Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity (1879)

John 4:47-54 Faith in Christ far surpasses all works of mankind in its nature and in its benefits, even his greatest and best works; it is rather exceedingly great, yes, "the greatest and mightiest thing on earth."1 Even the magnificent miracles, through which the Son of God revealed His glory in this world, had as a last purpose the working of faith; as we immediately learn in His first miracle2 and that in our text the related second miracle of the Lord should likewise produce the same great effect.3 For the sake of faith alone these miracles have also been recorded for us and all the world.4 This faith is not just a contemptible thing in the world, also among many who count themselves as believing Christians, it appears as something light and easy, while it really "is a difficult art that one cannot finish learning"5, and its power, effect, and benefit revealed in pure healing miracles. Therefore, we should all the more seek to recognize and to attain faith as the noblest work of God within us. The present text should serve this purpose. The true Christian faith, 1. What it is, a. in weakness: . it is a weak faith although a hearty trust in God's help, but one which originates from a very limited knowledge of the greatness of divine mercy. The king, when he came to Christ, did not know much about Christ's person, preaching and miracles; the Lord had only just begun to preach and had only performed one sign; nevertheless he had that firm confidence that Christ would help him.6 Weak faith in Christ is also rooted in only a slight knowledge of the power of divine promises of grace, but is a humble and sincere confidence in God's grace, especially in times free of temptation; . therefore it still holds signs and wonders to be necessary; wants to see and feel some of the help itself, before it considers it without doubt for certain. The king made the certainty of the help of Christ dependent upon Christ's bodily presence at his deathly sick son; upon the visible execution of the desired miracle from Him; by the fact that help immediately occurred.7 Weak faith of Christians seeks strength
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Luther. John 2:11. 3 John 4:53. 4 John 20:30-31. 5 Luther. 6 John 4:47. 7 John 4:48-49.

alone in the visible experience of divine help, as he wishes it; in a sweet sensation of divine grace in the heart; in a human presumption of what one has learned to know about God's Word and grace; b. in power, . it seizes the divine Word applied to it and desires nothing more. On this Word of Christ: Your son lives, the king turned down every objection of reason and every doubting intentions of the heart, the Word alone was enough for him, infallible, firm, and without any perfectly certain sign accompanying it.8 The Christian must know that that he already possesses help in physical distress through God's Word, eternal goods in the temptation of this time, in the feeling of sin even forgiveness, in death even life, even though he perceives nothing about it9; 2. what working and benefit it has; a. weak faith also grasps the Almighty and merciful God, Who will strengthen and invigorate it most graciously as well as its goods and property. Weak faith led the king to the blessed efficacy of the omnipotence and love of Christ, that initially made him strong through chastisement10 and specific promise of serving help.11 Even now all those weak in faith enjoy the mercy and authority of Christ, so that they are allowed to chastise unbelievers12 and are able to appropriate His promises with full confidence; b. weak faith certainly grasps divine grace and help before He provides anything for it; finds joyful confirmation in knowledge, and triumphantly enters into the contemplation of that which was still far into the future. The king joyfully went back in the certainty of having obtained help; he was pleased on the way even more by the confirmation of this certainty, which his servants broke to him13, and finally saw in the fellowship of all his people what he had believed in the work before his eyes.14 The believing Christian enjoys divine comfort in faith with joyful praise and thanksgiving15; certainly is blessed in hope16, finds joyful confirmation in their own experience17 and in the witness of others18,

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John 4:50. Psalm 28:7; Hebrews 11:1. 10 John 4:48. 11 John 4:50. 12 Mark 9:23-24. 13 John 4:51-53. 14 John 4:53. 15 Psalm 28:7. 16 Romans 8:24. 17 Romans 8:16. 18 Romans 15:4.

also leads others to salvation19, and at last enters into the perfect possession of all gifts and goods of divine grace in contemplation of blessed eternity.20

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John 4:53. John 5:24; 1 Peter 1:7-9; Isaiah 25:7-8.