Category: People

Today is the Fourth Sunday in Advent and in many congregations of our church, the Annunciation will be read as the Gospel lesson. Here is a beautiful quote from one of Martin Luther’s sermons on the Annunciation:

“Our Lord Jesus Christ is true God and true man in one person conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. It is an article of faith that provides unique comfort against the devil, yes, even over against all angels, as is stated in Hebrews 2:16: ‘For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.’ He did not become God and an angel, but God and man. He does not assume the nature of angels, but that of Abraham’s seed, a human being, flesh and blood. That is why he is called Immanuel, God with us; not just because he is around and with us, living among us and helping us. That would be well and good, but he became like us , of our nature. He assumed flesh and blood and bone like us, yet without sin, which is our lot.

“The devil hates to hear this joyful tiding, that our flesh and blood is God’s Son, yes, God himself, who reigns in heaven over everything. Formerly, each Sunday, when we sang Nicea’s confession of faith, formulated at the Council of Nicea, at the word Et homo factus est, that is, “And He became man,” everyone fell to his knees. That was an excellent commendable custom and it would be a good thing for us to still practice this, so that we might thank God from the heart that Christ assumed human nature and bestowed such great and high honor on us, allowing his son to become man. It almost seems as though God is at enmity with the world.

“Present conditions are so shameful all around us in the world, as God allows murderous mobs and rabble, so much violence and so much misfortune to prevail, so that we might think God is only Lord and God of the angels and that he has forgotten about mankind. But here in our text we see that he befriends us humans like no other creatures, in the very closest relationship, and, in turn, we humans have a closer relationship with God than with any creature. Sun and moon are not as close to us as is God, for he comes to us in our own flesh and blood. God not only rules over us, not only lives in us, but personally became a human being. This is the grace which we celebrate today, thanking God that he has cleansed our sinful conception and birth through his holy conception and birth, and removed the curse from us and blessed us. By nature our conception and birth are flawed and laden with sin. In contrast, Christ’s conception and birth were holy and pure. Through his holy conception and birth our sinful nature, flesh, and blood are blessed and made holy. It is on this basis that we are baptized, so that by means of God’s Word, the sacraments, and the Holy Spirit we might have the fruit of his holy conception and birth. May we always thank him for his grace and never become weary or surfeited in hearing and learning this. Unfortunately, most people in the world think they know it all, after they have heard it once.”

Source:

Luther’s House Postils
The Day of the Annunciation to Mary
First Sermon
Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, pg. 292-293.

Iconoclasm comes from the Greek language and means, literally, “image smashers.” At the time of the Reformation Zwingli, Calvin and their followers thought the way to rid the church of the worship of images was to destroy them. Here is what Martin Luther had to say about iconoclasm.

“Images, bells, eucharistic vestments, church ornaments, altar
lights, and the like I regard as things indifferent. Anyone who wishes
may omit them. Images or pictures taken from the Scriptures and from
good histories, however, I consider very useful yet indifferent and
optional. I have no sympathy with the iconoclasts”  [Luther’s Works,
American Edition, Fortress, vol. 37, p. 371].

And…

I have myself seen and heard the iconoclasts read out of my German
Bible. I know that they have it and read out of it, as one can easily
determine from the words they use. Now there are a great many pictures
in those books, both of God, the angels, men and animals, especially in
the Revelation of John and in Moses and Joshua. So now we would kindly
beg them to permit us to do what they themselves do. Pictures contained
in these books we would paint on walls for the sake of remembrance and
better understanding, since they do no more harm on walls than in
books. It is to be sure better to paint pictures on walls of how God
created the world, how Noah built the ark, and whatever other good
stories there may be, than to paint shameless worldly things. Yes,
would to God that I could persuade the rich and the mighty that they
would permit the whole Bible to be painted on houses, on the inside and
outside, so that all can see it. That would be a Christian work.

Of this I am certain, that God desires to have his works heard and
read, especially the passion of our Lord. But it is impossible for me
to hear and bear it in mind without forming mental images of it in my
heart. For whether I will or not, when I hear of Christ, an image of a
man hanging on a cross takes form in my heart, just as the reflection
of my face naturally appears in the water when I [Vol. 40, Page 100]
look into it. If it is not a sin but good to have the image of Christ
in my heart, why should it be a sin to have it in my eyes? This is
especially true since the heart is more important than the eyes, and
should be less stained by sin because it is the true abode and dwelling
place of God.

Luther, M. (1999, c1958). Vol. 40: Luther’s works, vol. 40 : Church
and Ministry II (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.).
Luther’s Works. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.