Sexagesima Sunday (1905)

Luke 8:4-15 In order to save us through faith in Christ, God has given us his holy Word. We should read and hear it. But especially will He bless the hearing in the hearts of men. That is why the Lord gave to His Church the mandate to preach the gospel to every creature1, and the apostle Paul explicitly emphasizes that faith comes by preaching.2 Precisely for this reason has the Lord instituted the preaching office.3 But not everyone who hears the Word will be saved.4 They do not properly hear the Word. Today's Gospel shows us how the Word finds a variety of receptions from the hearers, and at the same time is a serious invitation to all who hear it, not frivolously, but properly. The invitation of the Lord to hearers of the Word: "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!" 1. Whoever does not properly hear the Word, hears it to their judgment. a. The Word is not properly heard means it is heard without devotion, without desire of salvation, from enmity or other dishonest foundation, with prejudice or from mere habit, as was the case for the vast majority of listeners at the time of Christ and is still the case for many even today5; or it also means, when one also first receives it, not properly giving room to the Word and not letting it take root6, or the Seed of the Word, that has risen in the heart, is allowed to be choked again by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life.7 b. The result is that such a hearer never comes to faith in the Lord Christ8, or that they, if they have believed for a time, are angry at the Word, because it does not bring to them the expected external bliss9, or that the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life again conquer the heart altogether.10 Such Word, if they even hear it externally, must ultimately serve only for hardening and judgment.11 c. The blame on this futile hearing of the Word lies not on God, Who wills that all be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth, and offers His grace to all hearers of the Word.12 The blame also does not lie on the Word. The Word is a good seed13, a power of God
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Mark 16:15-16; Matthew 28:19-20. Romans 10:17. 3 1 Corinthians 4:1; Acts 20:28; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (See also "Magazin" 28:27). 4 Romans 10:16; Isaiah 53:1. 5 Luke 8:5, 8; Matthew 22:15. 6 Luke 8:6, 13. 7 Luke 8:7, 14 (Demas and so many others). 8 Luke 8:5, 12. 9 Luke 8:6, 13. 10 Luke 8:7, 14, 18 (Illustration by reference to experiences in our congregations). 11 Mark 4:12 (See Stckhardt, "Biblical History of the New Testament", p. 62 at the top). 12 1 Timothy 2:4; Isaiah 6:9-10. 13 Matthew 13:24.

unto salvation14, a bright light.15 It cannot also be without witness in the heart of the hearer.16 Their malice, their reluctance is to blame for that.17 The condemnation of such hearers of the Word will be greater than the damnation of those who have never heard the Word.18 Therefore let us receive quite well the invitation of the Lord: "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!" and fear nothing so much than that we would like to hear the word frivolously and vainly. Everyone should always constantly watch over themselves, that they properly hear the Word. Because: 2. Only those who hear the Word properly, hear it to life. a. The Word properly heard means it is heard in simplicity and humility, like the disciples19, with attention20, as God's Word21, with desire of salvation22; to stir and preserve it in the heart, to apply Law and Gospel to one's self23; neither to allow one's self to turn away from it through tribulation nor through pleasures of life24; to abide by the Word at all times.25 b. Whoever properly hears the Word, the Seed of the Word will rise up in their heart, put down deeper and deeper roots, so that he is better and better put in a better state to overcome all sorts of trouble in the Word, worry, riches, pleasures of this life; he will continue to grow in faith, in knowledge, and bear fruit in patience.26 Finally he gains eternal life. 27 The Word is to him a fragrance of life to life.28 c. But if we properly hear the Word and are blessed, then this is not of our merit, work, or preparation, but God's gift and present.29 He makes the heart into good land30, works and keeps faith31, even provides, that we bear fruit.32 God does all these things through His Word, and especially through the preaching of the Word. Therefore, to whom his soul's salvation is dear, let him hear God's Word and hear it properly, and the Lord, Who wills that all should come to the knowledge of the Truth, will surely give His blessing.33

Romans 1:16. 2 Peter 1:19 etc. 16 Acts 7:54, 56; 24:25; 26:28. 17 Matthew 23:37; 22:1-14; Isaiah 65:2; Acts 7:51. 18 Luke 12:47-48; Matthew 10:14 etc. 19 Luke 8:9. 20 Proverbs 4:17. 21 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Acts 10:33. 22 John 6:68. 23 Luke 8:15; 1:33; 2:19. 24 Luke 8:6-7, 13-14. 25 John 8:31; Psalm 26:6-8; Joshua 1:8. 26 Luke 8:8, 15; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 1:19, 3:18; Psalm 2:2-3. 27 Luke 11:28; John 10:28. 28 2 Corinthians 2:16b. 29 Luke 8:10a, 18; Matthew 16:17; Luke 1:77. 30 Luke 8:8, 15; Ezekiel 33:26. 31 1 Corinthians 12:3; Colossians 2:12; Titus 2:14. 32 Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14. 33 Matthew 13:16 (KSLG 178:10 or TLH 292:9).
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