Easter, 1528? (Part 3)

Martin Luther preaches a sermon on the resurrection of Christ. Today’s Quotation is taken from the third quarter of this brief sermon.

Quotation:

[continued from the previous post] Moreover, the title of being Christ’s brethren ascends so high that human thoughts are not able to comprehend it; for unless the Spirit, the Comforter, imparts this grace to us, no one would ever be able to say, “Christ is my brother.” For reason cannot be bold enough to say so, although one repeat it with the tongue very often, as the spirits of our times do. It is a higher thing than can be so spoken, for unless the heart truly experiences it, as is necessary, it will be nothing but pure hypocrisy. But if you truly experience it inwardly in your heart, it will be so excellent a thing to you, that you would much rather say nothing about it than speak and talk of it. Indeed, because of the greatness of so good a thing, you will perhaps doubt and be in an uncertainty as to whether it is really true or not. Those who only cry out, “Christ is my brother! Christ is my brother!” are fanatical spirits, who vainly pronounce words without any fruit. The reality is far otherwise, and far more marvelous with a true Christian, so that he is forced to be amazed by it, and neither dares say nor confess anything about it.

Therefore, we must endeavor to not only hear this with our natural ears, but to also experience it in our hearts. Then we will not be so presumptuous, but will immediately be surprised and amazed by it. True and sincere Christians view themselves with contempt and fear, thinking: “O wretched and defiled creature, who is drowned in sins, am I now made worthy that the Son of God should be my brother? How do I, miserable wretch, attain to such a thing?” Thus he is astonished and does not well understand this. Great study and endeavor surely is required, so that one may believe this. In fact, when one experiences it as it is in truth, he would from that time die; for he cannot understand it according to his flesh and blood, and, in this life, the heart of man is too confined to be able to comprehend such great things; but after death, when the heart becomes larger and broader, then, I say, we shall experience what we have heard by the Word.

In the Gospel of St. John, Christ plainly declares to Mary Magdalen the use and fruit of both his death and resurrection when he says, “Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” This is one of the most comforting passages in which we may glory and dare to boast. It is as though Christ said, “Mary, go hence and declare to my disciples, who fled from me, who have thoroughly deserved punishment and eternal condemnation, that this resurrection of mine is for their good, that is, that I have by my resurrection brought it to that pass that my Father is their Father and my God is their God.” These are only a few and very brief words indeed, but they contain a great thought, namely, that we have as great a hope and confidence of refuge in God as his own Son himself has. [to be concluded in the next post]