External signs of contrition.
External signs of contrition.
§ 65. But, indeed, even though serious contrition can exist without exterior words and gestures, and even though God looks for inner contrition of the heart rather than for outward words and gestures—and thus in true repentance the prophets and apostles require the “rending” not so much of “clothes as of hearts” (Joel 2:13)—nevertheless where there is serious contrition of the heart, very often it shows itself visibly by external signs and indications, since an afflicted heart and a sad face are often connected.
Moreover, various signs of contrition occur in the Scriptures. The more important and more usual are the following. (1) Fasting. For when in grief the heart withers like grass, “then he forgets to eat his bread” (Ps. 102:[4]). Flacius (Clav., part 2, treatise De jejunio, p. 401): “When people fall into great sorrows and griefs, they lead a life which is bitter to them. They begin to neglect all those things which make life sweeter. From this comes fasting, which is called ‘affliction of the soul’ by the Hebrews.” Thus the Israelites (1 Sam. 7:6; 2 Chron. 20:3; Neh. 9:1; Esther 4:3; Joel 1:14; 2 Macc. 13:12), the Ninevites (Jon. 3:5–6), David (2 Sam. 12:16), and Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:3; Neh. 1:4; Dan. 9:3) fasted in true repentance.
(2) The rending of clothes, which is a sign of a torn and contrite heart, was used especially by the people of Israel in grief and sorrow (as is clear from 1 Sam. 4:12; 2 Sam. 1:2, 11; 3:31; 13:31; etc.), though it also appears among other peoples, for the poet writes:
The Latin goes about with clothing rent
confounded by the fate of his wife and the destruction of the city.
Thus the Israelites tore their clothing in true repentance (1 Macc. 3:47; 2 Macc. 10:[25]).
(3) Tears. These are the blood of a wounded soul and the ambassadors of grief, for a fountain of tears bursts forth from the squeezing of the heart. Thus the Israelites are commanded to weep (Joel 2:12); they do weep (Baruch 1:5, 2 Macc. 13:12). David weeps (Ps. 6:[6]; 69:[10]); Peter weeps (Matt. 26:75); the sinful woman also (Luke 7:38).
(4) Lying on the ground, which they call khame unian. Thus David lay upon the ground in true repentance (2 Sam. 12:16); the Israelites, for three days (2 Macc. 13:12).
(5) The sprinkling of ashes upon the head, which the Israelites also used in their grief (as is clear in 2 Sam. 13:19; Job 2:8). Thus in true repentance the Israelites sprinkled ashes on themselves (Neh. 9:1; 1 Macc. 3:47), as did the king of the Ninevites (Jon. 3:6; Job 42:6). This pertains to Christ’s statement (Matt. 11:21; Luke 10:13): “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”
** The custom of sprinkling ashes on the head was also used in grief among other nations. For thus does the Greek poet introduce a war leader sprinkling his head with ashes in grief because of the death of his friend: “In both hands he grabbed up the filthy dust and poured it over his head.”3 **
(6) Sackcloth, that is, the use of the cheapest, filthiest, most uncomfortable clothing, which the Israelites clearly also used in grief. Thus in true repentance the Israelites (Esther 4:3), the Ninevites (Jon. 3:[5]), Hezekiah (Isa. 37:1), and Daniel (Dan. 9:3) put on sackcloth. From this the expression stands: “to repent in sackcloth and ashes” (Matt. 11:21; Luke 10:13).
(7) The beating of the breast, which indicates that corrupt thoughts and sins of every type arise from the heart (Matt. 15:19). Thus in true repentance the publican “beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner’ ” (Luke 18:13). The Israelites did the same when they saw the crucifixion of Christ (Luke 23:48). This breast-beating was used at other times as a sign of grief, as is clear from Nah. 2:7: “The maidservants were taking her away, as they moaned like doves and beat their breasts.”
** The placing of the hands upon the head also pertains here. “She laid her hand upon her head and went on crying” (2 Sam. 13:19). “From there you shall go, and your hands will be upon your head” (Jer. 2:37). People who went about crying with their hands on their heads, especially women, used to bear witness of their grief in this way. **
(8) The pouring out of water. It is said of the Israelites that in true repentance “they drew water and poured it out before Jehovah and fasted on that day, saying, ‘We have sinned against Jehovah’ ” (1 Sam. 7:6). By this pouring out of water they undoubtedly wanted to indicate the extreme humbling of their heart, since they thought they “were poured out like water” (Ps. 22:[14]) and since they were “like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again” (2 Sam. 14:14). Some people look for a metaphor in these words so that the meaning is that they profusely poured forth their tears before God as if squeezed and drawn from the heart.
(9) Smiting of the thigh. “After You showed me this, I smote my thigh” (Jer. 31:19). In a marginal gloss [Gloss. marginal.] here, Luther adds: “Smiting the thigh is a sign of grief, just as women are accustomed to do in childbirth.”4
§ 66. Therefore since inner contrition sometimes reveals itself with these external signs and rituals, repentance is described by the common synecdoche of Scripture with these signs and rituals, just as the signified is described by the signs or a tree by its bark and leaves. This is not because these exterior rituals and acts constitute and complete true repentance without inner contrition, but because inner contrition very often reveals itself through them. Thus the repentance of the Ninevites is described in this way: they put on sackcloth, fasted, etc. [Jon. 3:5]. On the other hand, hypocrites, aping the truly devout, can feign these external rituals, works, and acts, as the example of Ahab testifies: “He rent his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted, slept in sackcloth, and went about dejectedly” (1 Kings 21:27), even though he had no inner and serious conversion to God. For this reason, at times God disapproves of these external rituals and works of repentance, especially if an inner change and renewal of the mind does not accompany them. Thus in Isa. 58:5 the fasts of the Jews are rebuked because they were afflicting the body alone, going about with bowed head, putting on sackcloth, and showing themselves as gloomy and sad, even though God required true repentance and grief of heart instead, and though He was merely testing to what extent this grief of body and soul was the effect and consequence of true contrition. In Joel 2:13 they are ordered to “rend their hearts and not their garments.” That is, they are commanded not to feign such grief with the outward ripping of their clothes but to grieve truly and seriously over the sins they had committed. The lack of acquaintance with this synecdoche, by which repentance is described with signs and fruits, provided an opportunity for the error of placing repentance merely in external and physical annoyances and of transferring the merit of the forgiveness of sins and of satisfaction to these acts, despite the fact that the promise of the forgiveness of sins is free, and it happens solely and uniquely because of Christ’s merit and must be apprehended in no way but by faith.