Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and…

I Hope well that ye do now rightly understand this Gospel, forasmuch as it is preached of every year: notwithstanding because occasion is now again offered, we must again entreat and preach of it. First the Evangelist saith, that Christ took his Disciples aside, and said unto them secretly after this sort: Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see. For I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. To see and hear is to be understood here simply of the outward seeing and hearing, to ⟨p. 393⟩wit, that they saw Christ come in the flesh, heard his sermons, and were present at those miracles which he did among the Jews. The Jews saw the same according to the flesh, yea and felt them also: yet did they not truly acknowledge him for Christ, as the Apostles did, and especially Peter in the name of all the rest did confess him, saying: Thou art Christ the Son of the living God. We grant in deed, that there were some among the Jews, which acknowledged him, as the Apostles did, but the number of them was very small, wherefore he taketh his Apostles here severally unto himself. Many Prophets and Kings have seen Christ, howbeit in the spirit, as the Lord himself saith to the Jews of Abraham, Joh. 8:¹ Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad. The Jews thought then that he had spoken of the bodily seeing, but he spake of the spiritual seeing, whereby all Christian hearts did behold him, before he was borne. For if Abraham saw him, undoubtedly many other of the Prophets, in whom the holy Ghost was, saw him also. And although this seeing saved the holy Fathers and Prophets, yet did they always with most inward and hearty affection desire to see Christ in the flesh also, as is commonly showed in the Prophets. Wherefore the Lord saith here unto his disciples, which saw him both in the flesh, and in the spirit: Blessed are the eyes which see those things that ye see. As if he said: Now is the acceptable year and time of grace: The matter which is now in hand is so weighty and precious, that the eyes are worthily said to be blessed, which see it.

I Hope well that ye doe nowe rightly vnderstande this Gospell, forasmuch as it is preached of euery yeare: notwithstanding because occasion is now againe offered, we must againe entreat and preach of it. First the Euangelist sayth, that Christ tooke his Disciples aside, and sayd vnto them secretly after this sort: Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see. For I tell you that many Prophets and Kinges haue desired to see those thinges which ye see, and haue not seene them, and to heare those things which ye heare, and haue not heard them. To see and heare is to be vnderstoode here simply of the outward seeing and hearing, to