Postil on the Gospel of John: On Rebirth

...concerning temporal matters, and even all sorts of fables, people in these times can endure them better than a long sermon about Christ, hearing or reading them with more patience. Therefore, people want everything to be made brief; even the glorious Gospels, which are full of the mysteries of God, are meant to be only briefly "postill-ized" The author uses the verb postilliren, meaning to write or deliver a short commentary on a scripture lesson. or explained.

But it is not seen what is actually achieved by this, and that through such brevity one only becomes ever more ignorant and can never come to a true foundation of the knowledge of Christ and His divine truth. So little thought is given to the fact that holy days German: feiertag. While literally "holidays," in this context they are days set aside for communal worship and rest from worldly labor. were instituted so that Christians (though they should do so at all times) might primarily on these days devote themselves together to the service and praise of God—through prayer, singing, offering, reading, or hearing—and occupy themselves with the Word of God. They should more diligently contemplate the salvation of their souls; indeed, they should spend and adorn the entire day with the godly exercise of faith, so that they may gather within themselves a spiritual treasure for the future, increase in the knowledge of Christ, become rich in good works, and lay hold of eternal life.

For anyone who takes this to heart and gains a love and desire for the Kingdom of God, nothing will seem too long that properly presents and makes known the King of that Kingdom, with His riches, His people, and His mysteries. Thus, this Postil is written only for the eager students of Christ who have a desire and love for the Word of God, and not for the inattentive, lazy, and sluggish original: halbirer, referring to the half-hearted or those who do things by halves..