Sexagesima (1886)

Luke 8:4-15 "I am not ashamed of the Gospel" etc. - thus St. Paul praises in Romans 1:16 the supernatural power of the Gospel. It is no empty, dead Word, but a living powerful means to work, multiply, and preserve faith in hearts. It enables anyone, who believes that and seizes Christ with his benefits, in a blissful state, here through the forgiveness of sins, there by obtaining perfect eternal salvation. But God wants to force no one to the enjoyment of it, one can oppose the working of the Gospel, and unfortunately many do actually resist, and thus the saving power of the Gospel is thwarted in them. On the saving power of the divine Word as a heavenly seed: 1. how it is indeed, unfortunately, inhibited by many hearers. If the attending power of the Word of God cannot prove its effectiveness, then it is also powerful when the heart of the listener willfully resists it. There are namely a. hearts, that are similar to a path.1 These are careless, reckless spirits who despise the Truth that is preached to them. The preached Word to them has quite the same destiny, like a seed that falls on the trodden path, it does not bear fruit; b. hearts, that are similar to the thin layer of soil on a rock.2 How quickly and beautifully the seed of the Word initially opens up among them! Ardor of first love! But if temptation, persecution for the sake of the Word rises up, then the lovely seed again too quickly withers, and where is the fruit? c. hearts, in which the seed falls among thorns.3 Here it is not the heat of persecution under which the good seed perishes but " worries, riches and lust of this life." The beginning of Christianity is so often quite lovely and sweet4, but with time one gains love of the world again, especially if previously poor Christians gain earthly riches. Oh, what a danger for faith! For a while the good seed probably still fights there with thorns until they finally gain the victory and crush the wheat altogether. Because it is there around the fruit of the Word, for salvation to take place.5 But, yes, the sowing of the heavenly seed cannot be in vain, therefore we consider, 2. how splendidly the saving power of God's Word proves in contrast to others. These are: a. good land.6 However, they are not this by nature.7 But the Word of God is living and active , But the word of God is living and active, it possesses the power, the land itself, on
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Luke 8:5, 12. Luke 8:6, 13. 3 Luke 8:7, 14. 4 1 Timothy 4:10. 5 1 Timothy 6:10, 17; 2 Peter 2:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. 6 Luke 8:8, 15.

which the seed falls, and it would initially also transform the path, rocky ground, or thorny ground, into good land, and it exercises this power everywhere where it is not prevented by the deliberate reluctance of men; b. they absorb the Word not only willingly and with joy, but also keep it, like Mary, and keep it in their hearts9, are able to appropriate the healing treasures by a constant faith, put on Christ and are established and rooted in Him10; c. they bring fruit.11 They show the fruits of the Spirit among them.12 The smoldering wick is not extinguished, it blooms forth all Christian virtues.13 In patience.14 Would we all turn out to be good land and bring fruit a hundredfold! G[eorg] S[tckhardt]

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Genesis 8:21; Matthew 15:19; Romans 3:23. Hebrews 4:12; Jeremiah 23:29. 9 Luke 2:19. 10 Galatians 3:27; Isaiah 61:10; Ephesians 3:17. 11 Luke 8:8, 15. 12 Galatians 5:22. 13 Isaiah 42:3; Philipians 4:8; 2 Peter 3:18; Isaiah 61:3; Philippians 1:11; Colossians 1:10. 14 Romans 5:3-4; Matthew 10:22.