Friday, May 29, 1528 (Part 2)

Martin Luther preaches a sermon on baptism and the Lord’s Supper. This is the tenth sermon (of eleven) in Luther’s first (of three) series of sermons on the Catechism preached in 1528. As I have not found an English translation of these catechism sermons, in lieu of an excerpt from the sermon preached on May 29, we have a second except from the beginning of the Large Catechism‘s (1529) discussion of the Lord’s Supper.

Quotation:

[continued from the previous post] With this word you can strengthen your conscience and declare: “If a hundred thousand devils, together with all the fanatics, should rush forward, crying, ‘How can bread and wine be the body and blood of Christ?’ etc., still I know that all spirits and scholars together have less wisdom than the Divine Majesty has in his little finger. Here is the word of Christ: ‘Take, eat; this is my body;’ ‘Drink of this, all of you; this is the New Testament in my blood,’ etc. Here we take our stand, and would like to see those who want to instruct Christ and change what he has spoken. It is true, indeed, that if you take away the word from the elements or view them apart from the words, you have nothing but mere bread and wine. But if the words remain with the elements as they shall and must, then, by virtue of them, the elements truly are the body and blood of Christ. For as the lips of Christ say and speak, so it is, as he can never lie or deceive.”

Hence it is easy to reply to all kinds of questions about which men are troubled at the present time, such as this one: Whether even a wicked priest can administer the sacrament, and similar questions. For here we conclude and say: Even though a knave receives or administers the sacrament, he receives the true sacrament, that is, the true body and blood of Christ, just as truly as he who receives or administers it in the most worthy way. For it is not founded upon the holiness of men, but upon the word of God. And as no saint on earth, indeed, no angel in heaven, can make bread and wine to be the body and blood of Christ, so also no one can change or alter it, even though it is misused. For the word by which it became a sacrament and was instituted does not become false because of an individual or his unworthiness. For Christ does not say: “If you believe or are worthy, you receive my body and blood,” but: “Take, eat, and drink; this is my body and blood.” Likewise: “Do this” (namely, what I now do, institute, give, and bid you take). That is as much as to say, “No matter whether you are worthy or unworthy, you have here his body and blood by virtue of these words which are connected to the bread and wine.” Only mark and remember this well; for upon these words rest all our foundation, protection, and defense against all errors and deceptions that have ever come or may yet come.

Thus we have briefly considered the first point which relates to the essence of this sacrament. Now we examine further the power and benefits on account of which the sacrament was really instituted. For it is most necessary that we know what we should seek and obtain there. Now this is plain and clear from the words just mentioned: “This is my body and blood, given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” That, briefly, is as much as to say: We go to the sacrament because there we receive such a treasure by and in which we obtain forgiveness of sins. Why so? Because the words are there, and they impart it to us! For this reason Christ bids me eat and drink, that it may be my own and may benefit me, as a sure pledge and sign, indeed, the very same treasure that he has provided for me against my sins, death, and every calamity. [to be continued in the next post]