LESSON: LUKE 1:68-79

Faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26

Faith is of two sorts. The first is that you believe that Christ is a man like the Christ described and proclaimed in the whole Gospel, but you do not actually believe that He is such a man for you. You have your doubts that all He achieved is for you. It may be for St. Peter, Paul, and the holy saints, but you are not at all sure that it is for you.

Such a faith is really nothing. It never really receives Christ or tastes of the things that really count in Him. Even the devils have this faith.

The one faith which is entitled to be called real, true Christian faith is to believe without any wavering that Christ is not only such a man for St. Peter and the saints, but also for you, indeed, for you more than for all others.

Your salvation does not consist in believing that Christ is a Christ for the pious, but that He is a Christ for you and is yours.

This faith brings it to pass that He pleases you in a most delightful manner. Then love and good works follow without any compulsion.

If works do not follow, it is quite certain that faith is really absent. Where faith exists, the Holy Spirit is also present working love and what is good in us.

SL.XI.2,8-9
AE 75,28

PRAYER: Bestow your Holy Spirit upon us, O Lord, to lead us into true faith, active in love and producing the works pleasing to you, for the welfare of your kingdom and our neighbor. Amen.

LESSON: MATTHEW 21:1-9

Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass. Matthew 21.5

This Gospel in a special manner arouses and demands faith. It portrays Christ in His coming grace. No one can really receive and accept Him unless he believes that He is the man in the sense portrayed in this Gospel. All that is set forth here in Christ is pure grace, gentleness and goodness. He who believes this regarding Christ is saved.

Look at Him! He rides no stallion, an animal mostly associated with war. He does not come in splendor and animal, accustomed to burdens and toil in the service of men. In this way He shows that He comes not to tempt men, nor to come down upon them with force and suppress them, but to them, to bear their burden and to take it upon Himself.

Although it was the time-honoured custom of the country to ride on asses and to use horses for war, as often recorded in Scripture, all that is narrated here is intended ot make known how this King rides in gently, with nothing but good intent.

To demonstrate this point, a prophetic statement is introduced here (Zechariah 9.9) to draw us to faith and the acceptance of Christ in a very friendly manner. For the sake of this statement, the events of this Gospel took place and were set down in writing as the evangelist also declares. Let us pay careful attention to this statement and the chief point of this Gospel, for herein Christ is highlighted for us in regard to what we are to hold and believe concerning Him, what we are to expect from Him, what we are to seek in Him, and how we are to avail ourselves of His help and make use of Him.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, fill us at all times with your saving grace. Lead us to true faith and preserve us therein, for your love’s sake. Amen.

LESSON: 1 JOHN 5:6‒12

Let God be true, but every man a liar. Romans 3:4

Someone may ask: What will happen if we cannot trust anyone? We must have some involvement and dealings with others; how otherwise could human society continue? We must buy and sell and distribute our wares among others. If no one believed or trusted anyone else, all human transactions would come to an end.

It is true, of course, that we must have dealings with each other, and one needs the other’s help. But the point I am trying to make is this: your dealings with any man, whether it be buying or selling, must be regarded as a matter of uncertainty on which you cannot rest your faith or build anything with absolute certainty.

This much is sure: If you trust anyone, you are already deceived. Human nature, to the best of its ability, can do nothing but lie and deceive. Everything, accordingly, which depends on man must always retain an element of uncertainty; man’s works and words are subject to constant change and instability. Be quite sure of that!

We must trust God alone and say, “O Lord, You are my life, my soul and body, my property and goods, and all that is mine: direct and order it all in accordance with Your will. You I believe. You I trust. You will never forsake me in any dangerous situation with this man or that man. I cannot trust man. If you know that it will be good for me, bring it to pass that he keeps faith with me. If you know that it will not benefit me, let him break faith with me. I am well content to let Your will be done.

Sl.XI.1810,17

PRAYER: O God, we pray that Your good and gracious will should always prevail in all our relationships with You and our fellowmen, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil–Gospels, 5:293-306.