Christmas

Some ten years ago, I began this web site and for some reason devoted a lot of time to collecting materials to help people observe a religious Christmas. That work was rewarded with a huge influx of visitors beginning every fall. It seems pastors and others have found the site useful as they work in advance of the big day. The collection runs the gamut from nostalgic to scriptural, anecdotal to academic. We hope it continues to be a blessing. For this year�s addition to the main Christmas page, we go �classic� with an excerpt from Martin Luther�s Church Postil, the Gospel for Christmas Eve, Luke 2:1�14.

The Armor of This Gospel

In this Gospel is found the basis of the article of the creed where we say: �I believe in Jesus Christ who is born of the Virgin Mary.� Although this statement is assuredly based on several passages of Scripture, yet nowhere is it set forth as clearly and abundantly as here. St. Mark says no more than that Christ has a mother, likewise St. John; neither says anything concerning the birth. St. Matthew says that he was born at Bethlehem of Mary. That is all he says, except that he gloriously proclaims Mary�s virginity (as we shall hear in due time). But Luke describes the birth clearly and in detail. It was also told in ages past in the patriarchs and in the prophets, as when God says to Abraham, Genesis 22[:18]: �In your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.� And again, when he says to David, Psalm 89[:4�5] and Psalm 132[:11]: �God has sworn an oath to David in truth and he will not fail him: �Out of the fruit of your body will I create a king on your throne.� � But these are obscure statements compared with this Gospel.

Then, again, his birth also is signified [or: is anticipated] in many figures, as in the rod of Aaron which blossomed in a supernatural manner, even though it was only a dry stick of wood (Numbers 17[:8]). Similarly, Mary, without natural and physical blood, semen, power, and works, nevertheless gave birth in a supernatural manner to a true, natural son, and was a natural mother, just as the rod, also bore natural almonds and yet remained an ordinary rod.

Again, the birth is prefigured in the fleece of Gideon, Judges 7 [6:37�38] which became moist from the dew of heaven while the ground remained dry. There are many more. It is, however, not necessary to enumerate them at this time. These prefigurations are not contrary to faith; rather they adorn faith. For something must, first of all, be believed and established, before I can believe that a prefiguration is of service.

This article possesses much importance and we must never permit it to be taken away in time of tribulation; the evil spirit does not attack anything so violently as our faith. For this reason we must be prepared and know where in Holy Scripture this faith is set forth, so that we can point whatever attacks our faith to these places. If that is done, the attack is withstood, for the evil spirit cannot stand Up against the word of God.

There are also many ethical teachings in this lesson, for example, concerning humility, patience, poverty, and many others, but they have been sufficiently mentioned. Furthermore. they are not points of controversy inasmuch as they are good works and fruits of faith.

THE GOSPEL FOR CHRISTMAS EVE, LUKE 2[:1�14]

It is written in Haggai 2[:6, 21] that God says: �I will move the heavens and the earth when he will come whom all people desire.� This has been fulfilled tonight. For the heavens, that is, the angels who are in heaven and who were praising God with their song, and the earth, that is, the people on earth, were moved.

The Gospel is so clear that there is little need of learned interpretation. It is only necessary to ponder it well, to contemplate it, and to take it completely into your heart. None will derive more benefit from it than they whose hearts hold still and who divest themselves of material considerations and concentrate diligently on it. This lesson is just like the sun: in a placid pond it can be seen clearly and warms the water powerfully, but in a rushing current it cannot be seen as well nor can it warm up the water as much. So if you wish to be illumined and warmed here, to see God�s mercy and wondrous deeds, so that your heart is filled with fire and light and becomes reverent and joyous, then go to where you may be still and impress the picture deep into your heart. You will find no end of wondrous deeds. However, in order to start out the simple people and to give them incentive, let me show them a little how to go about it; later on they may go into it a bit more thoroughly.

In the first place, notice how ordinarily and simply things take place on earth, and yet they are held in such high respect in heaven! This is what takes place on earth: there is a poor, young woman, Mary, in Nazareth. Nobody pays any attention to her, and she is considered to be one of the least significant inhabitants of the town. Nobody realizes the great wonder she is carrying. She is silent, does not put on airs, and considers herself the lowliest person in town. She starts out on the journey with Joseph, her husband. Mary had a donkey to sit on, yet she deserved to ride in a carriage with the greatest pomp. When they came to Bethlehem, they were the most insignificant people, and were obliged to stand aside until they were shown into a stable and had to be satisfied to share with the animals a common table, room and bed! Many a rogue occupied the seat of honor in the inn and was treated as a gentleman. Nobody notices or understands what God performs in the stable. He permits the big houses and the expensive rooms to remain empty; he permits them to eat, to drink, and to be of good cheer, but this solace and this treasure is hidden from them. Oh, what a dark night must have been over Bethlehem at that time that they did not see such a light! Thus God indicates that he pays no attention at all to what the world is or has or can do, and on the other hand the world proves that it knows nothing at all of, and pays no attention to, what God is or has or does. Behold, this is the first symbol wherewith Christ puts to shame the world and indicates that all of its doing, knowledge, and being are contemptible to us, that its greatest wisdom is in reality foolishness, that its best performance is wrongdoing, and that its greatest good is evil. What did Bethlehem really have, when it had not Christ?

But the birth itself was even more pitiful: nobody took pity on this young woman who was about to give birth for the first time; nobody took to heart the heaviness of her body; and nobody cared that she was in strange surroundings and did not have any of the things which a woman in childbirth needs. Rather, she was there without anything ready, without light, without fire, in the middle of the night, alone in the darkness. Nobody offered her any of the services which one naturally renders to pregnant women. Everyone was drunk and roistering in the inn, a throng of guests from everywhere, and nobody bothered about this woman. I suspect she did not expect to give birth so soon; otherwise she might have remained in Nazareth. Consider now what sort of cloths she may have used to wrap him in; perhaps her veil or whatever she did not need to cover her own body.

Then there are some who express opinions concerning how this birth took place, , but, as the words indicate, it was a real birth. Now we know, do we not, what the meaning of �to bear� is and how it happens. The birth happened to her exactly as to other women, consciously with her mind functioning normally and with the parts of her body helping along, as is proper at the time of birth, in order that she should be his normal natural mother and he her natural normal son. In the same way she nurtured him in a natural fashion with milk from her breasts. I am talking about this so that we may have a foundation for our faith and that we let Christ be a natural human being, in every respect exactly as we are. Nor must we put him in a separate category as far as nature is concerned except where sin and grace are involved. The more we draw Christ down into nature and into the flesh, the more consolation is ours.

How could God have demonstrated his goodness more powerfully than by stepping down so deep into flesh and blood, that he does not despise that which is kept secret by nature, but honors nature to the highest degree exactly where it was brought into shame to the highest degree in Adam and Eve? How completely do all desires and thoughts, no matter how strong they may be, topple down, when we merely look at this birth and ponder how God�s exalted majesty, with all earnestness, boundless love and kindness, goes to work in the this virgin. But what is taking place in heaven because of this birth? Even as it is disregarded on earth, it is highly honored in heaven, and indeed a thousand times more.

Now, what sort of honor is it that all the angels in heaven cannot contain themselves for joy, that they burst forth giving poor shepherds in the field a chance to hear them, that they preach, praise, sing, and pour out their joy beyond measure? Can the joy and honor of all the people of Bethlehem, indeed that of all kings and lords on the earth, be compared to this joy and honor? All is nothing but filth when we contemplate this joy and honor! Behold, how richly God honors those who are despised and apt to be despised of men! Here you see where his eyes are turned: into the depths and low places, as it is written: �He sits above the Cherubim and looks into the depth or the abyss.� Then, too, the angels could not find any princes or potentates, but only unlearned lay people and the lowliest of all the folk on earth. Could they not have addressed the high priests and the learned men of Jerusalem? After all, they talk a lot about God and the angels. No, poor shepherds, who were nothing on earth, had to be worthy to receive such great grace and honor in heaven. How completely does God spurn that which is high! And we only strive madly and frantically after vain heights, lest we be honored in heaven; again and again we step out of God�s horizon, so that he might not see us in the depths, the only place where he looks.

Let this be enough of an incentive for contemplation on the part of simple people. Let each one strive by himself! All words are pure fire, they warm the heart, provided a person keeps them there, as we read in Jeremiah 23[:29]: �My words are like fire.� As we see, it is the nature of the divine words to teach us to understand God and his works; their aim is to show us that this life is nothing. Since he does not live in accordance with this life and does not own goods, honor, and power of this temporal life, he has no regard for them and he does not speak of them, but teaches only the reverse, and acts �foolishly�: he looks at that from which the world turns away, teaches those things from which the world flees, picks up what the world casts aside. And although we do not like going along with such actions of God and do not wish to give up goods, honor, and life in this manner, yet that is how it must be. For it cannot be changed; God teaches and acts in no other manner. We must take our direction from him; he will not take his direction from us. Also, whoever disregards his word, his deed�the nativity�and his consolation, certainly has no good sign of salvation in him. How could God have demonstrated more pleasantly that he is gracious to all those who are lowly and despised on earth than by this lowly birth, from which the angels derive joy and which he reveals to none but the poor shepherds?

Now let us see what sort of mysteries, hidden things, are presented to us in this story. . .

�And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.�