God gives his blessings for the purpose that we may use them with thanksgiving, and not that we may let them lie idle, and thus tempt him for he wishes it, and forces us to fast by the Spirit or by a need which we cannot avoid.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”. The text reads: Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness and not: Jesus himself chose to go into the wilderness. We should not seek want and temptation, they will surely come of themselves we ought then do our best and act honestly. For whoever, without being led by the Spirit, wantonly resorts to the danger of hunger or to any temptation, when it is truly a blessing of God that he can eat and drink and have other comforts, tempts God. 4 This is also the reason that the Evangelist with great care places it first: Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, that be might there fast and be tempted, so that no one might imitate his example of their own choice and make of it a selfish, arbitrary, and pleasant fasting but instead wait for the Spirit, who will send him enough fastings and temptations.
Hence it is much more precious than the first, because it moves in greater faith. The first kind of fasting, one can end whenever he wills, and can satisfy it by food but the other kind we must observe and bear until God himself changes it and satisfies us. Paul speaks in : “Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst,” and Christ in : “When the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then will they fast.” This kind of fasting Christ teaches us here while in the wilderness alone without anything to eat, and while he suffers his penury without murmuring. Paul speaks in : “In labors, in watchings, in fastings.” The other is that which we must bear patiently, and yet receive willingly because of our need and poverty, of which St. 3 The Scriptures present to us two kinds of true fasting: one, by which we try to bring the flesh into subjection to the spirit, of which St. Therefore we will carefully consider how this Gospel teaches us by the example of Christ what true fasting is. I will not mention the many other evils as the consequences, as that pregnant mothers and their offspring, the sick and the weak, were thereby ruined, so that it might be called a fasting of Satan instead of a fasting unto holiness.
#ANOTHER PHRASE FOR RAIN ON YOUR PARADE FREE#
Moreover, even if all had gone well and right, so that their fasting had been applied to the mortification of the flesh but since it was not voluntary it was not left to each to do according to their own free will, but was compulsory by virtue of human commandment, and they did it unwillingly, it was all lost and to no purpose. It would have been better had people been drunk day and night than to fast thus. And it is this that has made our fasting a stench and so blasphemous and shameful, so that no drinking and eating, no gluttony and drunkenness, could have been as bad and foul. 2 But the worst of all is that we have adopted and practiced fasting as a good work: not to bring our flesh into subjection but, as a meritorious work before God, to atone for our sins and obtain grace. Indeed he did many other things, which he wishes us not to do but whatever he calls us to do or leave undone, we should see to it that we have his Word to support our actions. For although Christ did fast forty days, yet there is no word of his that he requires us to do the same and fast as he did. In the second place, Lent has become mere mockery because our fasting is a perversion and an institution of man. Thus Christ also wished to fast when he was about to bring to us, and give expression to, the new law. Christ rather followed the example of Moses, who fasted also forty days and nights, when he received the law of God on mount Sinai. Mat 4:7 | Luther | STEP | 1 This Gospel is read today at the beginning of Lent in order to picture before Christians the example of Christ, that they may rightly observe Lent, which has become mere mockery: first, because no one can follow this example and fast forty days and nights as Christ did without eating any food.
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