Rev Arturo Mendez
St. Matthew Lutheran Church of Westfield.
Lent sermon week 2 Feb 24 2021
Text sermon Hymn. #656 A mighty Fortress is Our God
Text Background: A mighty fortress is Our God” was most likely written sometime between 1527 and 1529, a period that saw an epidemic hit Wittenberg, a serious illness.
The Hymn is often call a “Battle Hymn of the Reformation” but in Luther’s day it was thought of in different terms, as can been seen from the heading needed at the time.
The Hymn has often translated into English, but the translations most frequently found are Thomas Carlisle’s 1831 text ‘A safe stronghold our God is still”, well known in Britain, and Frederick H. Hedge’s version beginning “A mighty fortress is Our God. A bulwark never failling’, which is more popular in America. The Missouri Synod has Historical use Neither, but rather a translation from the 1868 Church Book of the general Council, a Theologically conservative Lutheran Body. In some ways, This Translation (LSB 656). Which stays quite close to German. Is a bit wooden, but it is sanctified by long use in the Synod, with many church members having memorized it. It is Set to Luther’s original version of the Tune.
Hymn 657 was also translated into the Spanish Language by Juan Bautista Cabrera.
And also there was a movement in nineteenth-century Germany, Though, to realize hymn singing trough the restoration of the original rhythmic versions of the themes. one proponent of this movement was a young pastor named C.F.W. Walther, who eventually became the first president of the Missouri Synod in 1847, Walther’s congregation in St. Louis produced a new Hymnal that later became widely use in the synod. Although it contained only texts and no music, This Hymn was sing around a 100 years until was restored for the Evangelisches Kirchengesanbuch Most lutherans in America outside the Missouri synod and other members of the synodical conference that use TLH(1941)did not become familiar with them until they appear in LBW (1978)Through that books influence, they began to appear in a Episcopal ,Catholic ,an Prebysterian hymnals toward the end of the twentieth century.And so the rhythmic version of the tune (LSB 656) claims pride of place in the Missouri Synod and it was the committee’s intention that congregations should, whenever possible , use that version. Ok enough of this little brief of History.
Hymn. #656 A mighty fortress is our God Text & Tune by Dr. Marthin Luther (1483-1546)
A mighty fortress is our God,
A trusty shield and weapon.
He helps us free from ev’ry need That hath us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe
Now means deadly woe; Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight; On earth is not his equal.
Stanza 1 “ A mighty Fortress is our God” is headed “Psalm 46” and begins with a pharaphrase of the psalm’s first verse. Psalm 46-1 god is Our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
God our Father is our refuge and strength and is like a fortress, Martin Luther Here is Talking in a figurative sense, if you were a Soldier when you are in war your best friend to protect yourself is a fortress it is a shield, and literally God Through Faith in His Son Jesus Christ has given us His Protection when we are in trouble He is the one who rescues from the attacks from the enemy when we trust in Him and in his Word as a weapon we can fight the enemy, our tendency is always to sin and forget what God has been done for us, and the devil is constantly attacking us in different ways in thoughts and deeds and is ready to devour us, as a believer and like Dr. Martin Luther we live our life in constant need if we live our lives by ourself we cannot do anything right. We need a savior, that shield and fortress to trust and protect us, this be possible by God trough His Son Jesus Christ. The devil cannot have power over us because Jesus has been won this battle in the Cross by His Dead and His Resurrection on the Third Day He Rose and it is seated at the right hand of the Father and by Faith in Him we are protectected by His Son Jesus Christ as our, mighty Fortress.
Stanza Two: With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the Valiant One, Whom God himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this?
Jesus Christ it is,
Of Sabbaoth Lord,
And there’s none other God; He holds the field forever.
When we sing this stanza we confess by faith and in thanksgiving that Jesus Christ is the one who fights the battle for us we confess That He is with us, and He protects Christians against the gates of hell, Against all Devils, factious spirits, the world, the flesh, sins, death, etc. When we ask ye,who is this ? who is the one who fights the valiant battle is the one whom God himself was selected Jesus Christ it is the Lord of Sabbaoth. “The army of Angels” ready to fight the Spiritual Battle in the Field Jesus Christ is the Lord of Hosts. Who Fights the battle with His Army, the devil is against us to make us Fail in Sin and ready to devour the world and the Militants of His Kingdom, yes we Believers are the Soldiers of the field and that’s why it is so important to trust in the Lord of that Army who has already won the battle, who has been conquer and defeat the enemy, and only with Him and His Army of angels this victory can happen Jesus Christ has been conquer that victory in the Cross. He has given already His Life for the forgiveness of all our sins, and His dead, and His resurrection now is ours by faith in Him alone, His Victorious resurrection against dead and de devil is ours we are no longer dead eternally His Victory is our Victory, and we Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is. The Lord of Sabbaoth.
Stanza 3: Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill, They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none,
He’s judged; the deed is done; One little word can fell him.
In this image of this stanza martin Luther refer to Satan to attack us, as believers we are always under the attacks of the enemy, Satan and his hungry demons are always ready to devour us.
As a Christians we tremble not, we fear no ill, they shall not overpow’r us. The prince of this world can’t harm us none, we are now belong to Christ, He has already paid the price of Sin in the Cross, our sinful condition is now taking away, He has clean us and clothe us with His Righteousness, we are part of His Kingdom.
Satan is already Judge the dead is done; in John 12-31 says Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out[1]
That is our certainty that little word which is named here in the Hymn is it not little, that is the most beautiful word we ever heard it is the Name of Jesus so it is mean to happen all ruthlessness is mean to fall upon Christ and his gospel, so that the devil pours out all his wickedness and all his power upon Christ and in him become powerless ,for the Salvation and comfort of us who believe in Christ .thus they may drive back the devil with a single word and cast him down. to the godless and unbelieving, The devil is a Prince, indeed, a god of this world. but to believers he is powerless. when he hears a Christian speaking the one word “Jesus of Nazareth” we true faith, he falls down as if struck by a Thunderclap. For he burned his own fingers on Jesus, so that he can do no more to him.
Stanza 4: The Word they still shall let remain Nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain With his good gifts and Spirit. And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife, Though these all be gone, They yet have nothing won; The Kingdom ours remaineth.
The first 2 lines of the stanza 4 “the word they still shall remain nor any thanks had for it “are unclear even in German (and are frequently misinterpreted)
But in the translation to English is more clear to understand what is the meaning , “the word they shall let stand”, with “they” referring to the enemies of the gospel as also in the phrase “and take they or life “later in the stanza and in the TLH translation “they yet have nothing won”
The first 2 lines of the stanza 4 of Luther’s hymn therefore carry the sense of “they (the enemies of the gospel ) shall still allow the word to remain no matter what they think , whether they wish it or not, in the end ,meaning is not too different from what is already in LSB, as not to be grateful for something ( “nor any thanks have for it “), they're not exactly the same as not consenting to something ,is close enough to the true meaning that the sense should be understood.
In the rest of the Stanza 4 the Word He is by our side, Christ it is the one who is in our side, He is always with us with His Spirit, and His Good Gifts and Blessings, the Word and the Sacraments, He has Given us His Word when it is proclaimed we heard the beautiful words of the Gospel and salvation upon us by faith in Christ, the Word of God produces faith in our hearts and the Holy Spirit strengthen our Soul, in the sacraments when we partake of the Lords Supper our Sins are being forgiven and strengthen our Faith, Christ is always by our side, He has promised to us that He will be with us even in the end of the earth, He has already conquer the World and the devil, the enemies has not power over us even if we loose everything. Goods, Fame, child or Wife, the devils had no gained what they most desire: The Kingdom of God and our soul.
The Kingdom of Heaven is Ours by the Merit of Jesus Christ, the penalty of Dead is already paid by Him in the Cross, he has defeated the devil because sin and death has no power over us, Jesus Christ has already, conquer the Kingdom of Heaven for us, all believers now we are part of His Kingdom we are His Children, and we take refuge in Him as our Mighty fortress. To God be the Honor and Glory and to Jesus Christ our Savior Amen!!
Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds and life everlasting Amen !!
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