# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1899_S32
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

32 Proceedings of the 24th General, or

to describe in detail, since they are known to everyone among us and
are unanimously rejected by us as unworthy of the church of God. We
ask: by what means does the church move its members to give for
church purposes? Well, by what else than through the word of God
entrusted to it? God's word does this too, in this respect. We have,
on this point, clear instruction already in the story of Christ's
entry into Jerusalem. The Lord Christ needed, in order to enter
Jerusalem in the manner prophesied by the prophet Zechariah, a donkey
and a colt. He did not have them. What did he do? He sent two of his
disciples and had the owner of the animals told, "The Lord has need
of them." That was enough. The Lord received the donkey and the
colt. That is still fully sufficient today as well. Christ's word,
"The Lord has need of them," spoken to his — Christ's — subjects, is
enough for them to give Christ the donkey and the colt, and
everything else he needs. The objection does not hold: "At that time
the Lord worked through his word with divine power and thus made
hearts willing to give the Lord what he asked for. But now the matter
stands differently." No, the matter is by no means different now.
Even now the church does not approach its members in its own name and
with its own word, but in Christ's name and with Christ's word, and
says to them, "The Lord has need of your earthly goods." So this word
still has, even now, the very same divine effect. It may well happen
that Christians at first do not quite understand the matter, and make
more or less of a fuss. Just as, at the entry into Jerusalem, some of
those standing there at first asked in surprise, "What are you doing,
untying the colt?"*) An explanation was needed: "The Lord has need of
them." This explanation is needed now as well, and sometimes a longer
explanation is called for — to which Christians have both duty and
right, for they are, after all, the church. But as soon as the matter
has been explained to Christians and they recognize that it is
Christ's cause, they no longer refuse to obey the word, "The Lord has
need of them." Let us, in this respect too, hold simply to the word.
Had the two disciples whom Christ sent for the donkey and the colt
become disobedient, and, thinking they had to make a somewhat more
forceful appearance, armed themselves with swords and clubs instead
of saying Christ's word, "The Lord has need of them," there would
probably have been unpleasant scenes, and the outcome of the errand
would have become very doubtful. So too now. All means other than
the word stir up resentment, confusion, and turmoil in the church,
and do not lead to the goal — at least not to the right one. But the
word — the word of evangelical exhortation — accomplishes it. The
church, of course, has no power to levy taxes according to each
person's means, as the emperor Augustus did. But the church has, in
the word entrusted to it,

*) Mark 11:5.