Christ's
Holy Sufferings
by Martin
Luther (1483-1546)
The following sermon is taken from volume II
of, The Sermons of Martin Luther, published by Baker Book House (Grand
Rapids, MI). It was originally published in 1906 in english by Lutherans In
All Lands (Minneapolis, MN), in a series titled The Precious and Sacred
Writings of Martin Luther, vol. 11. The original title of this sermon
appears below (preached by Luther approx. 1519-1521). This e-text was scanned
and edited by Shane Rosenthal; it is in the public domain and it may be
copied and distributed without restriction. Original pagination from the
Baker edition has been kept intact for purposes of reference. |
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER,
VOL. II, PAGE 183
THE TRUE
AND THE FALSE VIEWS OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS
1. In the
first place, some reflect upon the sufferings of Christ in a way that they
become angry at the Jews, sing and lament about poor Judas, and are then
satisfied; just like by habit they complain of other persons, and condemn
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN
LUTHER, VOL. II, PAGE 184
and spend
their time with their enemies. Such an exercise may truly be called a
meditation not on the sufferings of Christ, but on the wickedness of Judas and
the Jews.
2. In the
second place, others have pointed out the different benefits and fruits
springing from a consideration of Christ's Passion. Here the saying ascribed to
Albertus is misleading, that to think once superficially on the sufferings of
Christ is better than to fast a whole year or to pray the Psalter every day,
etc. The people thus blindly follow him and act contrary to the true fruits of
Christ's Passion; for they seek therein their own selfish interests. Therefore
they decorate themselves with pictures and booklets, with letters and
crucifixes, and some go so far as to imagine that they thus protect themselves
against the perils of water, of fire, and of the sword, and all other dangers. In
this way the suffering of Christ is to work in them an absence of suffering,
which is contrary to its nature and character.
3. A third
class so, sympathize with Christ as to weep and lament for him because he was
so innocent, like the women who followed Christ from Jerusalem, whom he
rebuked, in that they should better weep for themselves and for their children.
Such are they who run far away in the midst of the Passion season, and are
greatly benefited by the departure of Christ from
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN
LUTHER, VOL. II, PAGE 185
but to
prove us, especially for the purpose of meditating upon the sufferings of
Christ. For where this is not done, we make a temporal, unfruitful work out of
the mass, however good it may be in itself. For what help is it to you, that
God is God, if he is not God to you? What benefit is it that eating and
drinking are in themselves healthful and good, if they are not healthful for
you, and there is fear that we never grow better by reason of our many masses,
if we fail to seek the true fruit in them?
SECTION II. THE TRUE VIEW OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS.
4.
Fourthly, they meditate on the Passion of Christ aright, who so view Christ
that they become terror-stricken in heart at the sight, and their conscience at
once sinks in despair. This terror-stricken feeling should spring forth, so
that you see the severe wrath and the unchangeable earnestness of God in regard
to sin and sinners, in that he was unwilling that his only and dearly beloved
Son should set sinners free unless he paid the costly ransom for them as is
mentioned in Is 53:8: "For the transgression of my people was he
stricken." What happens to the sinner, when the dear child is thus
stricken? An earnestness must be present that is inexpressible and unbearable,
which a person so immeasurably great goes to meet, and suffers and dies for it;
and if you reflect upon it real deeply, that God's Son, the eternal wisdom of
the Father, himself suffers, you will indeed be terror-stricken; and the more
you reflect the deeper will be the impression.
5.
Fifthly, that you deeply believe and never doubt the least, that you are the
one who thus martyred Christ. For your sins most surely did it. Thus St. Peter
struck and terrified the Jews as with a thunderbolt in Acts 2:36-37, when he
spoke to them all in common: "Him have ye crucified," so that three thousand
were terror-stricken the same day and tremblingly cried to the apostles:
"O beloved brethren what shall we do?" Therefore, when
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN
LUTHER, VOL. II, PAGE 186
you view
the nails piercing through his hands, firmly believe it is your work. Do you
behold his crown of thorns, believe the thorns are your wicked thoughts, etc.
6.
Sixthly, now see, where one thorn pierces Christ, there more than a thousand
thorns should pierce thee, yea, eternally should they thus and even more
painfully pierce thee. Where one nail is driven through his hands and feet,
thou shouldest eternally suffer such and even more painful nails; as will be
also visited upon those who, let Christ's sufferings be lost and fruitless as
far as they are concerned. For this earnest mirror, Christ, will neither lie
nor mock; whatever he says must be fully realized.
7.
Seventhly, St. Bernard was so terror-stricken by Christ's sufferings that he
said: I imagined I was secure and I knew nothing of the eternal judgment passed
upon me in heaven, until I saw that the eternal Son of God took mercy upon me,
stepped forward and offered himself on my behalf in the same judgment. Ah, it
does not become me still to play and remain secure when such earnestness, is
behind those sufferings. Hence he commanded the women: "Weep not for me,
but weep for yourselves, and for your children." Lk. 23:28; and gives in
the 31st verse the reason: "For if they do these things in the green tree,
what shall be done in the dry?" As if to say: Learn from my martyrdom what
you have merited and how you should be rewarded. For here it is true that a
little dog was slain in order to terrorize a big one. Likewise the prophet also
said: "All generations shall lament and bewail themselves more than
him"; it is not said they shall lament him, but themselves rather than
him. Likewise were also the apostles terror-stricken in Acts 2:27, as mentioned
before, so that they said to the apostles: "O, brethren, what shall we
do?" So the church also sings: I will diligently meditate thereon, and
thus my soul in me will exhaust itself.
8.
Eighthly, one must skilfully exercise himself in this point, for the benefit of
Christ's sufferings depends almost entirely upon man coming to a true knowledge
of himself,
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN
LUTHER, VOL. II, PAGE 187
and
becoming terror-stricken and slain before himself. And where man does not come
to this point, the sufferings of Christ have become of no true benefit to him. For
the characteristic, natural work of Christ's sufferings is that they make all
men equal and alike, so that as Christ was horribly martyred as to body and
soul in our sins, we must also like him be martyred in our consciences by our
sins. This does not take place by means of many words, but by means of deep
thoughts and a profound realization of our sins. Take an illustration: If an
evil-doer were judged because he had slain the child of a prince or king, and
you were in safety, and sang and played, as if you were entirely innocent,
until one seized you in a horrible manner and convinced you that you had
enabled the wicked person to do the act; behold, then you would be in the
greatest straits, especially if your conscience also revolted against you. Thus
much more anxious you should be, when you consider Christ's sufferings. For the
evil doers, the Jews, although they have now judged and banished God, they have
still been the servants of your sins, and you are truly the one who strangled
and crucified the Son of God through your sins, as has been said.
9.
Ninthly, whoever perceives himself to be so hard and sterile that he is not
terror-stricken by Christ's sufferings and led to a knowledge of him, he should
fear and tremble. For it cannot be otherwise; you must become like the picture
and sufferings of Christ, be it realized in life or in hell; you must at the
time of death, if not sooner, fall into terror, tremble, quake and experience
all Christ suffered on the cross. It is truly terrible to attend to this on
your deathbed; therefore you should pray God to soften your heart and permit
you fruitfully to meditate upon Christ's Passion. For it is impossible for us
profoundly to meditate upon the sufferings of Christ of ourselves, unless God
sink them into our hearts. Further, neither this meditation nor any other doctrine
is given to you to the
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN
LUTHER, VOL. II, PAGE 188
end that
you should fall fresh upon it of yourself, to accomplish the same; but you are
first to seek and long for the grace of God, that you may accomplish it through
God's grace and not through your own power. For in this way it happens that
those referred to above never treat the sufferings of Christ aright; for they
never call upon God to that end, but devise out of their own ability their own
way, and treat those sufferings entirely in a human and an unfruitful manner.
10
Tenthly, whoever meditates thus upon God's sufferings for a day, an hour, yea,
for a quarter of an hour, we wish to say freely and publicly, that it is better
than if he fasts a whole year, prays the Psalter every day, yea, than if he
hears a hundred masses. For such a meditation changes a man's character and
almost as in baptism he is born again, anew. Then Christ's suffering
accomplishes its true, natural and noble work, it slays the old Adam, banishes
all lust, pleasure and security that one may obtain from God's creatures; just
like Christ was forsaken by all, even by God.
11.
Eleventhly, since then such a work is not in our hands, it happens that sometimes
we pray and do not receive it at the time; in spite of this one should not
despair nor cease to pray. At times it comes when we are not praying for it, as
God knows and wills; for it will be free and unbound: then man is distressed in
conscience and is wickedly displeased with his own life, and it may easily
happen that he does not know that Christ's Passion is working this very thing
in him, of which perhaps he was not aware, just like the others so exclusively
meditated on Christ's Passion that in their knowledge of self they could not
extricate themselves out of that state of meditation. Among the first the
sufferings of Christ are quite and true, among the others a show and false, and
according to its nature God often turns the leaf, so that those who do not
meditate on the Passion, really do, meditate on it; and those who bear the
mass, do not hear it; and those who hear it not, do hear it.
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN
LUTHER, VOL. II, PAGE 189
SECTION
III. THE COMFORT OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS.
12. Until
the present we have been in the Passion week and have celebrated Good Friday in
the right way: now we come to Easter and Christ's resurrection. When man
perceives his sins in this light and is completely terror-stricken in his
conscience, he must be on his guard that his sins do not thus remain in his
conscience, and nothing but pure doubt certainly come out of it; but just as
the sins flowed out of Christ and we became conscious of them, so should we
pour them again upon him and set our conscience free. Therefore see well to it
that you act not like perverted people, who bite and devour themselves with
their sins in their heart, and run here and there with their good works or
their own satisfaction, or even work themselves out of this condition by means
of indulgences and become rid of their sins; which is impossible, and, alas,
such a false refuge of satisfaction and pilgrimages has spread far and wide.
13.
Thirteenthly. Then cast your sins from yourself upon Christ, believe with a
festive spirit that your sins are his wounds and sufferings, that he carries
them and makes satisfaction for them, as Is 53:6 says: "Jehovah hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all;" and St. Peter in his first Epistle 2:24:
"Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree" of the
cross; and St. Paul in 2 Cor. 5:21: "Him who knew no sin was made to be
sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him." Upon
these and like passages you must rely with all your weight, and so much the
more the harder your conscience martyrs you. For if you do not take this
course, but miss the opportunity of stilling your heart, then you will never
secure peace, and must yet finally despair in doubt. For if we deal with our
sins in our conscience and let them continue within us and be cherished in our
hearts, they become much too strong for us to manage and they
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN
LUTHER, VOL. II, PAGE 190
will live
forever. But when we see that they are laid on Christ and he has triumphed over
them by his resurrection and we fearlessly believe it, then they are dead and
have become as nothing. For upon Christ they cannot rest, there they are
swallowed up by his resurrection, and you see now no wound, no pain, in him,
that is, no sign of sin. Thus St. Paul speaks in Rom. 4:25, that he was
delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification; that is,
in his sufferings he made known our sins and also crucified them; but by his
resurrection he makes us righteous and free from all sin, even if we believe
the same differently.
14.
Fourteenthly. Now if you are not able to believe, then, as I said before, you
should pray to God for faith. For this is a matter in the hands of God that is
entirely free, and is also bestowed alike at times knowingly, at times
secretly, as was just said on the subject of suffering.
15. But
now bestir yourself to the end: first, not to behold Christ's sufferings any
longer; for they have already done their work and terrified you; but press
through all difficulties and behold his friendly heart, how full of love it is
toward you, which love constrained him to bear the heavy load of your
conscience and your sin. Thus will your heart be loving and sweet toward him,
and the assurance of your faith be strengthened. Then ascend higher through the
heart of Christ to the heart of God, and see that Christ would not have been
able to love you if God had not willed it in eternal love, to which Christ is
obedient in his love toward you; there you will find the divine, good father
heart, and, as Christ says, be thus drawn to the Father through Christ. Then
will you understand the saying of Christ in Jn. 3:16: "God so loved the
world that he gave his only begotten Son," etc. That means to know God
aright, if we apprehend him not by his power and wisdom, which terrify us, but
by his goodness and love; there our faith and confidence can then stand
unmovable and man is truly thus born anew in God.
16.
Sixteenthly. When your heart is thus established
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN
LUTHER, VOL. II, PAGE 191
in Christ,
and you are an enemy of sin, out of love and not out of fear of punishment,
Christ's sufferings should also be an example for your whole life, and you
should meditate on the same in a different way. For hitherto we have considered
Christ's Passion as a sacrament that works in us and we suffer; now we consider
it, that we also work, namely thus: if a day of sorrow or sickness weighs you
down, think, how trifling that is, compared with the thorns and nails of
Christ. If you must do or leave undone what is distasteful to you: think, how
Christ was led hither and thither, bound and a captive. Does pride attack you:
behold, how your Lord was mocked and disgraced with murderers. Do unchastity
and lust thrust themselves against you: think, how bitter it was for Christ to
have his tender flesh torn, pierced and beaten again and again. Do hatred and
envy war against you, or do you seek vengeance: remember how Christ with many
tears and cries prayed for you and all his enemies, who indeed had more reason
to seek revenge. If trouble or whatever adversity of body or soul afflict you,
strengthen your heart and say: Ah, why then should I not also suffer a little
since my Lord sweat blood in the garden because of anxiety and grief? That
would be a lazy, disgraceful servant who would wish to lie in his bed while his
lord was compelled to battle with the pangs of death.
17.
Behold, one can thus find in Christ strength and comfort against all vice and
bad habits. That is the right observance of Christ's Passion, and that is the
fruit of his suffering, and he who exercises himself thus in the same does
better than by hearing the whole Passion or reading all masses. And they are
called true Christians who incorporate the life and name of Christ into their
own life, as St. Paul says in Gal 5:24: "And they that are of Christ Jesus
have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof." For
Christ's Passion must be dealt with not in words and a show, but in our lives
and in truth. Thus St. Paul admonishes us
in Heb. 12:3: "For consider
THE SERMONS OF MARTIN
LUTHER, VOL. II, PAGE 192
him that
hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against himself, that ye wax not weary,
fainting in your souls;" and St. Peter in his 1st Epistle 4:1: "As
Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind." But
this kind of meditation is now out of use and very rare, although the Epistles
of St. Paul and St. Peter are full of it. We have changed the essence into a
mere show, and painted the meditation of Christ's sufferings only in letters
and on walls.
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