This struggle is portrayed in the woman of our text. The person and all attending circumstances are of the most unpromising kind. The first unfavorable circumstance is the fact that the woman is of heathen birth, no child of Abraham, nor of his lineage; and therefore, being a stranger, she has no right to ask any favors here. This she knew, and it would have been no wonder if this fact had prevented her coming. She might easily have been led to think: Why shall I go, and what shall I ask? It is all in vain. I am a heathen and foreign woman; He is a Jew, and one sent unto the Jews. I very much doubt whether we would overcome such obstacles as this; we would succumb to them, and give up our prayer. It is no trifling matter when conscience appears with its charges and tells us: What are you about? You have not the right to pray, as you are not Christ’s disciple; let Peter and Paul pray to God; these He will hear, but not you. You have no faith; perhaps you are not one of the elect, and surely unworthy to come before God with your petitions. With thoughts like these the devil can bring us to despair; for indeed the obstacles are great. When thus perplexed let us look for encouragement upon this woman, and learn to conduct ourselves as she did.

The difficulties in the way do not appall her; she keeps only in view the object of her coming, and forgets that she is a heathen and He a Jew. Her confidence and hope in Christ are so great that she never doubts His condescension. Her faith cancels the fact that she is a heathen.

We read in our Gospel that “Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness,” that is, the Holy Ghost brought Him thither. … That Christ did not go into the wilderness of His own accord, but was led up by the Spirit, is a fact of the greatest importance and should be well remembered. We should imitate this example, and never do anything through an impulse of our own feelings; but what we do must ever be done in obedience to the Word and command of God. Let us always first ascertain whether God orders us to do a thing, and when we are assured of this, then let us diligently do it, and do nothing without His Word.

The general duties and works of love need no new command; they are already laid down and ordered in the Ten Commandments. We are all enjoined of God to hear His Word, to love Him, to pray to Him, to be obedient to our parents, to love our neighbor, to shun all lasciviousness and to hold matrimony in high esteem. All this is God’s will and institution; therefore no especial call of the Holy Spirit to enter matrimony, to become father or mother, is needed. Such matters have all been arranged and commanded of God. (Luther’s House Postil, Sermon for Invocavit, Volume 1, p. 257-258)

The experience of Christ after His Baptism shall teach us, in the first place, how every Christian after he is baptized is enrolled in the army fighting against the crafty devil, who makes frequent attacks, and stirs up persecutions all the days of our life. If this bitter enemy does not succeed with his afflictions and temptations, to overcome Christians, he seeks to hang them upon the cross and to murder them as he did Christ.
This peril threatens all Christians. Nor ought we to expect anything else. If he did not spare Christ, but attacked Him so persistently, he will much less spare us, whom he knows to be weak and unprepared. We should therefore be ready to meet this danger when it comes, and learn of Christ how to repel the enemy. This however can only be done through faith in God and His Word. If we put on this armor and use it properly, we are secure against the devil and his attacks; but if we have it not, or are ignorant of its use, we are hopelessly lost, and will become a prey to our deadly enemy.
Every Christian should therefore earnestly read the Word of God and hear it preached, so that he may become well acquainted with it. Besides, we ought to pray incessantly to God to let His kingdom come unto us, to lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from all evil. (Luther’s House Postil, Sermon for Invocavit, Volume 1, p. 257)

The Evangelist states three times that the disciples did not comprehend this prediction. They regarded His words as having some unusual and hidden meaning. They understood not a single word of these sayings, for they reasoned thus: This man performs so many miracles, He raises the dead, He gives the blind their sight, etc., from all of which it is evident that He will yet become a person of high position, for it is plain that God is with Him. Besides this, the Scriptures declare of Him that He shall have a glorious kingdom and exercise dominion over kings and princes on earth, while we, His servants, will also become princes and great lords. For who could in the least injure such a Person, who controls death and cures all infirmities with a single word? If He so desires, He can make the heathens His subjects and put beneath His feet all His enemies. Hence they dame to the conclusion that God loves Him too much to suffer any harm to befall Him; His sayings in regard to His sufferings and death must surely have another meaning. Thus reasoned the apostles in their simplicity.

God’s works are indeed incomprehensible, if they are considered before they are accomplished, but as soon as they are finished they are perfectly plain and intelligible. St. John states repeatedly that the disciples did oftentimes not understand the words of Christ, until the acts to which they referred had been accomplished. It is therefore necessary to have faith in the Word of God when He speaks He refers to matters far beyond the power of our comprehension; hence it behooves us to believe what He says, and then we shall fully experience and understand the true meaning of His words. (Luther’s House Postil, Sermon for Sexagesima, Volume 1, p. 218-219)

My Beloved: You learn from this Gospel that there are many kinds of hearers of the pure Word of God, but only a few who retain it and bring forth good fruit. This must be diligently presented to the people, so that all may examine themselves and discover to what class of hearers they belong, and make haste to be numbered among those who are called the good ground, in whom the Word brings forth fruit.

The first class of hearers are those with whom the Word fares as “the seed by the wayside.” It does not yield fruit because it is either trodden down or devoured by the fowls of the air. The second class are they “who hear and receive the Word with joy.” They not only speak of it but believe in it, and it grows finely, as the seed upon a rocky soil, but when the first hot day of summer comes it begins to wither, because it has neither root nor moisture. When persecution and tribulation come, such people fall away before the good fruit of faith with patience follows. The third class are easily discernible. They are Christians who are as seed among thorns; it grows, but brings no fruit and is choked; the thorns grow too densely around it. The fourth class of hearers, finally, are they who faithfully receive and retain the Word in an honest and good heart until it brings forth fruit with patience. They do not endeavor to avoid persecution for the sake of the Word, are ready in faith and love towards God, to endure all that may happen, and bring forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold. (Luther’s House Postil, Sermon for Sexagesima, Volume 1, p. 218-219)

Christ employs this parable to teach us the difference between His kingdom and the kingdom of this world. Affairs in the former differ entirely from those in the latter, in which there is an inequality among persons. Our Gospel has nothing to do with this existing inequality in the world, where the master has many possessions and the servant who labors for him none, or but few; the parable simply refers to the kingdom of God, and teaches us that in it all inequality is abolished, that everything is common property there, and that one shall have as much, and be esteemed as much, as the other. In our daily life, however, there will always be a marked distinction among men on account of their various pursuits. The peasant will have a mode of life different from that of the citizen, and the prince from that of the nobleman. In these matters there is inequality everywhere, and so it must remain. But in the kingdom of Christ it is otherwise; there is no distinction there among believers; they are all alike, whether they be kings, princes, governors, masters or servants. All have the same Baptism, Gospel, Faith, Sacrament, the same Christ and God. They all attend divine worship in perfect equality; the servant, the mechanic and the peasant hear the same Word as the mightiest lord. The Baptism wherewith I was baptized belongs to every other child, whether rich or poor. Magdalene and the malefactor on the cross have the same faith which St. Peter and St. Paul had; yea, the selfsame faith which you or I have, if we are Christians. All sinners, if converted, have the same God and Christ whom John the Baptist had. There is no difference here, though one may by far excel the other in his station in life, in his calling, or in his talents. (Luther’s House Postil, Sermon for Septuagesima, Volume 1, p. 210-211)

Such kindness must prompt us in all our troubles to come unto Him for help, and to place our entire confidence in Him. But more than this: it ought to prompt us to exercise similar kindness and love towards our fellow-men, with the sole intention to do the will of God and to promote the welfare of our neighbor. Christ seeks neither honor nor reward in rendering assistance; He has but this in view, that man may be relieved from woe and suffering, that the glory of God may be enhanced and His will accomplished.

We do not serve God if we are kind to others merely because we expect a similar return from them. Such a spirit would be selfish. If we wish to serve God and our brother aright, we must not look to our own interest, but only to the existing want. We must bear in mind that it is God’s will and command to assist our fellow-man in his time of need, though we are aware that we gain not even a farthing by it, or perhaps naught but ingratitude; as Christ Himself experienced when He cleansed ten lepers, nine of whom forgot to thank Him, and only one returned with a grateful heart. Christ foresaw this base ingratitude, and yet He helps them when they ask, committing the rest to God in heaven. (Luther’s House Postil, Sermon for the 3^rd Sunday after Epiphany, Volume 1, p. 185-186)

This is the first miracle which the Lord Jesus performed upon earth, thereby manifesting His glory unto His disciples, that they, as John distinctly relates, might thus learn to recognize Him as the Son of God and as the true Messiah; for He does here what no other human being can do: He changes that which is created, and makes wine from water. Such a deed can only be performed by God who is Lord over all creation; men cannot do it. This miracle chiefly serves to teach us who Christ the Lord is, so that with full confidence we may in time of need and trouble hasten to Him to 177seek from Him help and blessing, which we shall surely obtain at the proper time. This is the chief lesson of our Gospel today. But inasmuch as we derive this same truth and comfort from all the miracles of Christ, we will on this occasion dwell principally upon the fact that this miracle was done at a marriage; and we do this to the end that the doctrine concerning matrimony may be well known among Christians. This is a matter of great importance.  (Luther’s House Postil, Sermon for the 2^nd Sunday after Epiphany, Volume 1, p. 176-177)

Surely, we receive much more of God than we can ever expect to obtain from emperors, or any temporal authorities. If we do not believe that there is a future life, why then, of course, we need no other helpers than rulers, parents, or physicians, whose duty is to see to our temporal welfare. But if we believe that there is a life after this is ended, then, beyond all doubt, we need this our Savior. Neither king, nor father, nor mother, nor physician, nor any one else, yea. not even an angel, can give us that life. It is true, our Lord Jesus will also be with His people in the troubles of this life, and will assist them in their temporal distress, even if kings and parents and friends fail, or are not able to assist. Yet this is not His chief nor highest office; hence we do not preach of it especially.

His special office is to save from sin, from eternal death and the dominion of the devil; hence He proclaims His name Jesus, to be known by all sinners, for they need a Savior. If there were no hell, no dominion of the devil, no eternal punishment or torment, men might live without Jesus the Lord; for then when one dies all would be at an end, as it is with a tree when it falls, or with a cow when she dies. Hence those who do not believe in God nor in a future life, become a wild, licentious brood. But he who believes in a God will immediately conclude that not all is ended with the close of this life, but there is, beyond this, another life, which is everlasting. That God does not principally concern Himself about the present life of man is evident from the fact that He permits so many wicked scoundrels to live, and to flourish here upon earth. But He has promised us an eternal life hereafter, and the Child Jesus came to be our Savior and our Guide to this future existence. If He brings us into that life, then has He assisted us indeed, no matter what trials we may in the meanwhile be called to endure here upon earth; yea, though they be so severe that it might seem as if God had forsaken us, it matters not, since we know that He saves unto eternal life. This must satisfy us, let the world wag as it will.

(Luther’s House Postil, Sermon for the 2^nd Sermon for New Year, Volume 1, p. 143)

On the festival of Epiphany you heard that it was so called on account of the manifestation of Christ, which occurred that the new-born Babe might not be unknown, but revealed; for if we had not heard of His birth, it would have been of no avail. Hence it is that during these days we preach also upon other Gospel lessons which refer to the manifestation of Christ. Thus we use the one relating to Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan by John, and also the one which speaks of His first miracle, performed at the marriage at Cana, where He manifested Himself as Lord over all. These manifestations took place not only that Jesus should be known among men, but also that He might be acknowledged and praised as One who is more than human, born to have dominion over everything; and also that we should recognize Him as our Savior, upon whom we can depend in every distress and anxiety, and from whom we can obtain our help.

(Luther’s House Postil, Sermon for the 1^st Sunday after Epiphany, Volume 1, p. 169)