filled with a heavenly blessing."

A gift far greater than the blessing of Isaac

AELW 5:141-142

But the fact that we see the very saintly patriarchs hand down and receive these goods with such sure faith, while we have such a cold and indifferent attitude toward our own blessing in the New Testament—this is great and deplorable wretchedness. I certainly am greatly ashamed of myself and chagrined whenever I compare myself with them. For look at this woman Rebecca, who lives in flesh and blood just as we do; and look at Isaac and Jacob. But with what a sure, living, and firm faith they are carried along to those future goods, so that they do not concern themselves about the presence of the flesh! Indeed, they seem to be sleeping and snoring in this physical life in view of the things that are promised to them for the future.

"We have a richer gift, or surely one that is no smaller in measure and abundance. But we do not have the same faith; we snore, we are half-dead, our eyes are dimsighted, our ears are hard of hearing, our hearts falter and waver; they have, and they do not bother about what they have. For to pronounce absolution, to administer the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and to proclaim the forgiveness of sins from the Gospel is something far greater than if Isaac blesses Jacob. For it is just as if I were saying: “I give you the kingdom of heaven, power over the devil, and no matter how much you die, I keep you from perishing.” Of course, we do not do this with our own strength; but we do it by virtue of the authority and command of God, who has given men the power to lead one another to eternal life through the priesthood of Christ."

More than mere wishes...

AELW 5:140-141

"In Holy Scripture, however, there are real blessings. They are more than mere wishes. They state facts and are effective. They actually bestow and bring what the words say. We also have blessings of this kind in the New Testament through Christ’s priesthood, which is our blessing when I say: “Receive the absolution of your sins.” If I said: “Would that your sins were forgiven you; would that you were pious and in God’s grace!” or “I wish you grace, mercy, the eternal kingdom, and deliverance from your sins,” this could be called a blessing of love. But the blessing of a promise, of faith, and of a gift that is at hand is this: “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; that is, I reconcile your soul to God, remove from you God’s wrath and displeasure, put you in His grace, and give you the inheritance of eternal life and the kingdom of heaven.” All these things have the power to grant you forgiveness immediately and truly if you believe, for they are not our works; they are God’s works through our ministry. Accordingly, they are not blessings that express wishes; they are blessings that have the power to bestow. When I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, it is just as if I were saying: “I am snatching you from the hands of the devil and bringing you to God, and I am doing this truly and in fact.”

The power of Faith

AELW 5:128

"Thus Holy Scripture presents the accounts of the saints in such a way that it gives praise to the power of faith. Consequently, he who has the Word of God should consider himself blessed and should turn his eyes away from present things to those that lie in the future and are invisible. For the Word of God, especially the promise, does not speak of present things; it speaks of things that lie in the future and have been experienced by no one. Faith attaches itself to a thing that is still an utter nothing and waits until everything comes about. It is a knowledge and wisdom of darkness and nothingness, that is, of things which it has not experienced and are unseen and almost impossible. He who wants to be a Christian must meditate well on and fix this in his heart. For all other branches of knowledge are taught on the basis of syllogisms, inductions, and experiments. They do not have their basis or beginnings in what is nothing, and especially not on what is unseen, impossible, absurd, and foolish; but faith, which takes hold of the promise, fixes the heart on what is altogether absurd, impossible, and contained in the Word and God’s promise."

The prayer of a pastor...

AELW5:123

"But above all a ruler in the church should pray in this manner: “Lord God, Thou hast appointed me in the church as bishop and pastor. Thou seest how unfit I am to attend to such a great and difficult office, and if it had not been for Thy help, I would long since have ruined everything. Therefore I call upon Thee. Of course, I want to put my mouth and heart to use. I shall teach the people, and I myself shall learn and shall meditate diligently on Thy Word. Use me as Thy instrument. Only do not forsake me; for if I am alone, I shall easily destroy everything."