# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_December 1861_S361
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Report on the Law. 361

in the vow of chastity and other vows. Namely, in this: that in those
vows something is done and commanded that is against love, whereas in
the other case — where murder, adultery, etc. are forbidden — love is not
violated but is rather upheld by it. And this Christ also confirms, Matt.
12:7, where he prefers mercy above all commandments and laws, saying to
the Pharisees, who were pressing the point of the Sabbath: If ye had
known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would
not have condemned the guiltless. With the very same meaning he holds
that, where the body or one's goods suffer need, there one should show
mercy, and should not understand the Law to stand opposed to that need,
or to bind in that need. So too the Lord Christ defends the apostles,
when they plucked the ears of grain in the field, on the ground that they
had been hungry — that is, that they had needed mercy in their want..
But it does not stand the same way with faith toward God; for God does
not exist for man's sake, but man for God's sake." (See Luther's Works,
Walch ed. XX, 2025–2032.)

Finally, Luther writes in the Church Postil, on the Gospel for the
18th Sunday after Trinity: "But how does Abraham act? He shuts his
senses, takes his reason captive, and obeys the voice of the Lord; he
went and did as God commanded him. By this he proved that this
commandment came from the heart; otherwise, had he killed his son a
hundred times over, God would have asked nothing further about it — but
God looked to this: that this deed proceeded from the heart and out of
love for God.. This example the Jews afterward wished to follow, and
they sacrificed their children to God just as Abraham did.. But why was
this deed of the Jews not pleasing to God? Because it did not happen from
the heart and out of love for God, but they looked only to the deed
itself, and did it afterward without command or word from God; but God
says: dear sirs, it is not my concern that Abraham sacrificed his son,
but that he proved by the deed that he loves me from the heart. Love must
first be in the heart; only then let works follow, and they will be
pleasing to God — for all the works of the Law are aimed at this: that
through them the love of God which is in the heart be made manifest,
which love the Law requires and desires above all things. It is
therefore also to be noted here that all the works of the Law are not
commanded merely so that they be done, plain and simple; no, no — for
even had God given more commandments still, he would nonetheless not
want them kept at the cost of injury and harm to love. Indeed, if they
run contrary to love of neighbor, he wills that they be torn up and cast
down.. When the Law conflicts with love, it ceases to hold and shall be
a law no longer. But where there is no such obstacle, there the keeping
of the Law is a manifestation of the love that lies hidden in the heart.
For laws are used precisely so that love may be demonstrated by means of
them; but where they cannot be kept without injury to the neighbor, God
wills that they be set aside, and