From Dr. Luther…
Feed: Gnesio
Posted on: Monday, November 22, 2010 6:05 PM
Author: driley
Subject: Christ Coming To Us
So you see that the Gospel is really not a book of laws and commandments which require deeds of us, but a book of divine promises in which God promises, offers, and gives us all his possessions and benefits in Christ. The fact that Christ and the apostles provide much good teaching and explain the law is to be counted a benefit just like any other good work of Christ. For to teach aright is not the least sort of benefit. We see too that unlike Moses in his book, and contrary to the nature of a commandment, Christ does not horribly force and drive us. Rather … he teaches so gently that he entices rather than commands. He begins by saying, "Blessed are the poor, Blessed are the meek," and so on. And the apostles commonly use the expression, "I admonish, I request, I beseech," and so on. But Moses says, "I command, I forbid," threatening and frightening everyone with horrible punishments and penalties. With this sort of instruction you can now read and hear the Gospels profitably. When you open the book containing the Gospels and read or hear how Christ comes here or there, or how someone is brought to him, you should therein perceive the sermon or the Gospel through which he is coming to you, or you are being brought to him. For the preaching of the Gospel is nothing else than Christ coming to us, or us being brought to him…. - excerpt from Martin Luther, 'A Brief Introduction on What To Look For and Expect in the Gospels' |
