To Become like Calves
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
PSALM 29:5-6
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To Become like Calves
We must overcome the cedars, that is, manifestations of pride, not by might but by humility and patience. So Christ conquered the wisdom of the world not by wisdom but by foolishness, and the power of the world by weakness. He did not conquer evil by evil, not life by life, not bitter by bitter, but by their opposites, life by death, and evil by good. For He was like a calf of Lebanon, not like a king and tyrant, but rather like a weakling in the offering of His flesh, and by the example of His humility even unto death. In this way He conquered the life of the flesh by death, so that henceforth no one might live for himself in the flesh but for Him. In this way He wrested the cudgel away from Hercules, that is, He deprived the devil of power and life and wisdom. This is what we, too, must do when we want to overcome malice, and we must become calves, that is, patient and humble.
From First Lectures on the Psalms, on Psalm 29 (Luther's Works 10:135-36)
April 9
PSALM 29:5-6
+
To Become like Calves
We must overcome the cedars, that is, manifestations of pride, not by might but by humility and patience. So Christ conquered the wisdom of the world not by wisdom but by foolishness, and the power of the world by weakness. He did not conquer evil by evil, not life by life, not bitter by bitter, but by their opposites, life by death, and evil by good. For He was like a calf of Lebanon, not like a king and tyrant, but rather like a weakling in the offering of His flesh, and by the example of His humility even unto death. In this way He conquered the life of the flesh by death, so that henceforth no one might live for himself in the flesh but for Him. In this way He wrested the cudgel away from Hercules, that is, He deprived the devil of power and life and wisdom. This is what we, too, must do when we want to overcome malice, and we must become calves, that is, patient and humble.
From First Lectures on the Psalms, on Psalm 29 (Luther's Works 10:135-36)
April 9
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